James Ireland (4 December 1846 – 29 June 1886) was a short-lived but productive 19th-century Scottish architect, specialising in schools.

Life

The grave of James Ireland, Western Cemetery, Dundee

He was born on 4 December 1846 at Hawkhill Place in

Dundee Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...

the son of George Ireland and his wife, Janet Leslie. His father was a partner in George and James Ireland, owners of the Temple Mill on Tay Street, a flax mill. His family moved to "Tay View" at 287 Perth Road in Dundee (then a new house) around 1860. This is a large mid-terraced house overlooking the

River Tay The River Tay ( gd, Tatha, ; probably from the conjectured Brythonic ''Tausa'', possibly meaning 'silent one' or 'strong one' or, simply, 'flowing') is the longest river in Scotland and the seventh-longest in Great Britain. The Tay originates ...

. In 1865/1866 his father went into partnership with Henry Samuel Boase to buy the Wellfield juteworks and created Boase & Ireland. In 1876 he went into partnership with David Maclaren designing new schools in the wake of the

Education (Scotland) Act 1872 The Education (Scotland) Act 1872 (35 & 36 Vict. c. 62) made elementary education for all children between the ages of 5 and 13 mandatory in Scotland. The Act achieved a more thorough transfer of existing schools to a public system than the 18 ...

. He lived at "Beechwood" in Dundee in his final years. He died in a friend's house at Blairgowrie of either

gangrene Gangrene is a type of tissue death caused by a lack of blood supply. Symptoms may include a change in skin color to red or black, numbness, swelling, pain, skin breakdown, and coolness. The feet and hands are most commonly affected. If the ga ...

and/or

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

at on 29 June 1886, aged only 39.Grave of James Ireland, Western Cemetery, Dundee He is buried with his siblings in the

Western Cemetery, Dundee The Western Cemetery in Dundee, Scotland, is a still-operational cemetery founded in the mid 19th century. It rises northwards from the Perth Road, with terraces in its upper sections. It views over the Firth of Tay to the Tay Rail Bridge ...

. The grave lies on the west side of the central path just before the first terrace.

Family

In October 1884 he married Ada Greenhaigh at

Manchester Cathedral Manchester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Mary, St Denys and St George, in Manchester, England, is the mother church Mother church or matrice is a term depicting the Christian Church as a mother ...

Main works

(works are in Dundee unless otherwise stated) *Ancrum Road School (1874) *Braeknowe House (1874) *North Dudhope Mill (1874) *Clepington School (1875) *Primary School,

Coupar Angus Coupar Angus (; Scottish Gaelic, Gaelic: ''Cùbar Aonghais'') is a town in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, south of Blairgowrie and Rattray, Blairgowrie. The name Coupar Angus serves to differentiate the town from Cupar, Fife. The town was traditi ...

(1875) *Damacre Road School,

Brechin Brechin (; gd, Breichin) is a city and former Royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. Traditionally Brechin was described as a city because of its cathedral and its status as the seat of a pre-Reformation Roman Catholic diocese (which continues today ...

(1875) *Dyehouse at Wellfield Works (1875) for Boase and Ireland. *Dudhope School (1875) *St David's School (1875) *Balfour Street School (1876) *Primary School,

Newport-on-Tay Newport-on-Tay is a small town in the north-east of Fife in Scotland, acting as a Commuting, commuter suburb for Dundee. The Fife Coastal Path passes through Newport-on-Tay. The area itself is surrounded by views of the two bridges that cross the ...

(1876) *Primary School,

Carnoustie Carnoustie (; sco, Carnoustie, gd, Càrn Ùstaidh) is a town and former police burgh in the council area of Angus, Scotland. It is at the mouth of the Barry Burn on the North Sea coast. In the 2011 census, Carnoustie had a population of 11,3 ...

(1876) *High Free Church, Hilltown of Dundee (1877) *Primary School,

Monifieth Monifieth is a town and former police burgh in the council area of Angus, Scotland. It is situated on the north bank of the Firth of Tay on the east coast. In 2016, the population of Monifieth was estimated at 8,110, making it the fifth largest ...

(1877) *"Mount Pleasant" (1879) *Sailors Home (The Angel, Dundee) (1879) *"Great Eastern" Public House, Dock Street (1880) *Grosvenor Terrace (1882) *Mitchell Street School (1883) *Chemistry Laboratories, University College (1883) *Butterburn School (1883) *Dundee and District Female Rescue Home,

Lochee Lochee () is an area in the west of Dundee, Scotland. Until the 19th century, it was a separate town, but was eventually surrounded by the expanding Dundee. It is notable for being home to Camperdown Works, which was the largest jute production ...

(1883) *

Harris Academy Harris Academy is a co-educational comprehensive school in the West End of Dundee, Scotland. Harris Academy was founded in 1885 and is the oldest state school in Dundee. Harris Academy is also one of the largest state run schools in Dundee in ...

(1884) original Park Place building *Glebelands School (1884) *Rosebank School (1885)

References

1846 births 1886 deaths People from Dundee 19th-century Scottish architects 19th-century deaths from tuberculosis Tuberculosis deaths in Scotland {{Scotland-bio-stub