Jeffrey Street Edinburgh as seen from Market Street

John Lessels (9 January 1809 – 12 November 1883) was a Scottish architect and artist, notably active in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

and also the Scottish Borders (he was responsible for numerous buildings and alteration projects in

Berwickshire Berwickshire ( gd, Siorrachd Bhearaig) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in south-eastern Scotland, on the English border. Berwickshire County Council existed from 1890 until 1975, when the area became part of t ...

Life

He was born and educated in Kirkcaldy, Fife, and initially worked for his father as a carpenter on the Raith estate. He joined the office of

William Burn William Burn (20 December 1789 – 15 February 1870) was a Scottish architect. He received major commissions from the age of 20 until his death at 81. He built in many styles and was a pioneer of the Scottish Baronial Revival,often referred ...

(1789–1870), acting as his inspector of works until he established his own practice in Edinburgh in 1846. Important commissions included the Walker Estate, the area of the western New Town developed from the 1850s, and his appointment as architect to the City Improvement Trust, with

David Cousin David Cousin (19 May 1809 – 14 August 1878) was a Scottish architect, landscape architect and planner, closely associated with early cemetery design and many prominent buildings in Edinburgh. From 1841 to 1872 he operated as Edinburgh’s ...

, in 1866, which oversaw the redevelopment of parts of the Old Town and completion of multiple incomplete schemes in the New Town. Among his pupils were David MacGibbon (1831–1902) and

Robert Rowand Anderson Sir Robert Rowand Anderson, (5 April 1834 – 1 June 1921) was a Scottish Victorian architect. Anderson trained in the office of George Gilbert Scott in London before setting up his own practice in Edinburgh in 1860. During the 1860s his ...

(1834–1921). Lessels was a keen photographer, and was president of the Edinburgh Photographic Society for several years. He also regularly exhibited oil and watercolour paintings at the Royal Scottish Academy. He spent his later life living at 21

Heriot Row Heriot Row is a highly prestigious street in central Edinburgh, virtually unchanged since its original construction in 1802. From its inception to the present day in remained a top address in the city and has housed the rich and famous of the cit ...

, a magnificent Georgian townhouse facing onto Queen Street Gardens. He was a prominent freemason and member of the Old Kilwinning Lodge on St John St off the Canongate. He is buried in Dean Cemetery. The grave lies in the first northern extension in a north-west section, set back but visible from the main east-west path. The grave is the first known grave (1884) to bear a photograph of the deceased. The glazed ceramic tile with this photo has been stolen.

Family life

The grave of John Lessels, Dean Cemetery

John's first wife, Mary Henderson (26 June 1808 – 2 January 1858) bore him three children: William, Isabella (1846-1884), and John (1856-1857). His second wife was Gertrude A. H. Neffkins (d. 13 May 1884) All are buried together in Dean Cemetery Edinburgh. He had one son, James Lessels, who survived into adulthood and also became an architect. James finished some schemes (such as Royal Crescent) following his father's death.

List of Works

Lessels was a prolific tenement designer over and above his individual "landmark" buildings. His works include: * Stobo Castle, Peebleshire (1849) *Melville Crescent, in the centre of Melville Street, Edinburgh (1855) *Victoria Primary School, Newhaven, Edinburgh (1861) *Chester Street, Edinburgh (1862) *1–7 Coates Place, Edinburgh (1864) *1-14 Drumsheugh Gardens, Edinburgh (1874-1882) *4–24, 48–58 Manor Place, Edinburgh (1866–1892) *15–32 West Maitland Street, Edinburgh (1864) *3–21 Palmerston Place, Edinburgh (1870) *Overseeing the rebuilding of Trinity Church on Chalmers Close, Edinburgh, following its stone-by-stone dismantling to build

Waverley Station Edinburgh Waverley railway station (also known simply as Waverley; gd, Waverley Dhùn Èideann) is the principal railway station serving Edinburgh, Scotland. It is the second busiest station in Scotland, after Glasgow Central. It is the north ...

(1871) *Jeffrey Street, Edinburgh (1877)

Notes

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lessels, John 19th-century Scottish architects 1809 births 1883 deaths People from Kirkcaldy Burials at the Dean Cemetery Scottish Freemasons