Robert Gordon Wilson (1844–1931) was a 19th/20th century Scottish architect based in

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

. He was from a strong United Presbyterian background and specialised in churches for the United Presbyterian Church and Free Church of Scotland. Many of his buildings are

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

s,.

Life

He was born in

New Pitsligo New Pitsligo ( sco, Pitsligae), also known as Cavoch (locally ''Cyaak''),
Alexander Thomson Alexander "Greek" Thomson (9 April 1817 – 22 March 1875) was an eminent Scottish architect and architectural theorist who was a pioneer in sustainable building. Although his work was published in the architectural press of his day, it was ...

(1817-1875), a well-known architect, later nicknamed "Greek Thomson". Thomson's style is evidenced in Wilson's work. In 1869 he returned to Ellis as a junior partner, with offices at 13 Belmont Street in Aberdeen. Ellis retired in 1896 leaving Wilson as sole partner until 1906 when he was joined by his namesake son (1877-1939). He retired in 1915 leaving his son in charge. Wilson served on Aberdeen Town Council 1914 to 1924. He was Chairman of the Plans Committee (overseeing Planning and Building Control matters). He was Chairman of the Rubislaw Granite Company, Chairman of Kilgour and Walker, and Director of Richards. His unpaid roles included Chairman of the Aberdeen Royal Asylum and the Aberdeen University Press. He was a Trustee of the

Aberdeen Savings Bank The Aberdeen Savings Bank was a Scottish savings bank. It was formed in 1815 and reconstituted in 1845 under the 1835 Savings Act. It remained a small bank until the interwar period when a series of acquisitions made it grow to fifth in size in ...

. He died on 28 July 1931. His son is buried in Springbank Cemetery, Aberdeen but it is unclear if they are buried together.

Family

He married in December 1875. The following year both the partners and the joint families built a small terrace at Springbank Terrace in Aberdeen: the Wilson's lived at no 60.

Works

His entire career focused upon churches. Even during his time with

Alexander Thomson Alexander "Greek" Thomson (9 April 1817 – 22 March 1875) was an eminent Scottish architect and architectural theorist who was a pioneer in sustainable building. Although his work was published in the architectural press of his day, it was ...

his had can be seen in several works, and his church connection seems to have led to him getting to work on the UP Church schemes.

Work with Thomson

* St Vincent Street UP Church (1867) *Queen's Park UP Church and Hall (1868)

Works with Ellis

*Our Lady of Mount Carmel RC Church, Banff (1870) *UP Manse, Banff (1871) *St Joseph's RC Church,

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 ...

(1872) *

Craigiebuckler Craigiebuckler is a residential area of Aberdeen, Scotland. It is around 2 miles south west of the city centre. The local schools are Hazlehead Primary School Hazlehead Academy, formerly known as Central School then Aberdeen Academy, is a ...

Church in

(1873) *

Fraserburgh Fraserburgh (; sco, The Broch or ; gd, A' Bhruaich) is a town in Aberdeenshire (unitary), Aberdeenshire, Scotland with a population recorded in the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 Census at 13,100. It lies at the far northeast corner of Aber ...

UP Church (1874) and manse (1877) *

Strichen Strichen is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It sits on the A981, connecting it to New Deer to the southwest and Fraserburgh to the north-northeast, and the B9093, connecting it to New Pitsligo about due west. The village got its name ...

School (1874) *

New Pitsligo New Pitsligo ( sco, Pitsligae), also known as Cavoch (locally ''Cyaak''),
Rosehearty Rosehearty ( gd, Ros Abhartaich) is a settlement on the Moray Firth coast, four miles west of the town Fraserburgh, in the historical county of Aberdeenshire in Scotland. The burgh has a population of approximately 1,300 with about 25 per cent ...

UP manse (1876) *St Joseph's RC Presbytery, Aberdeen (1876) *Tower and Spire, St Mary's of the Assumption RC Church, Aberdeen (1877) spire added to mark the church being given cathedral statusAberdeen by W A Brogden *Park Free Church, Drumoak, Aberdeen (1879) *Carden Place UP Church, Aberdeen (1880) *Charlotte Street Hall, Aberdeen (1880) *Victoria Buildings, Aberdeen (1880) also used as their new offices *King Street School Aberdeen (1881) *UP Church,

Woodside, Aberdeen Woodside is part of the city of Aberdeen. It came into existence as a quoad sacra parish within the parish of Old Machar in 1834, under an act of The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland of 31 May 1834 (IX. Sess. 10, 31 May 1834. – Declar ...

(1881) *

Pitsligo Pitsligo was a coastal parish in the historic county of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, containing the fishing villages of Rosehearty, Pittulie and Sandhaven,

Parish Church,

Rosehearty Rosehearty ( gd, Ros Abhartaich) is a settlement on the Moray Firth coast, four miles west of the town Fraserburgh, in the historical county of Aberdeenshire in Scotland. The burgh has a population of approximately 1,300 with about 25 per cent ...

Aberdeen (1882) *Virginia Street warehouse, Aberdeen (1883) *

Berryden Berryden is an area of Aberdeen quite near to the city centre. Berryden Retail Park is the main shopping destination in the north side of Aberdeen, with large chain store, smaller shops and a children's play centre. The retail park was purchase ...

factory and warehouse, Aberdeen (1885) *

New Deer New Deer ( gd, Achadh Reite) is a settlement in Aberdeenshire, North East Scotland, which lies in the valley of Deer. It is located at the junction of several roads crossing through the Howe of Buchan. It was founded after monks from Deer Abbey, O ...

Free Church (1885) *Daily Free Press Offices and Printworks (1887) *St Nicholas UP Church, Aberdeen (1887) *Adelphi warehouse, Aberdeen (1890) *Northern Newspaper Offices, Aberdeen (1891) *Tower on St Magnus Episcopal Church,

Lerwick Lerwick (; non, Leirvik; nrn, Larvik) is the main town and port of the Shetland archipelago, Scotland. Shetland's only burgh, Lerwick had a population of about 7,000 residents in 2010. Centred off the north coast of the Scottish mainland ...

(1891) *Head Office for

Great North of Scotland Railway The Great North of Scotland Railway (GNSR) was one of the two smallest of the five major Scottish railway companies prior to the 1923 Grouping, operating in the north-east of the country. Formed in 1845, it carried its first passengers the fr ...

Company, Aberdeen (1892) *Offices for

Aberdeen Press and Journal ''The Press and Journal'' is a daily regional newspaper serving northern and highland Scotland including the cities of Aberdeen and Inverness. Established in 1747, it is Scotland's oldest daily newspaper, and one of the longest-running newspap ...

(1893) *Canada House, Union St, Aberdeen (1893) *Auction Hall, Silver Street, Aberdeen (1894) * Bon Accord Free Church Aberdeen (1894) *Our Lady and St Drostans RC Church,

(1895)

Solo Work

*Aberdeen United Trades Council Hall (1896) * Culter School (1896) *

Cults In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This ...

School (1896) *St Paul's UP Church, Aberdeen (1896) *

Blairs College St Mary's College, Blairs (commonly known as Blairs College), situated near Aberdeen in Scotland, was from 1829 to 1986 a junior seminary for boys and young men studying for the Roman Catholic priesthood. Part of the former college now house ...

Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the County of Aberdeen which has substantially differe ...

(1897) - his largest single project *Sangster and Henderson Department Store, Union St, Aberdeen (1897) *St Joseph's RC Girls School, Aberdeen (1897) * Troup House,

Banffshire Banffshire ; sco, Coontie o Banffshire; gd, Siorrachd Bhanbh) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. The county town is Banff, although the largest settlement is Buckie to the west. It borders the Moray ...

(1897) *Church for

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...

Gardenstown Gardenstown ( sco, Gamrie) is a small coastal village, by road east of Banff in Aberdeenshire, northeastern Scotland. The village's main economic base is fishing. Gardenstown is served by Gardenstown New Church. The hamlet of Dubford is to ...

(1899) *Murtle Hydropathic,

Milltimber Milltimber is a suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland, around west of Aberdeen city centre. From 1854 to 1937 the area was served by Milltimber railway station on the Aberdeen suburban railway. Along with the nearby settlements of Cults and Bieldside, ...

(1899) *UP manse,

Aberchirder Aberchirder ( sco, Fogieloan, Gaelic: ''Obar Chiardair'') known locally as Foggieloan or Foggie, is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, situated on the A97 road six miles west of Turriff. Etymology The name Aberchirder, recorded in c.1204 a ...

(1899) *Aberdeen Electric Company (1900) *Aberdeen Riding Academy (1900) *Aberdeen Town and Country Bank (1901) *Broadlord Works, Aberdeen (1901) *RC School Aberdeen (1901) *Aberdeen Crown Court (1903) *Gallowgate United Free Church, Aberdeen (1903) *Public School

Huntly, Aberdeenshire Huntly ( gd, Srath Bhalgaidh or ''Hunndaidh'') is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, formerly known as Milton of Strathbogie or simply Strathbogie. It had a population of 4,460 in 2004 and is the site of Huntly Castle. Its neighbouring settlement ...

(1903) *Linden Centre,

(1903) *Warehouse, Maberly St, Aberdeen (1903) *Angusfield House, Aberdeen (1904)

Works with his Son

*Sausage Factory for R D Waddell,

, Aberdeen (1910) * Banchory Ternan School (1913) *

Torry Torry is an area within the city of Aberdeen, Scotland. Torry’s origins People have been living in Torry since at least the 12th century. The place name first appears in written records in 1484 and was erected a Burgh of barony by Royal Cha ...

Primary School (1913)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Robert Gordon 1844 births 1931 deaths Scottish architects People from Aberdeenshire