St Mary's Bellevue, Edinburgh by Thomas Brown

Thomas Brown (1781 – 5 June 1850) was a Scottish architect in the early 19th century based in

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

. He is best known for St. Mary's Church, Bellevue, Edinburgh, usually known as Bellevue Church.

Life

Born in England, by 1809 Brown was an established

surveyor Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. A land surveying professional is ca ...

and

draughtsman A draughtsman (British spelling) or draftsman (American spelling) may refer to: * An architectural drafter, who produced architectural drawings until the late 20th century * An artist who produces drawings that rival or surpass their other types ...

. In 1817 he married Jane Dick Brown (d. 31 August 1839). In February 1819 he received the prestigious appointment of Superintendent of the City Works in Edinburgh. This was during the city's major expansion to the north to create its

New Town New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

, and placed Brown on the then large salary of £250 per annum. In this role he replaced

Thomas Bonnar Thomas Bonnar ( d.1847) was a Scottish interior designer and architect of note, working in the Edinburgh area. He is particularly remembered for his outstanding ceilings. Thomas was father to William Bonnar RSA (1800-1853), artist, and Thomas ...

who had been dismissed in early January 1819. Brown was largely responsible for the northern streets of the "Second New Town". During his time as Superintendent he employed

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 C ...

as his assistant and Cousin replaced him upon his retirement. This role was run from the City Chambers. In the 1830s his address was listed as 6 Argyle Square (demolished in the 1860s to create Chambers Street), He retired in 1847 on a pension of £150 per annum. He died at 54 George Square, aged 69, and is buried in Greyfriars Churchyard. The grave lies on the north–south path leading from the south-west corner of the church to the Covenanters Prison.

Family

He was married twice, firstly to Jane Dick (1790-1839), then following her death to, Margaret Carfrae (d.1870). Both wives are buried with him.

Trained by Brown

* John Cunningham

Works

His works include: * Broughton Parish Church (1804) *Exchange Buildings, Constitution Street,

Leith Leith (; gd, Lìte) is a port area in the north of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith. In 2021, it was ranked by '' Time Out'' as one of the top five neighbourhoods to live in the world. The earliest ...

(1809) *Methodist Church, Nicolson Square, Edinburgh (1815) * Trinity House, Leith (1816) (incorporating sections from 1555 including vaults) *Terraced houses, Comely Bank, Stockbridge, Edinburgh (1817) *United Presbyterian Church, North Leith (1818) *London Street, Edinburgh redesign of south side (1819) (originally designed by Robert Reid *Bellevue Crescent (north side) (1819) (following dismissal of

who designed the southern half). *Completion of

New Calton Cemetery New Calton Burial Ground is a burial ground in Edinburgh. It was built as an overspill and functional replacement to Old Calton Burial Ground and lies half a mile to its east on Regent Road in Edinburgh, Scotland, on the south-east slopes of Ca ...

(1819-1820) (designed by

in 1816–17) *Fettes Row, Edinburgh (1821) *Tenement, 14-17 Market Street (1821) *United Presbyterian Church, Infirmary Street, Edinburgh (1822) commissioned by Rev George Paxton *Layout and several detailed designs, villas, 5-57 Inverleith Row (1823-6) *Cumberland Street (1823) *1-4 and 6-9 James Place Leith (1823) (renamed Links Gardens in 1922) *St Marys Church, Bellevue, Edinburgh (1823-4) ("Bellevue Church") *Tenements, 86-102 South Clerk Street, Edinburgh (1824) *

Bathgate Academy Bathgate Academy is a mixed secondary school in Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland, also serving the nearby town of Blackburn. History Established by the will of John Newland (a Jamaican-plantation slave owner) in 1799, the school was originally ...

(1824) replaced in 1831 *Leith Prison, 75-79 Constitution Street (attaching the rear of Leith Police Station) (1824) *Tenements, West Preston Street (1824) *Trinity Crescent (1824-5) *Houses, 3,4,5,6 West Newington Place (1825) *Houses, east side of Newington Road (1825) *Royal Crescent (1825) (an asymmetrical crescent, largely curved to avoid building on the huge hole in the ground immediately to the north) *Corner tenement, 2/3 West Newington Place, 56 Newington Road (1825) *Clarence Street, Stockbridge, corner blocks (1829) *Tenement, 3-5 Hamilton Place, Stockbridge (1831) *

St. Giles Cathedral St Giles' Cathedral ( gd, Cathair-eaglais Naomh Giles), or the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in the Old Town, Edinburgh, Old Town of Edinburgh. The current building was begun in the 14th century and extended ...

remodelling of nave (1842)

References

*Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh by McWilliam Gifford and Walker *Buildings of Scotland: Lothian by Colin McWilliam {{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Thomas 1781 births 1850 deaths Architects from Edinburgh 19th-century Scottish architects Burials at Greyfriars Kirkyard