William Sibbald (c.1760–1809) was a Scottish architect. He was superintendent of public works 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 ...
and assisted
Robert Reid in setting out and designing the
Second New Town.
Their joint work is the largest single development in Georgian Edinburgh, and, due to its highly intact nature, is one of the most important areas of
Georgian development.
Life
He was born in or near
Inverness
Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histori ...
. There he designed a new manse for St Cuthberts Church
He appears in Edinburgh in 1790 living at 18 (Mid) Rose Street in the First New Town (which was then a new building).
He was superintendent of public works from 1790 to 1803. In 1792 he sent a plan to ex-Provost
David Steuart
David Gordon Steuart (January 26, 1916 – November 5, 2010) was a Saskatchewan politician, cabinet minister and senator.
Born in Regina, Saskatchewan, the son of Francis J. Steuart and Abbie Cory Thomas, Steuart moved to Prince Albert with ...
representing both Steuart's own land ownerships and the governors of George Heriot's Trust, the landowners of the fields to the north of the largely complete First New Town. The original plan only covered land west of Gabriels Road (a road from Stockbridge to the east end of
Princes Street
Princes Street ( gd, Sràid nam Prionnsan) is one of the major thoroughfares in central Edinburgh, Scotland and the main shopping street in the capital. It is the southernmost street of Edinburgh's New Town, stretching around 1.2 km (three ...
. However, in 1797 the city acquired a five-acre site east of Gabriels Road, allowing a more extensive plan. The final plan was on a north–south, east–west grid. As it evolved (although not obvious on the ground) it was decided that the east–west streets would be individual houses and north-south streets were flatted. Businesses (shops etc.) were restricted to the north–south streets. The plan came to fruition in 1802, Sibbald being assisted by the much younger
Robert Reid who largely designed the frontages. The area is now known as the Second New Town: extending from Heriot Row to Fettes Row.
In 1794 he was elected a town burgess under the title of "William Sibbald, mason".
In 1800 he is listed as a builder living at 29 South Castle Street. The building had been built by the builder John Hamilton (d.1812) the uncle of
Thomas Hamilton.
The Second New Town was largely built on virgin ground and no significant demolitions were required. The only major house, Bellevue Lodge, the home of
Major General John Scott, was retained as a centrepiece to what became Drummond Place. Although speculative the scheme proved enormously popular and rapidly developed, despite the relatively high cost of properties. It became the home to Edinburgh's rich and famous.
He died on 29 March 1809. He is buried in the secular graveyard at
Old Calton Burial Ground
The Old Calton Burial Ground is a cemetery in Edinburgh, Scotland. It located at Calton Hill to the north-east of the city centre. The burial ground was opened in 1718, and is the resting place of several notable Scots, including philosopher ...
. The family vault lies in the southern section with its back to the
Old Town
In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins after thorough renovations. There are ma ...
.
Second New Town
Edinburgh's Second New Town (north of Queen Street Gardens) was created from 1802 onwards following the huge success of the First New Town (
Princes Street
Princes Street ( gd, Sràid nam Prionnsan) is one of the major thoroughfares in central Edinburgh, Scotland and the main shopping street in the capital. It is the southernmost street of Edinburgh's New Town, stretching around 1.2 km (three ...
to
Queen Street). It was largely complete by 1825 apart from corner blocks. The builder was mainly John Paton (father of
David Paton
David Paton (; born 29 October 1949) is a Scottish bassist, guitarist and singer. He first achieved success in the mid-1970s as lead vocalist and bassist of Pilot, who scored hits with "Magic", "January", "Just a Smile" and "Call Me Round" bef ...
) and David Lind. North–south streets are built as tenements, often with ground floor shops. East–west streets are built as town-houses but now mainly split into flats due to their size. In terms of a single "building project" this is one of the largest early 19th century schemes in Britain, and is the more remarkable in that it is practically intact after 200 years.
The area was developed during the height of the
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
. Although not immediately obvious the streets are named after people and incidents in the war, the patriotic events of 1803 to 1808:
*Abercrombie Place – after
Ralph Abercrombie – later changed to Abercromby Place
*Albany Street/Duke Street/York Place – after
Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany
Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany (Frederick Augustus; 16 August 1763 – 5 January 1827) was the second son of George III, King of the United Kingdom and Hanover, and his consort Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. A soldier by profess ...
, the official commander-in-chief of the British Army – Duke St was later included as part of a lengthened Dublin St... Albany street was Albany Row for its first 20 years
*Cornwallis Place - after
General Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805), styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as the Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army general and official. In the United S ...
*Duncan Street – after
Admiral Duncan – later renamed Dundonald Street after the
Earl of Dundonald
Earl of Dundonald is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1669 for the Scottish soldier and politician William Cochrane, 1st Lord Cochrane of Dundonald, along with the subsidiary title of Lord Cochrane of Paisley and Ochiltre ...
*Dundas Street – either after General
Ralph Dundas
General Ralph Dundas (1730 – 7 February 1814) was a Scottish officer of the British Army.
Early life
Ralph Dundas was the son of John Dundas of Manour (1701–1780) and Anne Murray, daughter of John Murray of Polmaise. In 1730 his father boug ...
or after Admiral
James Whitley Deans Dundas
Admiral Sir James Whitley Deans Dundas GCB (4 December 1785 – 3 October 1862) was a Royal Navy officer. He took part in the Napoleonic Wars, first as a junior officer when he took part in the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland in Autumn 1799 and ...
due to his then infamous recent recapture of
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
, but also conveniently linking to the prominent Edinburgh Dundas family
*Fettes Row - after
William Fettes
Sir William Fettes, 1st Baronet (; 25 June 1750 – 27 May 1836) was a wealthy Scottish businessman and philanthropist, who left a bequest which led to the foundation of Fettes College, in Edinburgh.
Life
The Fettes family came from nor ...
, Lord Provost of Edinburgh 1804 to 1806
*Howe Street – after
Admiral Howe
Admiral of the Fleet Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe, (8 March 1726 – 5 August 1799) was a British naval officer. After serving throughout the War of the Austrian Succession, he gained a reputation for his role in amphibious operations aga ...
*Nelson Street – after
Admiral Nelson
Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics brought abo ...
*Northumberland Street – after
HMS ''Northumberland'', Admiral Howe's flagship
*Pitt Street – after the prime minister, William Pitt, renumbered and included as part of Dundas Street in the 1960s
*St Vincent Street – after Nelson's victory at the
Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1797)
The Battle of Cape St. Vincent (14 February 1797) was one of the opening battles of the Anglo-Spanish War (1796–1808), as part of the French Revolutionary Wars, where a British fleet under Admiral Sir John Jervis defeated a greatly superior ...
The exception to this pattern is
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 ...
, which is an acknowledgement of the
Heriot Trust
George Heriot's School is a Scottish independent primary and secondary day school on Lauriston Place in the Old Town of Edinburgh, Scotland. In the early 21st century, it has more than 1600 pupils, 155 teaching staff, and 80 non-teaching staf ...
, who were the principal landowner.
William Sibbald Jr
In 1820 he is listed as living at 5 Charlotte Place off
Charlotte Square
300px, Robert Adam's palace-fronted north side
Charlotte Square is a garden square in Edinburgh, Scotland, part of the New Town, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The square is located at the west end of George Street and was intend ...
and was partner at the same address of the architects Sibbald & Smith.
He died on 17 November 1823 and was buried with his father.
Buildings of note
*St Andrews Parish Church Edinburgh (1785)
*Beechwood House,
Corstorphine
Corstorphine (Scottish Gaelic: ''Crois Thoirfinn'') ( ) is an area of the Scottish capital city of Edinburgh. Formerly a separate village and parish to the west of Edinburgh, it is now a suburb of the city, having been formally incorporate ...
(1799)
*1-19 Heriot Row, Edinburgh (1802)
*Second New Town of Edinburgh (1802 to 1808) with Robert Reid
*Lady Yester's Church, Edinburgh (1803)
*Portobello Baths (1805) – not the current baths
*
Portobello
Portobello, Porto Bello, Porto Belo, Portabello, or Portabella may refer to:
Places Brazil
* Porto Belo
Ireland
* Portobello, Dublin
* Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin formerly ''Portobello Barracks''
New Zealand
* Portobello, New Zealand, on Ot ...
Parish Church (1808)
*
Bank of Scotland
The Bank of Scotland plc (Scottish Gaelic: ''Banca na h-Alba'') is a commercial and clearing bank based in Scotland and is part of the Lloyds Banking Group, following the Bank of Scotland's implosion in 2008. The bank was established by th ...
main office (1802–1806) father and son
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sibbald, William
Year of birth uncertain
1809 deaths
New Town, Edinburgh
People from Inverness
Scottish architects