Wallace Monument, Stirling, Scotland LOC 3450319728

The grave of William Dunn, Glasgow Necropolis

John Thomas Rochead (28 March 1814 – 7 April 1878) was a

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

architect. He is most noteworthy on a national scale for having been the designer of the

Wallace Monument The National Wallace Monument (generally known as the Wallace Monument) is a 67 metre tower on the shoulder of the Abbey Craig, a hilltop overlooking Stirling in Scotland. It commemorates Sir William Wallace, a 13th- and 14th-century Scottish hero ...

Life

He was born 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 ...

, the son of John Rochead and Catherine Gibb. He was educated at

George Heriot's School 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 staff ...

. He worked for a number of years starting in 1831, as an apprentice of the eminent Edinburgh architect,

David Bryce David Bryce FRSE FRIBA RSA (3 April 1803 – 7 May 1876) was a Scottish architect. Life Bryce was born at 5 South College Street in Edinburgh, the son of David Bryce (1763–1816) a grocer with a successful side interest in buildi ...

. From around 1841 to 1870, Rochead lived and worked in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

. During this time he was employed by David Hamilton, working alongside

Thomas Gildard Thomas Gildard (nicknamed Gildey) was a 19th-century Scottish architect and author. In a short career as a private architect alongside Robert Macfarlane, before entering public service as deputy to Glasgow`s Master of Works, buildings designed ...

, who became a lifelong friend. In 1840 he won a commission for a new Roman Catholic Cathedral in

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

. Although the building went unbuilt it brought him to the attention of the architectural world and thereafter he was a keen competition architect. In the Disruption of the Church of Scotland in 1843 Rochead received a spate of commissions for new churches for the

Free Church A free church is a Christian denomination that is intrinsically separate from government (as opposed to a state church). A free church does not define government policy, and a free church does not accept church theology or policy definitions from ...

and was therefore presumably a member of that church. In 1843 he married Catherine Jane Calder in

the Gorbals The Gorbals is an area in the city of Glasgow, Scotland, on the south bank of the River Clyde. By the late 19th century, it had become densely populated; rural migrants and immigrants were attracted by the new industries and employment opportu ...

. In 1849 he won a competition for his design for the Royal Arch,

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 ...

, which was built the following year. In 1859 he won his most important competition, that for the

in Stirling, which was completed in 1869. This went £5000 over budget which resulted in the bankruptcy of the contractor and Rochead never receiving his fee. His apprentices at this time included John Hutchison, who in turn trained

Charles Rennie Mackintosh Charles Rennie Mackintosh (7 June 1868 – 10 December 1928) was a Scottish architect, designer, water colourist and artist. His artistic approach had much in common with European Symbolism. His work, alongside that of his wife Margaret Macdo ...

. Possibly partly due to this, which caused financial difficulties and criticism when praise might have been due, Rochead suffered a nervous breakdown in 1869 and his work was taken over by

John Honeyman John Honeyman (1729August 18, 1822) was an American spy and British informant for George Washington, primarily responsible for spreading disinformation and gathering the intelligence crucial to Washington's victory in the Battle of Trenton. ...

. Rochead lived at 19 Morningside Place in south-west Edinburgh in his final years.

Freemasonry

Like his mentor and fellow architect, David Bryce, Rochead was a Scottish Freemason being Initiated in St Mark's Lodge at Glasgow, No.102, in 1856. He was also the Grand Architect of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Glasgow.Famous Scottish Freemasons. The Grand Lodge of Antient Free and Accepted Masons of Scotland. 2010. p. 57.

Death

Rochead died suddenly of angina, in

, and is buried in the north-east section of the

Grange Cemetery The Grange (originally St Giles' Grange) is an affluent suburb of Edinburgh, just south of the city centre, with Morningside and Greenhill to the west, Newington to the east, The Meadows park and Marchmont to the north, and Blackford Hil ...

, towards the north path. He was survived by his wife, Catherine Jane Calder, one son and a daughter. His widow continued to press for his unpaid fees on the

after his death, but to no avail. His wife and two daughters, Evelyn Cecilia (who died young) and Henrietta Paul, are buried with him.

Principal Works

*Western Club in Glasgow (1839) *Adelphi Theatre, Glasgow (1842) *Restoration and remodelling of

Minard Castle Minard Castle is a 19th-century castellated mansion on the north-western shore of Loch Fyne Argyll and Bute, on the west coast of Scotland, in the parish of Kilmichael Glassary. The castle is located slightly south of the village of Minard. The ...

Argyllshire Argyll (; archaically Argyle, in modern Gaelic, ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland. Argyll is of ancient origin, and corresponds to most of the part of the ancient kingdom of ...

(1842-6) *Free Church of St. George, Glasgow (1843) *St Andrew's Free Church, Glasgow (1844) *St. John's Free Church, Glasgow (1845) *Conversion of former bazaar into St. Stephen's Free Church, Wemyss Place, Edinburgh (1847) *Kew Terrace, Great Western Road, Glasgow (1849) *Premises for the

Buchanan Society Buchanan may refer to: People * Buchanan (surname) Places Africa * Buchanan, Liberia, a large coastal town Antarctica * Buchanan Point, Laurie Island Australia * Buchanan, New South Wales * Buchanan, Northern Territory, a locality * Buchanan, ...

97-101 Trongate, Glasgow (1849) *Royal Arch, Dundee Docks (1849) *Temporary decorative arch for the visit of Queen Victoria, Jamaica Bridge, Glasgow (1849) *Murdoch's Charity School, Glasgow (1850) *Offices, 57-61 St Vincent St, Glasgow (1850) *Blair Vaddoch House, Shandon,

Dunbartonshire Dunbartonshire ( gd, Siorrachd Dhùn Breatann) or the County of Dumbarton is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the west central Lowlands of Scotland lying to the north of the River Clyde. Dunbartonshire borders P ...

(1850) *

Knock Castle, Largs Knock Castle is a private residence on the outskirts of Largs, on the west coast of Scotland. It was built by the boat-building Steele family in 1851, with a further wing added in the early twentieth century. The restored seventeenth century Kn ...

(1851) *Repair of Old Knock Castle, Largs (1853) *Levenford House,

Dumbarton Dumbarton (; also sco, Dumbairton; ) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. In 2006, it had an estimated population of 19,990. Dumbarton was the ca ...

(1853) *City of Glasgow Bank, corner of Trongate and Nelson St, Glasgow (1854) *Glasgow Sailors Home (Angel), Broomielaw, Glasgow (1854) *Grosvenor Terrace, Glasgow (1855) *City of Glasgow Bank,

Greenock Greenock (; sco, Greenock; gd, Grianaig, ) is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council areas of Scotland, council area in Scotland, United Kingdom and a former burgh of barony, burgh within the Counties of Scotland, historic ...

(1856) *Park Parish Church, Glasgow (1856) *Monument to

Duncan Ban MacIntyre Donnchadh Bàn Mac an t-Saoir, anglicized as ''Duncan Ban MacIntyre'' (20 March 1724 – 14 May 1812), was one of the most renowned of Scottish Gaelic poets. He formed an integral part of one of the golden ages of Gaelic poetry in Scotland d ...

Dalmally Dalmally (Scottish Gaelic: ''Clachan an Dìseirt'' or ''Dail Mhàilidh'') is a village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is near the A85 road and is served by Dalmally railway station. Former Labour Party leader John Smith was born in Dalmally ...

, Argyllshire (1858) *

Buchanan Street railway station Buchanan Street station was the least known of Glasgow's four main terminus railway stations, the other three being , and . It was to the north-west of Queen Street station and served the north of Scotland. History Constructed in 1849 by th ...

(1858 - demolished 1967) *Renfrew Parish Church (1861) *Hillhead House,

Hawick Hawick ( ; sco, Haaick; gd, Hamhaig) is a town in the Scottish Borders council area and historic county of Roxburghshire in the east Southern Uplands of Scotland. It is south-west of Jedburgh and south-south-east of Selkirk. It is one of ...

(1863) *Langlands Park,

(1863) *Sillerbut Hall and Lodge,

(1863-6) *

Corn Exchange (1865) *Heronhill,

(1865) *Bank of Scotland, corner of St Vincent Place and George Square, Glasgow (1867) (completed by

) *

Aberfoyle Aberfoyle may refer to: *Aberfoyle, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland * Aberfoyle, Stirling, Scotland * Aberfoyle, Ontario, Canada * Aberfoyle, Texas, United States *Aberfoyle, Warwick Aberfoyle is a heritage-listed detached house at 35 Woo ...

Parish Church and Church School (1869) *13-19 Morningside Place, Edinburgh (1870) (19 as his own house)

Unbuilt competition entries

*Roman Catholic Cathedral for

(placed first) (1840) *Free Church and Free Church Offices, Edinburgh (1844) won by

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 ...

*Manchester Assize Courts (1859) *Wilton Parish Church,

(1860) *Scottish National Albert Memorial (1862)

Monuments designed in the
Glasgow Necropolis The Glasgow Necropolis is a Victorian cemetery in Glasgow, Scotland. It is on a low but very prominent hill to the east of Glasgow Cathedral (St. Mungo's Cathedral). Fifty thousand individuals have been buried here. Typical for the period, only ...

*Rev. Thomas Brown (1847) * William Dunn of

Duntocher Duntocher (Scottish Gaelic: ''Dùn Tòchair'' or ''Druim Tòchair'') is a village in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It has an estimated population of 6,850. The etymology of the name of the village indicates that its name means "the fort on the c ...

(1849) *James Davidson of Ruchill (1851) *Hugh Cogan (1855) *Bell Mausoleum (1870)

Sources

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rochead, John 1814 births 1878 deaths Architects from Edinburgh 19th-century Scottish architects People educated at George Heriot's School