Charles McKean

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...

FRSA The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), also known as the Royal Society of Arts, is a London-based organisation committed to finding practical solutions to social challenges. The RSA acronym is used m ...

FRHistS The Royal Historical Society, founded in 1868, is a learned society of the United Kingdom which advances scholarly studies of history. Origins The society was founded and received its royal charter in 1868. Until 1872 it was known as the Histori ...

FRIBA The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...

(16 July 1946 – 29 September 2013) was a Scottish

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...

, author and scholar.

Biography

McKean was born 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 ...

, Scotland, on 16 July 1946. He was educated at

Fettes College Fettes College () is a co-educational independent boarding and day school in Edinburgh, Scotland, with over two-thirds of its pupils in residence on campus. The school was originally a boarding school for boys only and became co-ed in 1983. In ...

, the

University of Poitiers The University of Poitiers (UP; french: Université de Poitiers) is a public university located in Poitiers, France. It is a member of the Coimbra Group. It is multidisciplinary and contributes to making Poitiers the city with the highest studen ...

(Tours), and the

University of Bristol , mottoeng = earningpromotes one's innate power (from Horace, ''Ode 4.4'') , established = 1595 – Merchant Venturers School1876 – University College, Bristol1909 – received royal charter , type ...

, from 1977 to 1983. He was chief executive of the

Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) is the professional body for architects in Scotland. History Previously the (lapsed) Architectural Institute of Scotland, it was re-founded in 1916 as the Incorporation of Architects in ...

(RIAS). McKean published a number of articles reconstructing the career of the 16th-century courtier and master of work

James Hamilton of Finnart Sir James Hamilton of Finnart (c. 1495 – 16 August 1540) was a Scottish nobleman and architect, the illegitimate son of James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran, and Marion Boyd of Bonshaw. Although legitimated in 1512 while still a minor, he contin ...

. McKean was chairman of the board of the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

Edinburgh World Heritage Edinburgh World Heritage (EWH) is an independent charity in Edinburgh, Scotland established in 1999. It is tasked with conserving, enhancing and promoting Edinburgh's World Heritage Site " Old and New Towns of Edinburgh", which was designated in ...

Trust from 2006 to 2012. He was appointed head of the School of Architecture at

Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design (DJCAD) is part of the University of Dundee in Dundee, Scotland. It is ranked as one of the top schools of art and design in the United Kingdom. History Attempts were made to establish an art schoo ...

in 1995, before taking up his position as Professor of Scottish Architectural History in the History department of the

University of Dundee The University of Dundee; . Abbreviated as ''Dund.'' for post-nominals. is a public university, public research university based in Dundee, Scotland. It was founded as a University college#United Kingdom, university college in 1881 with a donation ...

in 1997. McKean edited the journal '' London Architect'' from 1970 to 1975. He was the architecture critic of the ''

Times Time is the continued sequence of existence and events, and a fundamental quantity of measuring systems. Time or times may also refer to: Temporal measurement * Time in physics, defined by its measurement * Time standard, civil time speci ...

'' from 1977 to 1983 and for ''

Scotland On Sunday ''Scotland on Sunday'' is a Scottish Sunday newspaper, published in Edinburgh by JPIMedia and consequently assuming the role of Sunday sister to its daily stablemate ''The Scotsman''. It was originally printed in broadsheet format but in 2013 ...

'' from 1988 to 1990. He held fellowships of the

Royal Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), also known as the Royal Society of Arts, is a London-based organisation committed to finding practical solutions to social challenges. The RSA acronym is used m ...

, the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...

and the

Royal Historical Society The Royal Historical Society, founded in 1868, is a learned society of the United Kingdom which advances scholarly studies of history. Origins The society was founded and received its royal charter in 1868. Until 1872 it was known as the Histori ...

, and was an Honorary Fellow of the

Royal Institute of British Architects The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...

, the

and the

Royal Scottish Geographical Society The Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS) is an educational charity based in Perth, Scotland founded in 1884. The purpose of the society is to advance the subject of geography worldwide, inspire people to learn more about the world around ...

. From 2003 to 2009, he was a member of the Scottish committee of the

Heritage Lottery Fund The National Lottery Heritage Fund, formerly the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), distributes a share of National Lottery funding, supporting a wide range of heritage projects across the United Kingdom. History The fund's predecessor bodies were ...

, one of many prominent committee positions he occupied. In 2005, he was appointed Honorary President of the St Andrews Preservation Trust. He was also a prolific author of architecture and history books. He was awarded an Honorary

Stephen Fry Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring ...

Award by the University of Dundee in 2012 for his lifetime achievements in engaging the public with his research in Scottish architectural history.

Death

McKean died in Edinburgh on 29 September 2013, aged 67.

Legacy

McKean's posthumous work, ''Gender Differentiation in Scottish Royal Palaces'', was edited by Monique Chatenet and

Krista De Jonge Krista De Jonge (born 1959) is a Belgian architectural historian and full professor of architectural history at KU Leuven. Career She received a master's degree in engineering and architecture at KU Leuven in 1982, a Master of Advanced Studies a ...

, and published in ''Le prince, la princesse et leurs logis'' (Paris, 2014). The paper discusses

Stirling Castle Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, both historically and architecturally. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological ...

and

Dunfermline Palace Dunfermline Palace is a ruined former Scottish royal palace and important tourist attraction in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. It is currently, along with other buildings of the adjacent Dunfermline Abbey, under the care of Historic Environment ...

in the times of

Mary of Guise Mary of Guise (french: Marie de Guise; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, was a French noblewoman of the House of Guise, a cadet branch of the House of Lorraine and one of the most powerful families in France. She ...

and

Anne of Denmark Anne of Denmark (; 12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was the wife of King James VI and I; as such, she was Queen of Scotland The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional fo ...

. Following a conference held at

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

in October 2013, called "A New Platform for Scottish Renaissance Studies", an edition of the journal ''Architectural Heritage'', no. XXVI issue 1, was dedicated to his memory. The edition was edited by Dr Sally Rush of

Glasgow University , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

. Rush was a consultant on the restoration of the palace interiors at

. The volume includes contributions by his colleagues, friends and students. Essays from four of his students were included, from Charles Wemyss, Michael Pearce, Kate Newland, and William Napier. Alan R. MacDonald presents McKean's drawings, and the other essays were written by architects, historians and archaeologists including Konrad Ottenheym, James Simpson, Dr Shannon Fraser, Dr Marilyn Brown, Dr Aonghus MacKechnie and Professors

Richard Oram Professor Richard D. Oram F.S.A. (Scot.) is a Scottish historian. He is a professor of medieval and environmental history at the University of Stirling and an honorary lecturer in history at the University of Aberdeen. He is also the director of ...

and Ian Campbell.''Architectural Heritage'', 26:1 (Edinburgh University Press, 2015).Free access article: Michael Pearce, 'Approaches to Household Inventories and Household Furnishing, 1500–1650'.
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Publications

* ''Guide to Modern Buildings in London 1965-1975'', Warehouse Publishing Ltd, with Tom Jestico, (1976) * ''Fight Blight'', Littlehampton Book Services, (1977) * ''Fight Blight'', Kaye & Ward, (1977) * ''Dundee, An Illustrated Introduction'', with David Walker, Scottish Academic Press and RIAS, (1984) * ''Stirling and The Trossachs'', Scottish Academic Press and RIAS, (1985) * ''The Scottish Thirties'', Scottish Academic Press, (1987) * ''The District of Moray, An Illustrated Architectural Guide'', Scottish Academic Press and RIAS, (1987) * ''Central Glasgow, An Illustrated Architectural Guide'', with David Walker and Frank Arneil Walker, Mainstream Publications (Scotland) Ltd and RIAS, (1989) * * ''Edinburgh, An Illustrated Architectural Guide'', Rutland Press and RIAS (1992)
"Craignethan: the Castle of the Bastard of Arran"
''Proceedings of the

Society of Antiquaries of Scotland The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is the senior antiquarian body of Scotland, with its headquarters in the National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh. The Society's aim is to promote the cultural heritage of Scotland. The usua ...

'', vol. 125 (1995), pp. 1069–1090. * 'Technical Conservation, Research and Education in Historic Scotland', ''Journal of Architectural Conservation'', 5:2 (1999), pp. 43-55. * ''The Making of the Museum of Scotland'', National Museum of Scotland, (2000) * ''The Scottish Château: the Country House of the Scottish Renaissance'', Sutton Publishing (2001) * ''Battle for the North: The Tay and Forth Bridges and the 19th-Century Railway Wars'', Granta (2006) * ''Lost Dundee, Dundee's lost architectural heritage'', with Patricia Whatley, Birlinn (2008) * ''Dundee, 1600-1800'', Dundee University Press, (2010) * '' The Scottish Town in the Age of Enlightenment 1740-1820'' with Bob Harris, (2014) * 'Gender Differentiation in Scottish Royal Palaces' in M. Chatenet & K. De Jonge, ''Le prince, la princesse et leurs logis'' (Paris, 2014), pp. 93–104,

References

External links

Dundee Heritage Walk

by Miles Glendinning, 2001
Guardian review of ''Battle for the North'', 19 August 2006

Behind the Façade: using architectural analysis to discover the earlier lives of the Scottish country seat: Recorded in the Royal Society of Edinburgh on 11 February 2013
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mckean, Charles 1946 births 2013 deaths Writers from Glasgow Academics of the University of Dundee Alumni of the University of Bristol Fellows of the Royal Historical Society Fellows of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland Fellows of the Royal Institute of British Architects Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh People educated at Fettes College Scottish architecture writers The Times journalists University of Poitiers alumni Scottish male writers 20th-century Scottish historians 21st-century Scottish historians Historians of Scotland