Name John Douglas | Died June 20, 1778 | |
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John Douglas of Pinkerton (c.1709 – 20 June 1778) was a Scottish architect who designed and reformed several country houses in the Scottish Lowlands. His work deserves to be noted for what the 2002 history of Scottish architecture remarks as an approach "of relentless surgery or concealment.". His most notable works are Killin and Ardeonaig Church, Stirlingshire (1744); Archerfield House, East Lothian (1745); Finlaystone House, Renfewshire (1746–47), Wardhouse (Gordonhall), Insch, Aberdeenshire (1757); and Campbeltown Town House, Argyll and Bute (1758–60). Several of these are listed buildings.
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Biography
His date and place of birth are not known. In his will, he appears as John Douglas of Pinkerton, late architect in Leith, who died on 20 June 1778. The Edinburgh Recorder (records of the Edinburgh Friendly Fire Insurance Company, which began in 1720 as a loose-knit association of Edinburgh property owners for mutual financial protection against loss by fire), shows that he owned properties in High Street North at Fleshmarket Close East (Thomson’s Close) (records 2754-2757) and at Old Provost Close, East Head (record 2717).
Work as architect
John Douglas designed and renovated several country houses during the middle of the 18th century. He was considered an efficient designer and many of his projects are characterised by a horizontal hierarchy which is signposted by a central projecting body (for example, Archerfield House and Campbeltown Town House).
A cache of his drawings was discovered, curated and exhibited in 1989 by Ian Gow at the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, entitled "John Douglas – William Adam's Rival?". This material has been further analysed, to reveal more about his style in both executed and unexecuted designs (Archerfield House, Galloway House, Finlaystone House, and two designs for Blair Castle ).
List of buildings
A book by Howard Colvin lists several of his projects, but some of the facts are incorrect (for example, Douglas was indeed responsible for the disastrous repair of Holyrood Abbey Church in 1760 and the dispute over non-payment of the rest of his fees was resolved only after his death). A map of the buildings on which he worked shows their distribution across Scotland.