John Starforth (1822–1898) was an English-born architect and architectural author associated solely with work in Scotland, mainly working in Lothian, Dumfries & Galloway, and the

Scottish Borders The Scottish Borders is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by West Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian, and East Lothian to the north, the North Sea to the east, Dumfries and Galloway to the south-west, South Lanarkshire to the we ...

Life

He was born in the town of Auckland near

Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city in north east England **County Durham, a ceremonial county which includes Durham *Durham, North Carolina, a city in North Carolina, United States Durham may also refer to: Places ...

in northern England, in July 1822 the son of John Henry Starforth or Starford, and his wife Elizabeth Moor. He was apprenticed as an architect under Thomas Hamilton in the 1830s, based in Edinburgh (probably aged 14). Around 1840 he moved to the firm of Burn & Bryce, staying with

David Bryce David Bryce Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, FRSE FRIBA Royal Scottish Academy, RSA (3 April 1803 – 7 May 1876) was a Scotland, Scottish architect. Life Bryce was born at 5 South College Street in Edinburgh, the son of David B ...

when

William Burn William Burn (20 December 1789 – 15 February 1870) was a Scottish architect. He received major commissions from the age of 20 until his death at 81. He built in many styles and was a pioneer of the Scottish Baronial Revival, often referred ...

left to set up in London in 1844. He set up an independent practice around 1850, specialising in churches and country villas and farmsteads. In 1864 he entered the competition for the Scottish National Albert Memorial (now in

Charlotte Square file:Charlotte Square - geograph.org.uk - 105918.jpg, 300px, Robert Adam's palace-fronted north side Charlotte Square is a garden square in Edinburgh, Scotland, part of the New Town, Edinburgh, New Town, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site ...

). Although unsuccessful his drawings were displayed in the 1886 Edinburgh Exhibition on The Meadows. He died of a heart attack whilst walking on

Princes Street Princes Street () 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, Edinburgh, New Town, stretching around 1.2 km (three quar ...

, to his home at 37 York Place in

Edinburgh's New Town The New Town is a central area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It was built in stages between 1767 and around 1850, and retains much of its original Neoclassicism, neo-classical and Georgian architecture, Georgian period architecture. Its ...

, on 18 May 1898.

Family

He was married to Helen Henderson (d.1916). They had two daughters and three sons, including Robert H. Starforth, who continued his father's architectural practice but was of lesser note. Helen moved to

Ayr Ayr ( ; ; , meaning "confluence of the River Àir"), is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. A former royal burgh, today it is the administrative centre of South Ayrshire Council, and the historic county town of Ayrshire. With ...

following her husband's death.

Works of Note

See *Patriothall,

Stockbridge, Edinburgh Stockbridge is a district of Edinburgh, located north of the city centre, bounded by the New Town, Edinburgh, New Town and by Comely Bank. The name is Scots ''stock brig'' from Anglic languages, Anglic ''stocc brycg'', meaning a timber bridge. ...

(1859) *Greyfriars Church, Dumfries (1865) *Coltbridge School, Edinburgh (1868) *

Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary is the main hospital in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The hospital is managed by NHS Dumfries and Galloway. History The hospital has its origins in a small facility at Mill Hole in Burns Street in cent ...

(1869) *Trinity UP Church,

Greenock Greenock (; ; , ) is a town in Inverclyde, Scotland, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. The town is the administrative centre of Inverclyde Council. It is a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, and forms ...

(1869) *

Peebles Peebles () is a town in the Scottish Borders, Scotland. It was historically a royal burgh and the county town of Peeblesshire. According to the United Kingdom census, 2011, 2011 census, the population was 8,376 and the estimated population in ...

Free Church (1871) *Design for Villa Residences (1866) *London Road Church, Edinburgh (1874)Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh, by Gifford McWilliam and Walker *Remodelling of

Cummertrees Cummertrees is a coastal village and civil parish of Annandale in the historical county of Dumfriesshire in Dumfries and Galloway. It lies about inland, on the Pow Water to the northwest of Powfoot, from Dumfries and from Annan. Etymolog ...

Parish Church (1875) *

Poorhouse and Asylum (1875) *

Tranent Tranent is a town in East Lothian (formerly Haddingtonshire), in the south-east of Scotland. Tranent lies 6 miles from the boundary of Edinburgh, and 9.1 miles from the city centre. It lies south of the A1 road (Great Britain), A1 road that r ...

school (1876) *

Knox Academy Knox Academy is a co-educational state secondary school located in Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland. Originally founded in 1379 as a medieval grammar school, it is one of the oldest schools in the world. History The modern school can be trac ...

(1877) * Peebles Hydro (1878) *UP Church, Summerside Street, Edinburgh (1878) (demolished 1977) *UP Church, Eyre Place, Edinburgh (1879) (demolished) *Alterations at Crossmichael Parish Church (1880–1881) *

Moffat Moffat is a burgh and parish in Dumfriesshire. Part of the Dumfries and Galloway local authority area in Scotland, it lies on the River Annan, with a population of around 2,500. It was a centre of the wool trade and a spa town. Moffat is arou ...

Church, plus hall and manse (1882–5) *UP Church and Hall,

Kelso, Scottish Borders Kelso is a market town in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. Within the boundaries of the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Roxburghshire, it lies where the rivers River Tweed, Tweed and River Teviot, Teviot have their confluence. The ...

(1885) *Chapel at

Craigdarroch :''"Craigdarroch, An Accessory to Murder" is an expansion set for the board game Kill Doctor Lucky'' Craigdarroch is a house near Moniaive, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It was the seat of the Chief of the Dumfriesshire Fergussons for 600 y ...

House (1889) *Old Parish Church,

Nairn Nairn (; ) is a town and former royal burgh in the Highland (council area), Highland Council council areas of Scotland, area of Scotland. It is an ancient fishing port and market town around east of Inverness, at the point where the River Nair ...

(1893) final completion (1897) overseen by

Honeyman and Keppie Honeyman and Keppie was a major architectural firm based in Glasgow, created by John Honeyman (architect), John Honeyman and John Keppie in 1888 following the death of James Sellars in whose architectural practice Keppie had worked. Their most no ...

Publications

*''The Architecture of the Farm'' (1853) *''Villa Residences and Farm Architecture'' (1865) *''Designs for Villa Residences'' (1866) *''The Architecture of the Park'' (1890)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Starforth, John 1822 births 1898 deaths Architects from County Durham British non-fiction writers Architects from Edinburgh