Robert Gordon Wilson (1844–1931) was a 19th/20th century Scottish architect based in

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), ...

. He was from a strong United Presbyterian background and specialised in churches for the United Presbyterian Church and Free Church of Scotland. Many of his buildings are

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...

s,.

Life

He was born in New Pitsligo in 1844 the son of John Wilson, a master builder, and his wife, Eliza Gordon. He was articled (apprenticed) to Alexander Ellis (1830-1917), an architect-builder, in Aberdeen in 1859. Around 1866 he was placed in the office of

Alexander Thomson Alexander "Greek" Thomson (9 April 1817 – 22 March 1875) was an eminent Scottish architect and architectural theorist who was a pioneer in sustainable building. Although his work was published in the architectural press of his day, it was l ...

(1817-1875), a well-known architect, later nicknamed "Greek Thomson". Thomson's style is evidenced in Wilson's work. In 1869 he returned to Ellis as a junior partner, with offices at 13 Belmont Street in Aberdeen. Ellis retired in 1896 leaving Wilson as sole partner until 1906 when he was joined by his namesake son (1877-1939). He retired in 1915 leaving his son in charge. Wilson served on Aberdeen Town Council 1914 to 1924. He was Chairman of the Plans Committee (overseeing Planning and Building Control matters). He was Chairman of the

Rubislaw Rubislaw is an area of Aberdeen, Scotland. It is located in the area between Queen's Road and King’s Gate, including Rubislaw Den North and South. It is close to Rubislaw Quarry and the Rubislaw Playing Fields used by Aberdeen Grammar School. ...

Granite Company, Chairman of Kilgour and Walker, and Director of Richards. His unpaid roles included Chairman of the Aberdeen Royal Asylum and the Aberdeen University Press. He was a Trustee of the Aberdeen Savings Bank. He died on 28 July 1931. His son is buried in

Springbank Cemetery, Aberdeen Springbank Cemetery is located on Countesswells Road, Aberdeen. It opened in 1884. The cemetery is operated by the local authority, Aberdeen City Council, is one of seventeen cemeteries in Aberdeen. It is located on Countesswells Road with ent ...

but it is unclear if they are buried together.

Family

He married in December 1875. The following year both the partners and the joint families built a small terrace at Springbank Terrace in Aberdeen: the Wilson's lived at no 60.

Works

His entire career focused upon churches. Even during his time with

his had can be seen in several works, and his church connection seems to have led to him getting to work on the UP Church schemes.

Work with Thomson

* St Vincent Street UP Church (1867) *Queen's Park UP Church and Hall (1868)

Works with Ellis

*Our Lady of Mount Carmel RC Church, Banff (1870) *UP Manse, Banff (1871) *St Joseph's RC Church, Dundee (1872) * Craigiebuckler Church in

(1873) * Fraserburgh UP Church (1874) and manse (1877) * Strichen School (1874) * New Pitsligo School (1875) * Rosehearty UP manse (1876) *St Joseph's RC Presbytery, Aberdeen (1876) *Tower and Spire, St Mary's of the Assumption RC Church, Aberdeen (1877) spire added to mark the church being given cathedral statusAberdeen by W A Brogden *Park Free Church, Drumoak, Aberdeen (1879) *Carden Place UP Church, Aberdeen (1880) *Charlotte Street Hall, Aberdeen (1880) *Victoria Buildings, Aberdeen (1880) also used as their new offices *King Street School Aberdeen (1881) *UP Church, Woodside, Aberdeen (1881) * Pitsligo Parish Church, Rosehearty Aberdeen (1882) *Virginia Street warehouse, Aberdeen (1883) * Berryden factory and warehouse, Aberdeen (1885) * New Deer Free Church (1885) *Daily Free Press Offices and Printworks (1887) *St Nicholas UP Church, Aberdeen (1887) *Adelphi warehouse, Aberdeen (1890) *Northern Newspaper Offices, Aberdeen (1891) *Tower on St Magnus Episcopal Church, Lerwick (1891) *Head Office for

Great North of Scotland Railway The Great North of Scotland Railway (GNSR) was one of the two smallest of the five major Scottish railway companies prior to the 1923 Grouping, operating in the north-east of the country. Formed in 1845, it carried its first passengers the fr ...

Company, Aberdeen (1892) *Offices for Aberdeen Press and Journal (1893) *Canada House, Union St, Aberdeen (1893) *Auction Hall, Silver Street, Aberdeen (1894) *

Bon Accord Free Church Bon Accord Free Church is a congregation of the Free Church of Scotland in Aberdeen. History Bon-Accord Free Church was formed in 1828 via the secession of members of the congregation of Trinity Chapel, who purchased the Union Terrace church fr ...

Aberdeen (1894) *Our Lady and St Drostans RC Church, Fraserburgh (1895)

Solo Work

*Aberdeen United Trades Council Hall (1896) * Culter School (1896) * Cults School (1896) *St Paul's UP Church, Aberdeen (1896) *

Blairs College St Mary's College, Blairs (commonly known as Blairs College), situated near Aberdeen in Scotland, was from 1829 to 1986 a junior seminary for boys and young men studying for the Priesthood (Catholic Church), Roman Catholic priesthood. Part of ...

Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the County of Aberdeen which has substantially different boundaries. The Aberdeenshire Council area incl ...

(1897) - his largest single project *Sangster and Henderson Department Store, Union St, Aberdeen (1897) *St Joseph's RC Girls School, Aberdeen (1897) * Troup House,

Banffshire Banffshire ; sco, Coontie o Banffshire; gd, Siorrachd Bhanbh) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. The county town is Banff, although the largest settlement is Buckie to the west. It borders the Mora ...

(1897) *Church for

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...

Gardenstown Gardenstown ( sco, Gamrie) is a small coastal village, by road east of Banff in Aberdeenshire, northeastern Scotland. The village's main economic base is fishing. Gardenstown is served by Gardenstown New Church. The hamlet of Dubford is to ...

(1899) *Murtle Hydropathic, Milltimber (1899) *UP manse,

Aberchirder Aberchirder ( sco, Fogieloan, Gaelic: ''Obar Chiardair'') known locally as Foggieloan or Foggie, is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, situated on the A97 road six miles west of Turriff. Etymology The name Aberchirder, recorded in c.120 ...

(1899) *Aberdeen Electric Company (1900) *Aberdeen Riding Academy (1900) *Aberdeen Town and Country Bank (1901) *Broadlord Works, Aberdeen (1901) *RC School Aberdeen (1901) *Aberdeen Crown Court (1903) *Gallowgate United Free Church, Aberdeen (1903) *Public School Huntly, Aberdeenshire (1903) *Linden Centre, Huntly, Aberdeenshire (1903) *Warehouse, Maberly St, Aberdeen (1903) *Angusfield House, Aberdeen (1904)

Works with his Son

*Sausage Factory for R D Waddell, Berryden, Aberdeen (1910) *

Banchory Ternan Banchory (, sco, Banchry, gd, Beannchar) is a burgh or town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is about west of Aberdeen, near where the Feugh River meets the River Dee. Prehistory and archaeology In 2009, a farmer discovered a short cist b ...

School (1913) * Torry Primary School (1913)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Robert Gordon 1844 births 1931 deaths Scottish architects People from Aberdeenshire