Baillie Scott
Encyclopedia
Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott (23 October 1865 – 10 February 1945) was a British
architect and artist He was born at Beards Hill, St Peters near Ramsgate
, Kent
, the second eldest of ten children.
He originally studied at the Royal Agricultural College
in Cirencester
, Gloucestershire
, but decided not to take up the father's desire that he could take up a career in farming but instead to study architecture. He studied in Bath, but his architectural development was especially marked by the 12 years he spent living in the Isle of Man
. The first four years of this time he lived at Alexander Terrace, Douglas
. In 1893, he and his family moved to Red House, Victoria Road, Douglas, which he himself had designed.
At the beginning of his career, Scott worked with Fred Saunders, with whom he had studied at the Isle of Man School of Art, which is also in Douglas. In May 1891, he was an art teacher with his certificate. It was at the school of art that Baillie and Archibald Knox
became friends. Scott then left Saunders and set up his own business in 23 Athol Street, Douglas.
Scott joined the Arts and Crafts movement
, alongside William Morris
and John Ruskin
; he developed his own unique style however, which progressed towards a simple form of architecture, relying on truth to material and function, and on precise craftsmanship.
Scott was known for the considerable planning he put into his work, spending hours planning the houses and art, both inside and outside. He produced nearly 300 buildings over the course of his career.
Scott produced a considerable body of work, including Red House, Isle of Man; Majestic Hotel, Onchan
, Isle of Man; Blackwell
, Bowness
, Cumbria; Woodbury Hollow, Loughton
, Essex; Winscombe House, Crowborough, Sussex; and Oakhams in 1942.
Baillie Scott died at the Elm Grove Hospital in Brighton
.
His gravestone in Edenbridge, Kent
reads: "Nature he loved and next to nature art".
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
architect and artist He was born at Beards Hill, St Peters near Ramsgate
Ramsgate
Ramsgate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century and is a member of the ancient confederation of Cinque Ports. It has a population of around 40,000. Ramsgate's main attraction is its coastline and its main...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, the second eldest of ten children.
He originally studied at the Royal Agricultural College
Royal Agricultural College
The Royal Agricultural College is a higher education institution located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, UK. Established in 1845, it was the first agricultural college in the English speaking world...
in Cirencester
Cirencester
Cirencester is a market town in east Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles west northwest of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswold District. It is the home of the Royal Agricultural College, the oldest agricultural...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, but decided not to take up the father's desire that he could take up a career in farming but instead to study architecture. He studied in Bath, but his architectural development was especially marked by the 12 years he spent living in the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
. The first four years of this time he lived at Alexander Terrace, Douglas
Douglas, Isle of Man
right|thumb|250px|Douglas Promenade, which runs nearly the entire length of beachfront in Douglasright|thumb|250px|Sea terminal in DouglasDouglas is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,218 people . It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and a sweeping...
. In 1893, he and his family moved to Red House, Victoria Road, Douglas, which he himself had designed.
At the beginning of his career, Scott worked with Fred Saunders, with whom he had studied at the Isle of Man School of Art, which is also in Douglas. In May 1891, he was an art teacher with his certificate. It was at the school of art that Baillie and Archibald Knox
Archibald Knox (designer)
Archibald Knox , was a Manx art nouveau designer of Scottish descent....
became friends. Scott then left Saunders and set up his own business in 23 Athol Street, Douglas.
Scott joined the Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
, alongside William Morris
William Morris
William Morris 24 March 18343 October 1896 was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement...
and John Ruskin
John Ruskin
John Ruskin was the leading English art critic of the Victorian era, also an art patron, draughtsman, watercolourist, a prominent social thinker and philanthropist. He wrote on subjects ranging from geology to architecture, myth to ornithology, literature to education, and botany to political...
; he developed his own unique style however, which progressed towards a simple form of architecture, relying on truth to material and function, and on precise craftsmanship.
Scott was known for the considerable planning he put into his work, spending hours planning the houses and art, both inside and outside. He produced nearly 300 buildings over the course of his career.
Scott produced a considerable body of work, including Red House, Isle of Man; Majestic Hotel, Onchan
Onchan
Onchan , is a village in the parish of Onchan on the Isle of Man. It is at the north end of Douglas Bay. Although administratively a village, it has the second largest population on the island, after Douglas, with which it forms a conurbation....
, Isle of Man; Blackwell
Blackwell (historic house)
Blackwell is a large house designed in the Arts and Crafts style by Baillie Scott. It was built 1898–1900, and is listed grade I as an outstanding example of British domestic architecture. The house was built as a holiday home for Sir Edward Holt, a wealthy Manchester brewer...
, Bowness
Bowness-on-Windermere
Bowness-on-Windermere is a town in South Lakeland, Cumbria, England. Due its position on the banks of Windermere the town has become a tourist honeypot. Although their mutual growth has caused them to become one large settlement, the town is distinct from the town of Windermere as the two still...
, Cumbria; Woodbury Hollow, Loughton
Loughton
Loughton is a town and civil parish in the Epping Forest district of Essex. It is located between 11 and 13 miles north east of Charing Cross in London, south of the M25 and west of the M11 motorway and has boundaries with Chingford, Waltham Abbey, Theydon Bois, Chigwell and Buckhurst Hill...
, Essex; Winscombe House, Crowborough, Sussex; and Oakhams in 1942.
Baillie Scott died at the Elm Grove Hospital in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
.
His gravestone in Edenbridge, Kent
Edenbridge, Kent
Edenbridge is a town and civil parish in the Sevenoaks district of Kent, England. The town's name derives from Old English language "Eadhelmsbrigge" . It is located on the Kent/Surrey border on the upper floodplain of the River Medway and gives its name to the latter's tributary, the River Eden...
reads: "Nature he loved and next to nature art".
External links
- Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott on VisitCumbria.com.
- Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott: An Overview on The Victorian Web.
- Baillie Scott: Life and Work on blackwell.org.uk — website relating to a substantial house Baillie Scott designed in the English Lake District, now restored and open to the public.
- Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott: Connections to Grayshott on Grayshott Village Archive.