John Henderson was a Scottish architect

Architect

An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...

. He is chiefly remembered as an ecclesiastical and tractarian architect working in the Gothic style.

Born in Brechin

Brechin

Brechin is a former royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. Traditionally Brechin is often described as a city because of its cathedral and its status as the seat of a pre-Reformation Roman Catholic diocese , but that status has not been officially recognised in the modern era...

 to John Henderson, Sr. and Agnes Thomson, Henderson's father was a gardner for William Maule, 1st Baron Panmure

William Maule, 1st Baron Panmure

William Ramsay, 1st Baron Panmure was the younger son of George Ramsay, 8th Earl of Dalhousie and Elizabeth Glen. His father was the son of Jean Maule, granddaughter of George Maule, 2nd Earl of Panmure...

 at Brechin Castle

Brechin Castle

Brechin Castle is a castle located in Brechin, Angus, Scotland. The castle is the seat of the Earl of Dalhousie, who is the clan chieftain of Clan Maule of Panmure in Angus, and Clan Ramsay of Dalhousie in Midlothian. The original castle was constructed in stone during the 13th century...

. He initially apprenticed as a carpenter but after completing this education he pursued further studies in drawing and building construction. His first design was for the addition of a steeple at the parish church in Arbroath

Arbroath

Arbroath or Aberbrothock is a former royal burgh and the largest town in the council area of Angus in Scotland, and has a population of 22,785...

 in 1831. After completing this project, he became an assistant to architect Thomas Hamilton

Thomas Hamilton (architect)

Thomas Hamilton was a Scottish architect, based in Edinburgh. Born in Glasgow, his works include: the Dean Orphan Hospital, now the Dean Gallery; the Royal High School on the Calton Hill, long considered as home for the Scottish Parliament; Bedlam Theatre; the George IV Bridge, which spans the...

; a post he remained in until establishing his own architecture firm in 1835. He designed and built numerous churches in Scotland up until his death in 1862 at the age of 58. He also notably designed the original buildings for Glenalmond College

Glenalmond College

Glenalmond College is a co-educational independent boarding school in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, for children aged between 12 and 18 years. It is situated on the River Almond near the village of Methven, about west of the city of Perth. The school's motto is Floreat Glenalmond...

. Several notable architects were trained by him, including Alexander Davidson

Alexander Davidson

-References:...

, William Hay

William Hay (architect)

William Hay was a Scottish architect who was actively working internationally from 1842 to 1887. A specialist in gothic architecture, he is primarily known for his work on several churches and cathedrals. His most famous structure is the Bermuda Cathedral in Hamilton, Bermuda which he designed in...

, James Milne Monro, and his son George Henderson

George Henderson (architect)

-Life and career:Born in Edinburgh, Henderson was the son of architect John Henderson and Hannah Matilda Exley. From 1858–1861 he attended the Royal High School, Edinburgh. He then studied architecture under his father, but his studies were cut short when his father died in June 1862...

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