George Craig (architect)


George Craig JP EGS was a Scottish architect and amateur geologist. He created a very high proportion of the 19th century public buildings in Leith.

Life

He was born on 17 January 1852. He was the son of George Craig shipmaster and his wife Marion Ramage.
In 1867 young George was articled to the local Leith architect, James Simpson, to train as a draughtsman. In 1871 he decided to train further as an architect and attended classes both at the Edinburgh Royal Institution and the Leith School of Art. In the 1870s he worked as an assistant variously to Robert Rowand Anderson and John Lessels, before setting up his own practice around 1881.
In 1876 he received a major commission from the newly created Leith School Board to design all of Leith’s schools required to meet the requirements of the new Education Act.
In 1885 he was styling himself “architect” without objection and running an office from 85 Constitution Street and living at 6 East Hermitage Place on Leith Links. In 1886, he relocated to 3 Bernard Street.
He was not admitted into the RIBA until 1911, aged 59.
He died on 27 March 1927. He is buried under a monument which he erected to his father, almost certainly to his own design, in Rosebank Cemetery in northern Edinburgh. The grave lies on the main east-west path, roughly opposite the distinctive grave of Christian Salvesen.

Publications

He was married to Annie Blackie who died at the very advanced age of 105.

Works