John Kinross RSA 1855-1931

Mr. John Kinross was born in 1855 at Stirling, where he was educated and served his apprenticeship, passing afterwards to the office of Messrs. Wardrop & Reid, Edinburgh. About 1880-81 he made an extensive tour of Italy, studying specially the work of the Italian Renaissance, the first fruits of which was the publication of Details of Italian Buildings, the full fruits being manifested in all his subsequent work.

To an inherent aristocracy of taste he brought a ripe scholarship, the
result of such happy combination being that all his work, large or small, is characterised by that subtle and hardly definable quality we call ‘‘distinction.” He was a stylist in everything he set his hand to.

His chief employmentlay in domestic work, ranging from the palatial stateliness of ‘‘Manderston” to the charm of the gardener’s cottage or the practical requirements of the stable, to which he imparted a dignity and interest not usually found in such buildings.

Among his more important works may be mentioned, in addition to ‘‘Manderston,” which was modelled upon "Adams" examples: ‘‘Thurston,” Innerwick ; ‘‘ Carlekemp,” North Berwick, a large two-storied house in Tudor style, and perhaps the happiest of his essays in domestic work on the grand scale; ‘‘The Peel,” Clovenfords, inspired by Scottish Seventeenth-century work; and a group of more moderate-sized houses facing Blackford Hill, in one of which he resided for a number of years, and where he displayed to advantagehis fine collection of china and of Chinese snuff bottles.

Of his ecclesiastical work the most important are St. Peter’s Church, Torry, Aberdeen, and the restoration of Greyfriars, Elgin, carried out for the late Marquess of Bute. In 1907 Kinross exhibited a group of drawings showing a proposed development of the site around the old canal basin, Edinburgh.

This was a notable excursion into the realm of pure Renaissance Architecture in the design of public buildings conceived on a grand scale both as to plan and elevation. The several facades were all varied in treatment but composed to form a symphony in architecture, and display the auther’s intimate acquaintance with the style, and a masterly ability in applying it in a modernspirit to meet modern requirements.

Kinross was elected Associate in 1893, Academician 1905 and Treasurer 1924. He discharged the duties of his office with the greatest acceptance, and his opinion upon every matter that came before the Council was highly valued and carried great weight.

Of a shy and retiring nature, he shunned crowds and never shone in large companies, but in the intimacy of friendly téte-atéte there was never a more delightful or sympathetic companion, with a fine sense of humour withal, to which he could make his own contribution in his quiet pawky way. While valuing highly the appreciation of the well informed, he keenly enjoyed the stories, of which there were a number in currency, showing his work to be "caviare to the general."

RSA Obituary transcribed from the 1931 RSA Annual Report