Sir James Gowans

Sir James Gowans (1 August 1821 – 25 June 1890) was a maverick Edinburgh architect and builder.

Born in Blackness near Falkirk he was the son of a local mason Walter Gowans (1759–1858) his father being in his sixties when he was born. He studied under the Edinburgh architect David Bryce. In 1848 he married his first wife Elizabeth, daughter of James Mitchell a railway contractor. She died in the bath, in their home at 34 Rosebank Cottages, in what would appear unusual circumstances on 26 September 1858 and Gowans remarried. His second wife was Mary, daughter of William Brodie (sculptor). He married Mary very soon after the death of his first wife and built "Rockville" on Napier Road for them to live in, his tour-de-force, including a fine five storey viewing tower. Sculpture in and around the house was by his father-in-law, William Brodie.

He suffered serious financial losses in 1875 due to heavy investment in his own project of the New Theatre Edinburgh, with Frederick Thomas Pilkington as co-investor. It was sold in 1877 to the United Presbetyrian Church for one third of its build cost. He became Edinburgh's Lord Dean of Guild in 1885 (holding the post until 1890) and was largely responsible for organising the Edinburgh International Exhibition on The Meadows in 1886. He was knighted by Queen Victoria the following year on 18 August, in recognition of his contribution. He was particularly involved in railway building contracts and is famed for his unusual use of multiple stone types in any one building. He was bankrupted in 1888 following the Caledonian Railway's obstruction of a quarry extension at Redhall. He was forced to sell Rockville his masterpiece home and moved to a very modest house at 1 Blantyre Terrace where he died.

He is buried with his first wife, Elizabeth Mitchell, in the Grange Cemetery in Edinburgh. The grave lies against the north wall and is designed in Gowan's distinctive style. His second wife outlived him and is buried in Dean Cemetery, Edinburgh.

Gowans had a habit of living in buildings he had built, perhaps receiving a property as part of his fee for many. His homes were:

...
Wikipedia