William Burn

William Burn, FRSE (20 December 1789 – 15 February 1870) was a Scottish architect, pioneer of the Scottish Baronial style. A talented architect, he received major commissions from the age of 20 until his death at 80, a remarkable 60 years of prominence.

He was born in Rose Street in Edinburgh, the son of architect Robert Burn, and educated at the Royal High School.

After training with the architect of the British Museum, Sir Robert Smirke, he returned to Edinburgh in 1812. Here he established a practice from the family builders' yard. In 1841, he took on a pupil, David Bryce, with whom he later went into partnership. From 1844 he worked in London, where he took on his nephew John Macvicar Anderson as a partner.

In 1827 (unusually for an architect) he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, his proposer being James Skene. He resigned in 1845 following his move to London.

In the 1830s he was living and working at 131 George Street in the New Town.

Burn was a true master of many styles, but all are typified by well-proportioned simplicity externally and frequent stunning interiors.

He died at 6 Stratton Street in Piccadilly, London and is buried in Kensal Green Cemetery just on the edge of the path to the north-west of the central buildings.

Burn was a versatile architect who was happy to turn his hand to a variety of styles. He designed many Scottish churches, a castle and some important public buildings, including:

He also designed or remodelled as many as 600 country houses, including:

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