More Nisbett, Hamilton
1868 – 1955
Hamilton More Nisbett was born on 4 January 1868 the second son of John More Nisbett, 8th of Cairnhill, Ayrshire of the Drum, Gilmerton and his wife Lady Agnes Dalrymple, daughter of the 9th Earl of Stair. He was educated at Wellington. He was articled to John Kinross in 1889, remaining as assistant until 1896. He was the first apprentice known to have trained with Kinross: they remained close friends throughout their lives since as late as 1921 Kinross wrote home from Portugal referring to a chance meeting with a mutual friend, Jamie Kennedy. More Nisbet seems to have spent the final year of his employment with Kinross also working part-time in association with Sydney Tugwell, sharing premises with him at Riddles Court, Edinburgh. In 1896 he moved to London to join Dunn & Watson and in 1897 spent four months measuring and sketching in Norfolk and Suffolk before finding a new appointment in the office of Bucknall & Comper. The following year he embarked on a six-month continental study tour incorporating France, Northern Italy and Switzerland as well as some time in Oxford, Cambridge and Exeter, after which, in 1899, he commenced independent practice at 122 George Street, Edinburgh, the Peddie family office building. He spent a month or two of most subsequent years travelling in France, Belgium, Germany, England and Scotland. The More Nisbett family entertained members of the Edinburgh Architectural Association on three separate occasions (1886, 1899 and 1905) at the Drum. In the early years of the century More Nisbett trained as a Territorial with the Mounted Blacks. He was interested in beagling and was joint Master of the Edinburgh Foot Harriers of Beagles, but the heart-strain he incurred from this activity saw him reserved as a Special Constable during the First World War. He was admitted LRIBA in the mass intake of 20 July 1911, proposed by James Bow Dunn and the Edinburgh Architectural Association, which he had joined in 1901. At the date of his RIBA admittance his home was Morton House, Colinton. Hamilton More Nisbett married Ivegh Marguerite Gladys Bayly Jones, daughter of Commander Frederick William Bayley Jones RN of Dunclutha on 7 November 1905. He succeeded to the family estates as 11th of Cairnhill and 4th of the Drum on the death of his elder brother, North More Nisbett, 5 January 1939. After the outbreak of World War II the practice was moved to the Drum. He was author of several books, 'Drum of the Somervilles', 'Oxenfoord and its owners' and 'Cairnhill'. He died on 24 December 1955. His wife had predeceased him on 15 July 1943. NB More Nisbett used George Grieve & Sons, builders, Stephen Hare, builder & quarry lessee and Haddo, blacksmith of Haymarket Terrace in many of his projects.(ref www.scottisharchitects.org.uk)
