John Lessels

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Tweedsmuir Parish Church (1875)
Stobo Castle
Jeffrey Street

John Lessels (9 January 1809 – 12 November 1883) was a Scottish architect and artist, active in Edinburgh and the Scottish Borders (particularly in the former county of Berwickshire).

Life

He was born and educated in

inspector of works until he established his own practice in Edinburgh in 1846. Important commissions included the Walker Estate, the area of the western New Town developed from the 1850s, and his appointment as architect to the City Improvement Trust, with David Cousin, in 1866, which oversaw the redevelopment of parts of the Old Town and completion of multiple incomplete schemes in the New Town
.

Among his pupils were David MacGibbon (1831–1902) and Robert Rowand Anderson (1834–1921). Lessels was a keen photographer, and was president of the Edinburgh Photographic Society for several years. He also regularly exhibited oil and watercolour paintings at the Royal Scottish Academy.

He spent his later life living at 21 Heriot Row, a Georgian townhouse facing onto Queen Street Gardens.[1]

He was a prominent

Canongate.[2]

He is buried in Dean Cemetery. The grave lies in the first northern extension in a north-west section, set back but visible from the main east-west path. The grave is the first known grave (1884) to bear a photograph of the deceased. The glazed ceramic tile with this photo has been stolen.[3]

Family life

The grave of John Lessels, Dean Cemetery

John's first wife, Mary Henderson (26 June 1808 – 2 January 1858) bore him three children: William, Isabella (1846-1884), and John (1856-1857). His second wife was Gertrude A. H. Neffkins (d. 13 May 1884) All are buried together in Dean Cemetery Edinburgh.

He had one son, James Lessels, who survived into adulthood and also became an architect. James finished some schemes (such as Royal Crescent) following his father's death.[4]

List of Works

Lessels was a prolific tenement designer over and above his individual "landmark" buildings. His works include:[5]

  • Stobo Castle, Peebleshire (1849)
  • Melville Crescent, in the centre of Melville Street, Edinburgh (1855)
  • Victoria Primary School, Newhaven, Edinburgh (1861)
  • Chester Street, Edinburgh (1862)
  • 1–7 Coates Place, Edinburgh (1864)
  • 1-14 Drumsheugh Gardens, Edinburgh (1874-1882) [6]
  • 4–24, 48–58 Manor Place, Edinburgh (1866–1892)
  • 15–32 West Maitland Street, Edinburgh (1864)
  • 3–21 Palmerston Place, Edinburgh (1870)
  • Overseeing the rebuilding of
    Waverley Station
    (1871)
  • Jeffrey Street, Edinburgh (1877)

Notes

  1. ^ Edinburgh Post Office Directory
  2. ^ "Dictionary of Scottish Architects - DSA Architect Biography Report (September 2, 2021, 6:24 am)".
  3. ^ "Dictionary of Scottish Architects - DSA Architect Biography Report (September 2, 2021, 6:24 am)".
  4. ^ Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh, by Gifford McWilliam and Walker
  5. ^ "John Lessels". Dictionary of Scottish Architects. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  6. ^ Historic Environment Scotland

References

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