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= John Baird I (1798-1859) = John Baird the First, a famous Glasgow architect of the 19th century, also went by the name Gildard 'Primus' in order for people to be able distinguish him from a second John Baird (1816-93). A Scottish architect that has an extreme classical reserve for a style, implementing a lot of severity in it as well. He is a very influential figure in the development of Glasgow’s late Georgian and early Victorian Architecture.

Life and Work
John Baird was born in a village in Britain, in Dunbartonshire, called Dalmuir, and he was the son of a Wright (popular figure of that time), and the elder brother of another architect with the name of Anthony Baird (practiced, 1834-5).

Early in his young years, at the age of 15, he started training as an architect with another relative of his named John Shepherd, of John Shepherd & Co., which as a firm that consistent of architects and property agents and was located at 636 Argyle Street. In 1818, when he was at the age of 20 and barely out of his apprenticeship and after Shepherd’s death, he took over the business and quickly built up a good reputation that was only seconded by David Hamilton.

John Baird’s most important and worthwhile contribution to the city of Glasgow’s architecture was his spearheading use of the cast iron in his buildings’ constructions. The earlier use of the cast iron was for the roof trusses in the Argyll Arcade, in 28-32 Buchanan Street (1827).

Later in 1828, Baird was appointed by an organisation called the Merchants' House to work together with David Hamilton in figuring out and devising the layout of the Necropolis which is Glasgow's finest cemetery, but unfortunately their plans were put aside and he was, not long after that, relegated as an advisor in approving George Milne as its designer eventually.

He married his wife, Janet Bryson or McKean, in 1837. And he had two daughters by the names of Flora, who was born in 1838 and Agnes who was born in 1841. His wife died on 24 April 1887. He also had a younger brother named Anthony who also practised architecture, independently, until 1834/5 when he gave it up and took up accountancy. His only known work was mentioned by Gildard and it was a tenement in the west side of Warwick Street, beyond Norfolk Street, a plain design with cast iron balconies.

Early in 1853 he was accounted for the design of the pink granite sarcophagus for James Ewing of Strathleven in the Necropolis, an truly eye capturing work of art, which featured four bronze relief panels by Mossman.

In his private life, John Baird I was a mason, Lodge Glasgow St John. His appearance and character is described by a portrait of him by Sir Daniel Macnee, which is now in Glasgow Art Gallery. It picturises Gildard's description of him as 'a large well-built man' who 'had a presence of one that ought to be in authority'.

One of Baird's largest architecture projects could have been his Jacobean design for the new University of Glasgow building that was to be built on Woodlands Hill which is right by Kelvingrove Park. However, the plans were abandoned after the land was bought to build Park Terrace and Circus.

List of Buildings
The table below shows the majority of Baird's work.

Death
Baird died at home in Westfield, Partick on the 18th of December 1859 and was buried in Glasgow Necropolis. From 1855 he had suffered from a chronic brain disease which then resulted in his death four years later. Some time before his death he took on a partner, Sir Daniel Macnee to help him carry out his business until the illness took over.

External Links:

 * 1) "Buildings and Cityscape" by Charles McKean


 * 1) University of Glasgow


 * 1) "The Victorian Walk" by New Glasgow Society


 * 1) Commercial Glasgow