Old Photograph Riverview Terrace Bo'ness Scotland

Old photograph of houses and women on Riverview Terrace in Bo'ness in West Lothian, Scotland. John Begg, commonly known as Jack Begg, was born in Bo'ness the third son of John Begg, born 1826, died 1878, an ironmonger and Justice of the Peace. He was educated at Edinburgh Academy from 1879 to 1883. In 1896 he was appointed architect to the Real Estate Company of South Africa and moved to Johannesburg. He returned to Scotland due to the Boer War. He arrived in India in 1901 as Consulting Architect to Bombay. In 1906 he became Consulting Architect to the Government of India. He, with George Wittet, was responsible for the evolution of the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture. Begg's best known building is the General Post Office in Bombay. He returned to Scotland in 1921 and went into partnership with Alexander Lorne Campbell. In 1922 he adopted the role of Head of Architecture at the Edinburgh College of Art. He served as President of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland in 1932. He died in 1937 and is buried in the Grange Cemetery, near its south east corner, with an exceptionally modest stone. His wife, Edith Mary Dods Espie, born 1864, died 1920, was killed in a fire in their home and is buried with him.



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