he was born in glasgow, lanarkshire, scotland in 1824. he was the first president of the wellington association of architects, and a member of the wellington city council in 1891. he designed the old bank arcade, st john's church in willis street, and st patrick’s catholic church, masterton. his 3-storey design for the general assembly library was not completed because of rising costs, and it was finished with only two floors by john campbell in 1899.