of Edinburgh, Sessio?i 1875-76. 
217 
tect, by whom he was soon after received into partnership. On Mr 
Burn’s removal to London in 1844, Mr Bryce commenced business 
for himself, and soon earned a high reputation in his profession. 
For a short time he was in partnership with Mr Robert Anderson, 
and a few years before his death he was joined by his nephew, Mr 
John Bryce, in conjunction with whom he carried on business to the 
close of his life. 
During his lengthened career Mr Bryce executed many important 
works, which remain to attest his ability and skill. In style he was 
cosmopolitan, and, accordingly, the buildings he designed are in 
various styles of architecture. In Edinburgh the Life Assurance 
Company’s Office, the Scottish Widows’ Fund Office (originally the 
Western Bank), the Subscription Library, the Surgical Hospital, 
the Standard Assurance Office, the Sheriff Courts, the Union Bank 
and Free St George’s Church are in the Italian style, as are also 
the Western Bank and the Scottish Widows’ Fund Office in Glas- 
gow; the British Linen Company’s Bank and the Clydesdale Bank, 
in Edinburgh, are in the Palladian manner; and the Fettes College, 
Edinburgh, and the Dundee Exchange, are in French Gothic. For 
churches he generally adopted the Gothic, rarely the Norman, 
and still more rarely the Italian. For a few public buildings he 
employed the old Scottish style, as in the New Royal Infirmary, 
Edinburgh, and the Sheriff Courts, Kirkwall ; but he reserved this 
chiefly for private mansions. Of these he erected and altered a 
vast number throughout the country; indeed, it has been affirmed 
on good authority, that “ perhaps no man in the kingdom has 
altered more mansion-houses than Mr Bryce.” * Here, it may be 
said, his chief success was achieved, and here his peculiar genius 
was chiefly manifested. “ Many an inconvenient, comfortless 
dwelling has been by him converted into one of the most comfort- 
able residences, and many a tame, uninteresting, commonplace 
mansion rendered a picturesque feature in the landscape.”! Of 
the houses of which he was the architect the most noteworthy are 
Cortachy House, the seat of the Earl of Airlie ; Glen House, the 
property of Mr C. Tennent; Ballinkinrain House, the property of 
Mr Orr-Ewing, M.P. ; Hartrig House, near Jedburgh, the residence 
of Lord Campbell ; Castlemilk, near Lockerbie, the property of Mr 
* “ The Builder,” for May 27, 1876, p. 607. t Ibid. 
