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Caldwell House - from inception to occupation

Anthony Shaw, BSc 1974

William Mure of Caldwell was appointed Baron of the Exchequer in 1761, the same year that Robert Adam was appointed Architect of the King’s Works. By around 1770, William Mure had commissioned Robert Adam to produce designs for a new mansion house on his estate on the Ayrshire/Renfrewshire border. 

This book recounts the events surrounding the construction and eventual occupation of the property. The untimely death of Baron Mure in 1776 was to cast a long shadow over the project, with the property not being completed and occupied until around 1793. The extent of the Mure’s financial predicament during the intervening period is illustrated through extracts from the financial records of the time. 
 
 William Mure’s uncle, Hutchison Mure, was also a client of Robert Adam. Previously unpublished correspondence between William and his uncle show something of their relationship and feelings for Robert Adam. Detailed records of the initial building phase give an accurate guide to the timescale and costs of construction. 
 
A complete transcription of the 1790 contract for the later internal finishing of the building provides a good indication of what the inside would have looked like at the time immediately prior to initial occupation.
 
‘William Mure of Caldwell’, is associated with three generations of Rector to the University of Glasgow – William Mure (d 1776), William Mure (d 1831) and finally William Mure (d 1860), who was also Rector of the University of St Andrews in 1859. Print and e-book versions are available. Further information at erdlgg.org/resources

ISBN: 9781366422101

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