William Hay (architect)

His career exemplifies how the British Empire of the Victorian era was united not only by military and political strength but also by professionals who took advantage of opportunities in its wide array of territories.

In his youth he was apprenticed to a joiner, but an accident during a job at Ellishill House, which broke his leg, ended his career in this area.

[1] Hay spent some time in his native town working in 1850–1853, building there St. John's Episcopal Church, Longside and a house at No.

During this time he considered setting up practice in either Montreal, Canada East, or Chicago, Illinois, and made visits to those cities.

[1] While in Toronto, Hay developed a highly successful architecture firm which he left to his recently acquired partner, Thomas Gundry.

He had previously been consulted in 1848–1849 for work on the church by Bishop Reid; having reviewed James Cranston of Oxford's 1844 designs for the structure.

They worked together through 1865 on the Halifax Club (1862), Alexander Keith's residence (1863), and a new Provincial Building designed for use as a post office, customs house, and railway department (built from 1863 to 1868, now the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia).

[1] In 1871 he was hired by Sir William Chambers, Lord Provost of Edinburgh, to oversee the restoration of St. Giles' Cathedral which took place from 1872 to 1884.