Harold Ogle Tarbolton was born in Nottingham, England in 1869 and was the son of Marriott Ogle Tarbotton (1834-1887), a civil engineer. He was articled to George Thomas Hine (1841-1916) at his offices in Nottingham and London from c.1885 to c.1893. He then worked as an assistant to Gerald Callcott Horsley (1862-1917) in London and from 1892 to 1895 attended the Royal Academy Schools in London. Tarbolton also at some time studied at the University of Bonn in Germany.
In 1895 [or 1892 - sources differ] he commenced independent practice in Edinburgh and from 1895 to 1897 was in partnership with Sydney Tugwell (1869-1938). In c.1897 went into partnership with John Kinross (1855-1931) in Edinburgh as Kinross & Tarbolton. The partnership was dissolved in 1905 and in c.1905 Tarbolton merged his practice with the Edinburgh practice of George Henderson (1846-1905 and William Hay (1818-1888) of Hay & Henderson to form Hay Henderson & Tarbolton. Despite the death of both Henderson and Hay, Tarbolton retained the title of the firm until c.1917 when he began practising under his name alone. In 1927 Tarbolton formed another partnership with Lawrence Harrower Smart (b.1896-?). The partnership had been dissolved by 1932 when Tarbolton merged his practice with that of Sir Matthew Montgomerie Ochterlony (1880-1946) to form Tarbolton & Ochterlony.
Tarbolton exhibited regularly at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh from 1909 and 1942. He also exhibited at the Royal Academy in London in 1923 and 1928, and participated in the 4th (1893) and 5th (1896) exhibition of the Arts & Crafts Exhibition Society at the New Gallery in London.
Tarbolton was admitted a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1904. From 1904 to 1906 he was President of the Edinburgh Architectural Association. He was elected an Associate of the Royal Scottish Academy (ARSA) in 1931 and a full Academician (RSA) in 1934.
His address was given as 3 Broadhurst Mansions, Hampstead, London in 1893; 7, Frederick Street, Edinburgh in 1895; 2, Abercromby Place, Edinburgh in 1898 and 1905; 39, Northumberland Street, Edinburgh in 1903; 12, Queen Street, Edinburgh in 1905 and 1911; 117, Hanover Street, Edinburgh in 1912 and 1924; 4, St Colme Street, Edinburgh in 1926 and 1942; Hamilton, Bermuda, West Indies in 1927 and 1930; and 3 Queensferry Road in 1947. He died in Edinburgh on 31 July 1947.
Bermuda Cathedral; Pattishall House, Northamptonshire; Usan House, Forfarshlre; Gardyno Castle, Forfarshire; Kingsknowes, Galashiels; Ravelston House, Glasgow: St. Bride's Church, Glasgow; Church of St. James-the-Less, Penicuik; Blair Drummond Parish Church, Perthshire; Straiton Parish Church, Ayrshire; St. Baldred's Church, North Berwick (decoration) ; British Linen Bank, Falkland [Source: Who's Who in Architecture 1914]
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Bermuda Cathedral; Pattishall House, Northamptonshire; Usan House, Forfarshire; Gardyne Castle, Forfarshire; Kingsknowes, Galashiels; Ravelston House. Glasgow; St. Bride's Church, Glasgow; Church of St. James-the-Less, Penicuik; Blair Drummond Parish Church, Perthshire; Straiton Parish Church, Ayrshire; the Dr. Elsie Inglis Memorial Hospital, Edinburgh; Blackhouse, Ayr; Bangour Church, West Lothian; St. Peter's Church, Montrose. [Source: Who's Who in Architecture 1926]
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See also: Dictionary of Scottish Architects
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 2: L-Z. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001
Who’s Who in Architecture 1914. London: Technical Journals Ltd., 1914
Who’s Who in Architecture 1926, edited by Frederick Chatterton. London: The Architectural Press, 1926
‘Obituary’. The Builder vol. 173, 15 August 1947, p. 175