Sir Charles Johns Mole KBE, MVO (1886–1962) was a British architect who served in the Ministry of Works, eventually becoming its Director-General.

Career

Mole was born in 1886 in Broadhempston,

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...

. He was initially educated a
Lipson Academy
in Plymouth. In 1911, he began working for the Office of Works, which later became the Ministry of Works. Amongst other things, he was involved in the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. For his work in the Office, he was made a Member of the Victorian Order (MVO) in 1937. In 1944, Mole became the Director of Works. Two years later, he was promoted to Director-General, a position he held until his retirement in 1958. During his tenure, he oversaw building and maintenance work of about £50m per year.

Knighthood

Mole was knighted in 1947 and made KBE in 1953.

Death

Sir Charles Johns Mole died at his home in

Walton-on-Thames Walton-on-Thames, locally known as Walton, is a market town on the south bank of the Thames in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey, England. Walton forms part of the Greater London built-up area, within the KT postcode and is served by a wide ran ...

on 4 December 1962, aged 76.

Personal life

Mole married Annie Eliza Martin in 1913. They had one son (Arthur) and two daughters (Joan and Enid).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mole, Charles 1886 births 1962 deaths People from Teignbridge (district) People from Walton-on-Thames Architects from Devon Architects from Surrey 20th-century English architects