John Wallen (1785–1865) was a 19th-century British architect and surveyor. He was the principal quantity surveyor in the
City of London
The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...
during the 1830s. Many of his former students, such as
Edward I'Anson
Edward I'Anson (25 July 1812 – 30 January 1888) was an English architect who was president of both the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Surveyors' Institution. He was a leading designer of commercial buildings in the City of Londo ...
went on to have notable careers.
Biography
Wallen was born in St Saviour parish, London. He was the older brother of
William Wallen (1790-1873) who also became a well known surveyor.
In 1807, as a minor, John married Maria Adams with the consent of his father, William Wallen. John and Maria had two sons and four daughters. Maria died in 1827.
On 3 July 1830, at
Deptford St Paul
The Metropolitan Borough of Deptford was a Metropolitan borough in the County of London between 1900 and 1965, when it became part of the London Borough of Lewisham along with the Metropolitan Borough of Lewisham.
History
The borough covered ...
, John married Harriet Edwards (1808–1852). Harriet was the sister-in-law of John's former pupil, Edward Jones. John and Harriet had two sons and four daughters. John Wallen died at 80 years of age, on 13 February 1865, at 14 Bedford Road,
Stockwell
Stockwell is a district in south west London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. It is situated south of Charing Cross. Battersea, Brixton, Clapham, South Lambeth, Oval and Kennington all border Stockwell.
History
The na ...
.
Professional life
Wallen was a pupil of
Daniel Asher Alexander
Daniel Asher Alexander (6 May 1768 – 2 March 1846) was an English architect and engineer.
Life
Daniel Asher Alexander was born in Southwark, London and educated at St Paul's School, London. He was admitted to the Royal Academy Schools i ...
(1768–1846), architect and engineer. It is probable that Alexander's specialisation in the design of large industrial buildings and warehouses influenced Wallen's career. While Wallen produced only a few prominent buildings, his practice not only undertook projects requiring huge budgets but also offered an exceptional standard of training for his pupils. From about 1812 to 1826, Wallen was in partnership with George Ferry . From 1812 to 1819, 'Ferry and Wallen, Surveyors', operated from 5
Spital Square
Spitalfields is a List of districts in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, district in the East End of London and within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The area is formed around Commercial Street, London, Commercial Street (on the A1202 ...
and also No. 17 (now No. 13) Elder Street. In 1817, 'Wallen and Ferry, Surveyors and Architects' appeared at No. 22 Folgate Street.
[The St. John and Tillard estate: Spital Square, Survey of London, volume 27: Spitalfields and Mile End New Town (1957), 55-73. Available online, http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=50153]
In 1813, Ferry and Wallen produced a report for the repair o
Norton Folgate workhouseand in 1818, they built Myddelton House,
Bulls Cross
Bulls Cross is a road and hamlet in Enfield, England, on the outskirts of north London, forming part of the Metropolitan Green Belt. Although it now lies within the ceremonial county of Greater London, prior to 1965 it was in the historic count ...
,
Enfield
Enfield may refer to:
Places Australia
* Enfield, New South Wales
* Enfield, South Australia
** Electoral district of Enfield, a state electoral district in South Australia, corresponding to the suburb
** Enfield High School (South Australia)
...
for Henry Carrington Bowles the last Governor of the
New River Company
The New River Company, formally The Governor and Company of the New River brought from Chadwell and Amwell to London, was a privately-owned water supply company in London, England, originally formed around 1609 and incorporated in 1619 by roy ...
.
Myddelton House
Myddelton_House,_Enfield,_Middlesex-geograph-3860891.jpg
In 1817, Wallen joined other surveyors and builders to give opinion to the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
that "the practice of employing children to climb and sweep chimneys should be abolished…" They also asserted that mechanical devices should be used instead of children.
In 1818,
Thomas Wilson of
Highbury
Highbury is a district in North London and part of the London Borough of Islington
in Greater London that was owned by Ranulf brother of Ilger and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Roads.
The manor house was situ ...
outlaid over £6,000 to build Claremont Chapel in New Road (now No. 44a Pentonville Road),
Pentonville
Pentonville is an area on the northern fringe of Central London, in the London Borough of Islington. It is located north-northeast of Charing Cross on the Inner Ring Road. Pentonville developed in the northwestern edge of the ancient parish o ...
. Wilson was a philanthropist who built several
Non-conformist chapels in London. John Wallen, practicing nearby at 10 White Lion Street, was possibly the "Mr Wallen" who was paid £203 17s 8d for surveying. This substantial fee suggests that John or his brother William Wallen also designed the chapel. William is credited with two similar architectural projects; the non-conformist chapels in
Newbury, Berkshire
Newbury is a market town in the county of Berkshire, England, and is home to the administrative headquarters of West Berkshire Council. The town centre around its large market square retains a rare medieval Cloth Hall, an adjoining half timbere ...
and
Newark, Nottinghamshire, built between 1822 and 1823.
In 1830, William Beatson married John's daughter Maria Wallen. By 1831, John occupied 11 Spital Square,
Liberty of Norton Folgate
Norton Folgate was a liberty in Middlesex, England; adjacent to the City of London in what would become the East End of London.
It was located between the Bishopsgate ward of the City of London to the south, the parish of St Leonard, Shoredi ...
, London.
Also by 1831, John, his son William Wallen(1807-1888) and William Beatson had become business partners.
In 1836, the firm, Wallen, Son and Beatson, superintended the repairs of
Christ Church, Spitalfields
Christ Church Spitalfields is an Anglican church built between 1714 and 1729 to a design by Nicholas Hawksmoor. On Commercial Street in the East End and in today's Central London it is in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, on its western bord ...
.
Warehouse design predominated in Wallen's work. At a time when the use of steel was treated with suspicion by many architectural theorists, his designs used "interior metal skeleton construction". Not only did this innovation allow Wallen to create warehouses with improved natural light and open space, it also gave him design flexibility in the emerging Neo-Classical era.
His work included warehouses in Milton Street (formerly
Grub Street
Until the early 19th century, Grub Street was a street close to London's impoverished Moorfields district that ran from Fore Street east of St Giles-without-Cripplegate north to Chiswell Street. It was pierced along its length with narrow ent ...
),
Cripplegate
Cripplegate was a gate in the London Wall which once enclosed the City of London.
The gate gave its name to the Cripplegate ward of the City which straddles the line of the former wall and gate, a line which continues to divide the ward into tw ...
for Messers Morrison; a block of buildings in Gresham (formerly Cateaton) Street for Morley & Co and a warehouse in Wood Street for Dent & Co.
In 1843, Wallen repaired the
Unitarian Chapel, South Place,
Finsbury Circus
Finsbury Circus is a park in the Coleman Street Ward of the City of London, England. The 2 acre park is the largest public open space within the City's boundaries.
It is not to be confused with Finsbury Square, just north of the City, or Finsb ...
and from 1847 to 1850, he repaired the Church of
St. Anne and St. Agnes
St Anne and St Agnes is a church located at Gresham Street in the City of London, near the Barbican. While St Anne's is an Anglican foundation, from 1966 to 2013 it was let to a congregation of the Lutheran Church in Great Britain.
History
T ...
, Gresham Street. In 1852, he repaired the
Great Synagogue, Duke's Place,
Aldgate
Aldgate () was a gate in the former defensive wall around the City of London. It gives its name to Aldgate High Street, the first stretch of the A11 road, which included the site of the former gate.
The area of Aldgate, the most common use of ...
.
In 1852, Wallen designed
St Mark's Hospital in City Road.
The site was acquired from
Dyers Company
The Worshipful Company of Dyers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Dyers' Guild existed in the twelfth century; it received a Royal Charter in 1471. It originated as a trade association for members of the dyeing industry ...
and the
almshouses that occupied it were converted to a "fine new, three storey,
Italianate
The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian R ...
building". The 25-bed hospital was opened on St Mark's Day, 25 April 1854.
In 1856, a witness to a burglary at 11 Spital Square told the Old Bailey "
ohn Wallenis a great invalid, and not able to attend to his business". However, his son, John James Wallen (1818-c.1865), an auctioneer, continued his father's interest in the development of London, publishing both criticism of the
Bishopsgate Rail Terminus and advice for the improvement of railway shares.
Pupils
Wallen's pupils included:
*
Sir Horace Jones
Sir Horace Jones (20 May 1819 – 21 May 1887) was an English architect particularly noted for his work as architect and surveyor to the City of London from 1864 until his death. He served as president of the Royal Institute of British Architec ...
(1819–1887), architect and surveyor to the City of London and designer of the Tower Bridge, London;
*
Edward Jones (1797–1835), architect and surveyor, who practiced in Wrexham, Wales and regularly exhibited at the Royal Academy;
*
Edward I'Anson
Edward I'Anson (25 July 1812 – 30 January 1888) was an English architect who was president of both the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Surveyors' Institution. He was a leading designer of commercial buildings in the City of Londo ...
(1812–1888), his work includes buildings in London;
*
William Beatson (1807–1870), one of the first practicing architects to immigrate to New Zealand;
*
William Wallen (1807–1888), John Wallen's son, practiced in Manchester Road, Huddersfield .
*
Richard Hussey
Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'strong ...
(1806-1887) architect to
Chester Cathedral
Chester Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral and the mother church of the Diocese of Chester. It is located in the city of Chester, Cheshire, England. The cathedral, formerly the abbey church of a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Saint ...
, vice-president of RIBA, partnership with
Thomas Rickman
Thomas Rickman (8 June 17764 January 1841) was an English architect and architectural antiquary who was a major figure in the Gothic Revival. He is particularly remembered for his ''Attempt to Discriminate the Styles of English Architecture'' ...
*
Edward Walters
Edward Walters (December 1808, in Fenchurch Buildings, London – 22 January 1872, in 11 Oriental Place, Brighton) was an English architect.
Life
Walters was the son of an architect who died young. He began his career in the office of Isaac Cla ...
(1808–1872) Pupil of
Thomas Cubitt
Thomas Cubitt (25 February 1788 – 20 December 1855) was a British master builder, notable for his employment in developing many of the historic streets and squares of London, especially in Belgravia, Pimlico and Bloomsbury. His great-great-g ...
,
Lewis Vulliamy
Lewis Vulliamy (15 March 1791 – 4 January 1871) was an English architect descended from the Vulliamy family of clockmakers.
Life
Lewis Vulliamy was the son of the clockmaker Benjamin Vulliamy. He was born in Pall Mall, London on 15 March 17 ...
, John Wallen, and finally
Sir John Rennie. From 1939, he practised in Manchester
*
Henry Jones Lanchester Henry Jones Lanchester (1834–1914) F.R.I.B.A was an English architect and surveyor. Most of his building work was carried out in Greenwich and Hove.
Biography
Lanchester was born on 5 January 1834, at Islington, the son of Frederick Lanchester ...
(1834-1914) Articled to William Wallen, educated in offices of John Wallen, Edward Ryde, Charles Broadbridge and William James Gardiner
[Brodie A. (ed.) 2001, ''Directory of British Architects, 1834-1914: Vol. 2 (L-Z)'',p.8]
References
Bibliography
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Wallen, John
19th-century English architects
1865 deaths
Year of birth unknown
Architects from London
1785 births