John Young (1797 – 23 March 1877) was an English architect and surveyor whose career spanned the grace of the

Regency period The Regency era of British history officially spanned the years 1811 to 1820, though the term is commonly applied to the longer period between and 1837. King George III succumbed to mental illness in late 1810 and, by the Regency Act 1811, h ...

and the pragmatism of the

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...

. While based primarily 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 ...

, his practice, John Young & Son, Architects, was both eclectic and wide-ranging in

South East England South East England is one of the nine official regions of England at the ITL 1 statistical regions of England, first level of International Territorial Level, ITL for Statistics, statistical purposes. It consists of the counties of england, ...

. He is particularly noted for his creative use of polychromatic

brickwork Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and mortar. Typically, rows of bricks called '' courses'' are laid on top of one another to build up a structure such as a brick wall. Bricks may be differentiated from blocks by s ...

whether in industrial, civic or residential contexts.

Early career

Nothing is known about his early life in Suffolk, save that he was a Catholic, until Young came to London at the age of twenty two and became assistant to the ageing

William Porden William Porden (c. 1755 – 1822) was a versatile English architect who worked for the 1st Earl Grosvenor and the Prince Regent. Life Born in Kingston upon Hull, (Subscription required) he trained under James Wyatt and Samuel Pepys Cockere ...

. He next assisted the prolific architectural prodigy and member of Nash's circle,

Decimus Burton Decimus Burton (30 September 1800 – 14 December 1881) was one of the foremost English architects and landscapers of the 19th century. He was the foremost Victorian architect in the Roman revival, Greek revival, Georgian neoclassical and Reg ...

, by preparing in 1823 the drawings for the

London Colosseum The London Colosseum was a building to the east of Regent's Park, London. It was built in 1827 to exhibit Thomas Hornor's "Panoramic view of London", the largest painting ever created. The design of the Colosseum was inspired by the Pantheon ...

Regent's Park Regent's Park (officially The Regent's Park) is one of the Royal Parks of London. It occupies of high ground in north-west Inner London, administratively split between the City of Westminster and the Borough of Camden (and historically betwee ...

and supervising the framing of the dome. A period followed in the employ 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 ...

creating the houses in

Eaton Square Eaton Square is a rectangular, residential garden square in London's Belgravia district. It is the largest square in London. It is one of the three squares built by the landowning Grosvenor family when they developed the main part of Belgravia ...

and the

Pimlico Pimlico () is an area of Central London in the City of Westminster, built as a southern extension to neighbouring Belgravia. It is known for its garden squares and distinctive Regency architecture. Pimlico is demarcated to the north by London V ...

Estate. His own practice opened at 46

Clarges Street Clarges Street is a street in the City of Westminster, London. The street runs from Clarges Mews in the north to Piccadilly in the south. It is crossed by Curzon Street. History Clarges Street was built in the early 18th century and is proba ...

Piccadilly Piccadilly () is a road in the City of Westminster, London, to the south of Mayfair, between Hyde Park Corner in the west and Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is part of the A4 road that connects central London to Hammersmith, Earl's Court, ...

. In 1828 he published a book of 'Shopfronts, Porticos and Entrances ...', which would have served as a catalogue of the time. On 1 January 1828 he married Caroline Pettis at

St. George's, Hanover Square St George's, Hanover Square, is an Anglican church, the parish church of Mayfair in the City of Westminster, central London, built in the early eighteenth century as part of a project to build fifty new churches around London (the Queen Anne Ch ...

. By 1830, the first of their nine children, John Edgar who would later join his practice, was born.

City Surveyor

Carved shell 'logo' of John Young & Son, Architects - City of London (Eastcheap CA)

He was Principal Assistant to William Montague, Clerk of the City's Works at the

Guildhall A guildhall, also known as a "guild hall" or "guild house", is a historical building originally used for tax collecting by municipalities or merchants in Great Britain and the Low Countries. These buildings commonly become town halls and in som ...

and on his death, appointed by the

Corporation of London The City of London Corporation, officially and legally the Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London, is the municipal governing body of the City of London, the historic centre of London and the location of much of the United King ...

''locum tenens'' Clerk. He was subsequently District Surveyor of the Eastern Division of the City for twenty five years. If not destined for celebrity status in the architectural profession, his reputation as a highly skilled and safe pair of hands, meant the Lindsay family's solicitor insisted he supervise the three architects, including

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 179 ...

, building their luxury residence at 10

Grosvenor Square Grosvenor Square is a large garden square in the Mayfair district of London. It is the centrepiece of the Mayfair property of the Duke of Westminster, and takes its name from the duke's surname "Grosvenor". It was developed for fashionable re ...

. He was, however, photographed by society photographer,

Henry Maull Henry Maull (1829–1914) was a British photographer who specialised in portraits of noted individuals. Biography Maull was born in Clerkenwell as the son of a tradesman. He married Eliza (b Islington 1831) and became a member of the Royal P ...

. Alongside survey work, Young moved his practice, John Young & Son, Architects to 35 King Street,

Cheapside Cheapside is a street in the City of London, the historic and modern financial centre of London, which forms part of the A40 London to Fishguard road. It links St. Martin's Le Grand with Poultry. Near its eastern end at Bank junction, where ...

. Immediately prior to 1843 when Young built his family home in

Stoke Newington Stoke Newington is an area occupying the north-west part of the London Borough of Hackney in north-east London, England. It is northeast of Charing Cross. The Manor of Stoke Newington gave its name to Stoke Newington the ancient parish. The ...

, the family are known to have lived in

's Albion Road in North London.

Projects

By 1845 he was architect and surveyor to the City and Camden Town (Birmingham Junction) Railway Company and continued with extensive design projects: The Ebbw Vale Co. in

Dowgate Dowgate, also referred to as ''Downgate'' and ''Downegate'', is a small ward in the City of London, the historic and financial centre of London. The ward is bounded to the east by Swan Lane and Laurence Poutney Lane, to the south by the River Th ...

by the Thames Docks, 1845, The Religious Tract Society's quarters at 56

Paternoster Row Paternoster Row was a street in the City of London that was a centre of the London publishing trade, with booksellers operating from the street. Paternoster Row was described as "almost synonymous" with the book trade. It was part of an area cal ...

, 12

Little Britain Little Britain may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Little Britain'' (sketch show), a British radio and then TV show ** ''Little Britain USA'', an American spin-off * "Little Britain", a song by Dreadzone from the 1995 album '' Second Light'' ...

, schools in

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 ...

Tower Hill Tower Hill is the area surrounding the Tower of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is infamous for the public execution of high status prisoners from the late 14th to the mid 18th century. The execution site on the higher grou ...

and Hackney. In the City, his striking warehouse at 23–25,

Eastcheap Eastcheap is a street in central London that is a western continuation of Great Tower Street towards Monument junction. Its name derives from ''cheap'', the Old English word for market, with the prefix 'East' distinguishing it from Westcheap, an ...

on the corner with Philpot Lane, in Lombardic Gothic style, survives singled out by

Pevsner Pevsner or Pevzner is a Jewish surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Aihud Pevsner (1925–2018), American physicist * Antoine Pevsner (1886–1962), Russian sculptor, brother of Naum Gabo * David Pevsner, American actor, singer, dan ...

as 'exceptional'. He was responsible for many improvements in the City of London. Outside the City, he designed the original

Cancer Hospital A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emerge ...

Fulham Road Fulham Road is a street in London, England, which comprises the A304 and part of the A308. Overview Fulham Road ( the A219) runs from Putney Bridge as "Fulham High Street" and then eastward to Fulham Broadway, in the London Borough of Hammers ...

in 1859.

Edward Walford Edward Walford (1823–1897) was a British magazine editor and a compiler of educational, biographical, genealogical and touristic works, perhaps best known for his 6 Volumes of ''Old and New London'' (the first two of which were written by Geor ...

described the hospital thus: ''The building, which was founded in 1851, is constructed of plain white Suffolk bricks, relieved with bands of red bricks, and keystones and cornices of terra-cotta. The principal ground floor, approached by a flight of steps, contains the hall and a handsome stone staircase, apartments for the house surgeon and medical officers, and wards for patients.'' Down the Old Brompton Road, Young designed shops and terraced houses for the professional and working class influx in

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth ...

, Richmond (now Empress) Place, birth place in 1876 of composer,

William Hurlstone William Yeates Hurlstone (7 January 1876 – 30 May 1906) was an English composer. Showing brilliant musical talent from an early age, he died young, before his full potential could be realized. Nevertheless, he left behind an exquisite, albeit s ...

, and along the Richmond (Lillie) Road, 1863–1866, residences in

Roehampton Roehampton is an area in southwest London, in the Putney SW15 postal district, and takes up a far western strip running north to south of the London Borough of Wandsworth. It contains a number of large council house estates and is home to the U ...

, and cottages in Pear Gardens,

Southwark Southwark ( ) is a district of Central London situated on the south bank of the River Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed ...

. Among the country mansions he designed is the

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 ...

Laughton Park in

East Sussex East Sussex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England on the English Channel coast. It is bordered by Kent to the north and east, West Sussex to the west, and Surrey to the north-west. The largest settlement in East Su ...

for Sir James Duke,

Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the mayor of the City of London and the leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded precedence over all individuals except the sovereign and retains various traditional powe ...

. He restored churches in his native

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...

. Young's assistants included Alfred Millwood,

David Mocatta David Alfred Mocatta (1806–1882) was a British architect and a member of the Anglo-Jewish Mocatta family. Early career David Alfred Mocatta was born to a Sephardic Jewish family in 1806, the son of the licensed bullion broker Moses Mocatta ...

and

Frederick Hyde Pownall Frederick Hyde Pownall (22 August 1831 – 1907) was a British architect. He was County Surveyor for Middlesex for about 45 years, and designed both Anglican and Roman Catholic churches. Life He was the son of John George Henry Pownall (1 ...

from 1862 to 1867.

Legacy

Young & Son's Carved mice on wall in Eastcheap

Young was widowed in 1873, however, he was still working in 1875 surveying dangerous structures in the City as is attested by the

Metropolitan Board of Works The Metropolitan Board of Works (MBW) was the principal instrument of local government in a wide area of Middlesex, Surrey, and Kent, defined by the Metropolis Management Act 1855, from December 1855 until the establishment of the London County ...

. Apart from the strikingly ornate civic and commercial buildings he designed, Young's legacy, especially in the City of London, was to ensure in his role as surveyor, that buildings falling into disrepair would be adequately put right and on several occasions, he asked for 'substitutions' with surveyor colleagues so that he could personally superintend the repairs as an architect, notably in

Houndsditch Houndsditch is a street running through parts of the Portsoken and Bishopsgate Without wards of the City of London; areas which are also a part of the East End of London. The road follows the line of the outside edge of the ditch which once ran ...

and

Cannon Street Cannon Street is a road in the City of London, the historic nucleus of London and its modern financial centre. It runs roughly parallel with the River Thames, about north of it, in the south of the City. It is the site of the ancient London S ...

. John Young left a quiet token of his sense of humour in the carved mice on the parapet of a warehouse in

. He died at home in St Mary's Lodge in March 1877. He and his wife were buried in the churchyard of St. Mary Stoke Newington. His son, John, continued John Young & Son, specialising in civic and church architecture, designing churches such as

St Mary and St Modwen Church, Burton-on-Trent St Mary and St Modwen Church is a Roman Catholic parish church in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England. It was built from 1878 to 1879, to designs by John Edgar Young in the Gothic Revival style. It is located on Guild Street in the town cen ...

. He was a friend of the novelist, George Thackeray and became a Fellow of the British Institute of Architects, a distinction that had eluded his energetic father. John Young Junior died in 1910 in

Brentwood, Essex Brentwood is a town in the Borough of Brentwood, in the county of Essex in the East of England. It is in the London commuter belt, situated 20 miles (30 km) east-north-east of Charing Cross and close by the M25 motorway. In 2017, the popula ...

.John Hinshelwood: ''Who built Friern Manor Dairy in Crouch Hill?'' 1999,

Gallery

File:Colosseum, London.png, The Colosseum, Regent's Park, London (1827–74) File:Brompton Cancer Hospital, Kensington, London; aerial view. W Wellcome V0047607.jpg, Brompton Cancer Hospital, Kensington, London; aerial view, (1859) File:Caffè Nero in Eastcheap - geograph.org.uk - 1715155.jpg, Caffè Nero at 23 Eastcheap (1861-2) File:The former no. 4 Richmond Place (1865), currently 16-18 Lillie Road, London SW6.jpg, Corner 19th c. shop building in Empress Place/

Lillie Road Lillie Road is a street in the north of Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. A mixed residential and commercial road, it is the westerly continuation of Old Brompton Road, running from Lillie Bridge to the A219 Fulham Palace ...

, Fulham File:Architect John Young's corner building in Richmond Place, Fulham 1868.jpg, Young's 1865 polychromatic brickwork (demolished 1938 for new 'Prince of Wales' pub, currently "The Prince") File:Empress Place, Fulham - terrace designed by John Young in 1865.jpg, Vernacular housing in Fulham (1865)

References

External links

*http://www.stmaryslodge.co.uk *http://www.londonremembers.com/subjects/john-young-son?memorial_id=4511 {{DEFAULTSORT:Young, John 1797 births 1877 deaths People from the City of London 19th-century English architects English surveyors Gothic Revival architects English ecclesiastical architects British railway architects Architects from Suffolk People from Mildenhall, Suffolk People from Stoke Newington