John James (architect)
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John James (c. 1673 – 15 May 1746) was a British architect particularly associated with
Twickenham Twickenham ( ) is a suburban district of London, England, on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historic counties of England, Historically in Middlesex, since 1965 it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, who ...
in west London, where he rebuilt St Mary's Church and also built a house for James Johnson,
Secretary of State for Scotland The secretary of state for Scotland (; ), also referred to as the Scottish secretary, is a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Scotland Office. The incum ...
, later Orleans House and since demolished.
Howard Colvin Sir Howard Montagu Colvin (15 October 1919 – 27 December 2007) was a British architectural historian who produced two of the most outstanding works of scholarship in his field: ''A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects, 1600–18 ...
's assessment of him was that of "a competent architect, but he lacked inventive fancy, and his buildings are for the most part plain and unadventurous in design".


Life

The son of a
Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...
parson also named John James, he attended the Holy Ghost School,
Basingstoke Basingstoke ( ) is a town in Hampshire, situated in south-central England across a valley at the source of the River Loddon on the western edge of the North Downs. It is the largest settlement in Hampshire without city status in the United King ...
, of which his father was headmaster. He was then apprenticed in 1690 to Matthew Banckes, Master Carpenter to the Crown 1683–1706, whose niece he married, and he lived for a while at
Hampton Court Palace Hampton Court Palace is a Listed building, Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. Opened to the public, the palace is managed by Historic Royal ...
. He was employed at
Greenwich Greenwich ( , , ) is an List of areas of London, area in south-east London, England, within the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London, east-south-east of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime hi ...
, where in 1718 he became joint Clerk of the Works with Hawksmoor, whom he succeeded as
Surveyor of the Fabric of Westminster Abbey The post of Surveyor of the Fabric of Westminster Abbey was established in 1698. The role is an architectural one, with the current holder being responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of Westminster Abbey, the Abbey and its buildings. In the p ...
, where he completed Hawksmoor's west tower. In the interim he was appointed master carpenter at St. Paul's Cathedral, where he assisted Sir
Christopher Wren Sir Christopher Wren FRS (; – ) was an English architect, astronomer, mathematician and physicist who was one of the most highly acclaimed architects in the history of England. Known for his work in the English Baroque style, he was ac ...
and succeeded him in 1723 as Surveyor of the Fabric of St Paul's Cathedral. He was Master of the Carpenters' Company in 1734. In 1714 he started work on St George's Church, Tiverton, which was finally completed in 1733. In 1716 he replaced
James Gibbs James Gibbs (23 December 1682 – 5 August 1754) was a Scottish architect. Born in Aberdeen, he trained as an architect in Rome, and practised mainly in England. He is an important figure whose work spanned the transition between English Ba ...
as one of the two surveyors to the Commissioners for the Building of Fifty New Churches – the other being Nicholas Hawksmoor. He designed one church for the commissioners –
St George's, Hanover Square St George's, Hanover Square, is an Church of England, 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 ...
– and collaborated with Hawksmoor on the design of two others, St John Horsleydown in Southwark and
St Luke Old Street St Luke's is a historic Church of England, Anglican church building in central London, and in the London Borough of Islington. It served as a parish church from 1733 to 1959. It was designed by John James (architect), John James and Nicholas Hawk ...
. At St Alfege's Church in
Greenwich Greenwich ( , , ) is an List of areas of London, area in south-east London, England, within the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London, east-south-east of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime hi ...
, he recased the medieval tower and added a steeple in 1730, the rest of the church having been entirely rebuilt by Hawksmoor for the commissioners in 1712–14. James also designed St. Mary's Church, Rotherhithe in 1714–15 and
St Lawrence Saint Lawrence or Laurence (; 31 December 225 – 10 August 258) was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred in the persecution of the Christians that the Roman emperor Valerian ordered in 258. ...
, Whitchurch near Edgware around the same time. He also re-clad the medieval tower of
St Margaret's, Westminster The Church of St Margaret, Westminster Abbey is in the grounds of Westminster Abbey on Parliament Square, London, England. It is dedicated to Margaret the Virgin, Margaret of Antioch, and forms part of a single World Heritage Site with the Pal ...
1735–37 in a 'papery gothick manner' (VCH Middlesex Vol.XIII
City of Westminster The City of Westminster is a London borough with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in Greater London, England. It is the site of the United Kingdom's Houses of Parliament and much of the British government. It contains a large par ...
Part 1 P.144). He was the professional on site for the construction of
East India House East India House was the London headquarters of the East India Company, from which much of Company rule in India, British India was governed until the British government took control of the company's possessions in India in 1858. It was locate ...
, Leadenhall Street, London, to designs by the merchant and amateur architect Theodore Jacobsen, 1726–29. Among several buildings in and around Twickenham, John James designed St. Mary's Church after it collapsed in 1713 (with the exception of its surviving west tower). Also in south-east London, James designed Wricklemarsh, "a pioneer
Palladian Palladian architecture is a European architectural style derived from the work of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). What is today recognised as Palladian architecture evolved from his concepts of symmetry, perspective and ...
mansion" (Colvin) and in fact his only Palladian-style structure, for Sir Gregory Page in 1723. He was also probably the architect for the building now known as Ranger's House,
Blackheath, London Blackheath is an area in Southeast London, straddling the border of the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Lewisham. Historically within the county of Kent, it is located northeast of Lewisham, south of Greenwich, London, G ...
(c.1722–23). The house he designed for himself around 1725 – Warbrook in
Eversley Eversley is a village and civil parish in the Hart District, Hart district of Hampshire, England. The village is located around northeast of Basingstoke and around west of Yateley. The River Blackwater (River Loddon), River Blackwater, and ...
, Hampshire – is one of the few surviving houses built by an eighteenth-century architect for his own use. He may also have designed Hursley House, Hursley, Hampshire, for (later, Sir) William Heathcote, and Barnsley House in
Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...
is now usually attributed to him, c. 1720.


Writings

He published a pamphlet (1736) in the pamphlet war over the design of
Westminster Bridge Westminster Bridge is a road-and-foot-traffic bridge crossing over the River Thames in London, linking Westminster on the west side and Lambeth on the east side. The bridge is painted predominantly green, the same colour as the leather seats ...
, for which he had submitted a design, which, though not accepted by the Commissioners, was accounted "clearly and well described".Commissioners' minutes, quoted by Colvin Competent in Latin, French and Italian, he translated Andrea Pozzo's treatise on perspective as ''Rules and Examples of Perspective, proper for Painters and Architects'' (1707, 2nd edition c. 1725) and from the French of
Claude Perrault Claude Perrault (; 25 September 1613 – 9 October 1688) was a French physician and amateur architect, best known for his participation in the design of the east façade of the Louvre in Paris.Dezallier d'Argenville, ''The Theory and Practice of Gardening'' (1712, 2nd edition 1728, 3rd edition 1743. Thus John James can be seen as one of the intermediaries who made Baroque Continental practice in architecture, decorative painting and formal garden planning available to English patrons and craftsmen.


Gallery of architectural work

File:Appuldurcombe House.jpg,
Appuldurcombe House Appuldurcombe House (also spelt Appledorecombe or Appledore Combe) is the shell of a large 18th-century English Baroque English country house, country house of the Worsley baronets, Worsley family. The house is situated near to Wroxall, Isle of ...
, Isle of Wight File:St Alfege Greenwich 02.jpg, St. Alphege's Greenwich, upper part of tower by James File:St Lukes Islington.jpg, St. Luke's Old Street, London, with Nicholas Hawksmoor File:Horsleydown.jpg, St. John's Horsleydown, London, with Nicholas Hawksmoor, bombed in London Blitz and demolished File:Twickenham, St Mary's Church - geograph.org.uk - 164928.jpg, St. Mary's Church, Twickenham, rebuilt by James apart from the medieval tower File:Saint George Church, Hanover Square.jpg,
St George's, Hanover Square St George's, Hanover Square, is an Church of England, 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 ...
, London File:St Marys Church. St Marychurch Street, Rotherhithe, London, SE16 - geograph.org.uk - 1557142.jpg, St. Mary's Rotherhithe, London File:Cannons middlesex.jpg, Cannons House, Middlesex, one of many architects involved in the house's design


Notes


References

*Howard Colvin, 1995 (3rd ed.). ''A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects, 1660–1840.'' (Yale University Press): "John James" {{DEFAULTSORT:James, John 1670s births 1746 deaths 18th-century British architects People from Basingstoke English Baroque architecture People educated at Queen Mary's School for Boys, Basingstoke Architects from Hampshire