John Middleton (1820–1885) was an English

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

of the 19th century. He was born in

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

, in August 1820.

Career

Though only 24, in August 1844 Middleton gained his first contract and was asked to design Cleveland Lodge, an impressive mansion situated directly beneath

Roseberry Topping Roseberry Topping is a distinctive hill in North Yorkshire, England. It is situated near Great Ayton and Newton under Roseberry. Its summit has a distinctive half-cone shape with a jagged cliff, which has led to many comparisons with the much ...

. He was then employed as a retained architect for the

Stockton and Darlington Railway The Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) was a railway company that operated in north-east England from 1825 to 1863. The world's first public railway to use steam locomotives, its first line connected coal mining, collieries near with ...

(S&DR), and built stations and railway buildings for a number of lines, including the Wear and Derwent Junction Railway (1845), the Middlesbrough and Redcar Railway (1846) and finally the recently re-opened Weardale Railway (1847). He moved to Cheltenham in 1859 where he designed five Anglican churches, which were All Saints', Holy Apostles, St. Mark's, St. Philip & St. James and St. Stephen's Churches. This move to Cheltenham brought Middleton to the attention of a number of landed gentry in Wales. It was Middleton who designed the Cilgwyn Mansion in Newcastle Emlyn for the Fitzwilliam family in 1884 and it was at Cilgwyn that he died in 1885. It is said locally that his death occurred at the mansion whilst disputing some aspect of the building work on the mansion. It was also Middleton's company that was contracted to build the Canterbury building at the

University of Wales, Lampeter University of Wales, Lampeter () was a university in Lampeter, Wales. Founded in 1822, and incorporated by royal charter in 1828, it was the oldest Academic degree, degree awarding institution in Wales, with limited degree awarding powers sinc ...

, though this was opened in 1887, and as such it is unlikely that Middleton had a great deal direct input on this building, since he died in Wales in 1885.

Personal life

Middleton married Maria Margaret Pritchett, daughter of

James Pigott Pritchett James Pigott Pritchett (14 October 1789 – 23 May 1868) was an English architect. He lived in London and York and his practice stretched from Lincolnshire to the Scottish borders. Personal life Pritchett was born on 14 October 1789 to Char ...

, architect of York, and his first wife Peggy Maria Terry. Their only surviving child John Henry Middleton (1846–1896) was appointed director of the

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (abbreviated V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.8 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen ...

in 1893.

Works

*Central Hall, Darlington 1846 * St John's Church, Darlington 1847-50 *

Middlesbrough railway station Middlesbrough is a railway station on the Durham Coast, Esk Valley and Tees Valley lines. The station serves the town of Middlesbrough in North Yorkshire, England. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by TransPennine Express. Direct destina ...

1847 *St. Mark's Church, Cheltenham 1860-66 *

All Saints' Church, Cheltenham All Saints Church, Cheltenham, is a Grade I listed parish church in the Church of EnglandThe Buildings of England : Gloucestershire: Nikolaus Pevsner. in Cheltenham. All Saints stands in the Traditional Catholic tradition of the Church of Engl ...

1865-68 *Holy Apostles Church, Cheltenham 1865-71 *Mortuary Chapel, High Street, Clearwell, Gloucestershire 1867 *Holy Apostles Old School, London Road, Cheltenham 1872-73 *St. Stephen's Church, Cheltenham 1873-83 * St Philip and St James Church, Leckhampton 1885 (with Prothero and Phillot)

References

19th-century English architects Architects from York 1820 births 1885 deaths {{UK-architect-stub