John James
Encyclopedia
John James was an architect
particularly associated with Twickenham
in west London
, where he rebuilt St. Mary's Church and built the house for Hon. James Johnson, Secretary for Scotland, later Orleans House (demolished). Howard Colvin
'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" (Colvin 1995).
The son of a Hampshire
parson, also named John James, he attended the Holy Ghost School
, Basingstoke
, 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 lived for a while at Hampton Court Palace
. He was employed at Greenwich
, where in 1718 he became joint Clerk of the Works with Hawksmoor
, whom he succeeded as Surveyor to the Fabric of Westminster Abbey
, 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
and succeeded him in 1723 as Surveyor to the Fabric. He was Master of the Carpenters' Company
in 1734.
His only commission for a design from the Commissioners for the Building of Fifty New Churches under the Act of 1711 was St George's, Hanover Square. He collaborated with Hawksmoor
on the design of St John Horsleydown
in Southwark and St Luke Old Street. James also designed St. Mary's Church, Rotherhithe
in 1714-1715 and St Lawrence, Whitchurch
near Edgware around the same time.
He was the professional on site for the construction of East India House
, 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). Slightly further afield, he was responsible for recasing the tower of St Alfege's Church
in Greenwich, Kent
(now London
) after it became unsafe (the tower was the only remaining part of an older church, the rest having also collapsed and been replaced by a new church designed (c.1714) by Nicholas Hawksmoor
).
Also in south-east London, James designed Wricklemarsh, "a pioneer Palladian mansion" (Colvin) and in fact his only Palladian-style structure, for Sir Gregory Page
in 1723.
The house he designed for himself around 1725 - Warbrook in Eversley
, 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
is now usually attributed to him, c. 1720.
He published a pamphlet (1736) in the pamphlet war over the design of Westminster Bridge
, for which he had submitted a design, which, though not accepted by the Commissioners, was accounted "clearly and well described". 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
, A Treatise of the Five Orders of Columns in Architecture (1708), and from the French of 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.
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
particularly associated with Twickenham
Twickenham
Twickenham is a large suburban town southwest of central London. It is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan...
in west London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where he rebuilt St. Mary's Church and built the house for Hon. James Johnson, Secretary for Scotland, later Orleans House (demolished). Howard Colvin
Howard Colvin
Sir Howard Montagu Colvin, CVO, CBE , was a British architectural historian who produced two of the most outstanding works of scholarship in his field.-Life and works:...
'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" (Colvin 1995).
The son of a Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
parson, also named John James, he attended the Holy Ghost School
Queen Mary's School for Boys, Basingstoke
Queen Mary's School for Boys was a maintained grammar school in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England for boys aged 11–18. The school existed between 1556 and 1970 and was latterly funded by the Hampshire County Council Education Authority....
, Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
, of which his father was headmaster. He was then apprenticed in 1690 to Matthew Banckes
Matthew Banckes
Matthew Banckes was an eminent English master carpenter, who was Master Carpenter in the royal Office of Works from 1683 and Master of the Worshipful Company of Carpenters from 1698...
, Master Carpenter to the Crown 1683-1706, whose niece he married, and lived for a while at Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace is a royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Greater London; it has not been inhabited by the British royal family since the 18th century. The palace is located south west of Charing Cross and upstream of Central London on the River Thames...
. He was employed at Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
, where in 1718 he became joint Clerk of the Works with Hawksmoor
Nicholas Hawksmoor
Nicholas Hawksmoor was a British architect born in Nottinghamshire, probably in East Drayton.-Life:Hawksmoor was born in Nottinghamshire in 1661, into a yeoman farming family, almost certainly in East Drayton, Nottinghamshire. On his death he was to leave property at nearby Ragnall, Dunham and a...
, whom he succeeded as Surveyor to the Fabric of Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
, 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
Christopher Wren
Sir Christopher Wren FRS is one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history.He used to be accorded responsibility for rebuilding 51 churches in the City of London after the Great Fire in 1666, including his masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral, on Ludgate Hill, completed in 1710...
and succeeded him in 1723 as Surveyor to the Fabric. He was Master of the Carpenters' Company
Worshipful Company of Carpenters
The Worshipful Company of Carpenters is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Carpenters were traditionally different from a fellow wood-crafting company, the Joiners' and Ceilers' Company, in that the Carpenters utilised nails while the Joiners used adhesives to attach wood.The...
in 1734.
His only commission for a design from the Commissioners for the Building of Fifty New Churches under the Act of 1711 was St George's, Hanover Square. He collaborated with Hawksmoor
Nicholas Hawksmoor
Nicholas Hawksmoor was a British architect born in Nottinghamshire, probably in East Drayton.-Life:Hawksmoor was born in Nottinghamshire in 1661, into a yeoman farming family, almost certainly in East Drayton, Nottinghamshire. On his death he was to leave property at nearby Ragnall, Dunham and a...
on the design of St John Horsleydown
St John Horsleydown
St John Horsleydown was the Anglican parish church of Horsleydown in Bermondsey, London.-The church:The church built between June 1727 and 1733 in Fair Street , as one of the last churches built for the Commission for Building Fifty New Churches...
in Southwark and St Luke Old Street. James also designed St. Mary's Church, Rotherhithe
St. Mary's Church, Rotherhithe
St Mary's Church, Rotherhithe is the local Church of England parish church in Rotherhithe, formerly in Surrey and now part of south east London. The parish is now within the diocese of Southwark and under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Fulham...
in 1714-1715 and St Lawrence, Whitchurch
Whitchurch, London
Little Stanmore is a locality in the London Borough of Harrow in London, England.-Toponymy:Little Stanmore was named to distinguish it from Great Stanmore, which is now known as Stanmore. The parish was also known as Whitchurch. Whitchurch is a common English place-name meaning 'white church', and...
near Edgware around the same time.
He was the professional on site for the construction of East India House
East India House
East India House in Leadenhall Street in the City of London in England was the headquarters of the British East India Company. It was built on the foundations of the Elizabethan mansion Craven House, the London residence of Sir William Craven, Lord Mayor of London, to designs by the merchant and...
, 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). Slightly further afield, he was responsible for recasing the tower of St Alfege's Church
St Alfege's Church, Greenwich
St Alfege Church is a Church of England place of worship in the town centre of Greenwich in the eponymous London Borough.-History:The church is dedicated to, and reputedly marks the place where Alfege , Archbishop of Canterbury, was killed by Viking raiders on 19 April 1012.The second church built...
in Greenwich, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
(now London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) after it became unsafe (the tower was the only remaining part of an older church, the rest having also collapsed and been replaced by a new church designed (c.1714) by Nicholas Hawksmoor
Nicholas Hawksmoor
Nicholas Hawksmoor was a British architect born in Nottinghamshire, probably in East Drayton.-Life:Hawksmoor was born in Nottinghamshire in 1661, into a yeoman farming family, almost certainly in East Drayton, Nottinghamshire. On his death he was to leave property at nearby Ragnall, Dunham and a...
).
Also in south-east London, James designed Wricklemarsh, "a pioneer Palladian mansion" (Colvin) and in fact his only Palladian-style structure, for Sir Gregory Page
Gregory Page
The heads of three successive generations of the same English family were each named Gregory Page. A wealthy family whose fortune was not inherited but initially accumulated through trade, the Pages were closely associated with the development of north-west Kent during the 18th century.-First...
in 1723.
The house he designed for himself around 1725 - Warbrook in Eversley
Eversley
Eversley is a village and civil parish in the Hart District of North-East Hampshire, England, 21 km North East of Basingstoke. Its northern boundary is formed by the River Blackwater....
, 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 House
Hursley House is an 18th century Queen Anne style mansion in Hursley in the English county of Hampshire.It was built by William Heathcote between 1721 and 1724, during the reign of George I...
, Hursley, Hampshire, for (later, Sir) William Heathcote
Sir William Heathcote, 1st Baronet
Sir William Heathcote, 1st Baronet was a British merchant and politician.Heathcote was a successful merchant who purchased the Hursley estate in 1718. Between the years of 1721 and 1724 William built a red brick, Queen Anne style mansion now known as Hursley House on the site of a hunting lodge...
and Barnsley House in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
is now usually attributed to him, c. 1720.
He published a pamphlet (1736) in the pamphlet war over the design of Westminster Bridge
Westminster Bridge
Westminster Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge over the River Thames between Westminster on the north side and Lambeth on the south side, in London, England....
, for which he had submitted a design, which, though not accepted by the Commissioners, was accounted "clearly and well described". Competent in Latin, French and Italian, he translated Andrea Pozzo
Andrea Pozzo
Andrea Pozzo was an Italian Jesuit Brother, Baroque painter and architect, decorator, stage designer, and art theoretician. He was best known for his grandiose frescoes using illusionistic technique called quadratura, in which architecture and fancy are intermixed...
'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
Claude Perrault is best known as the architect of the eastern range of the Louvre Palace in Paris , but he also achieved success as a physician and anatomist, and as an author, who wrote treatises on physics and natural history.Perrault was born and died in Paris...
, A Treatise of the Five Orders of Columns in Architecture (1708), and from the French of Dezallier d'Argenville
Dezallier d'Argenville
The family of Dezallier d'Argenville produced two writers and connoisseurs in the course of the 18th century.Antoine-Joseph Dezallier d'Argenville , avocat to the Parlement de Paris and secretary to the king, was a connoisseur of gardening who laid out two for himself and his family, before writing...
, 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.