Ken Major
Encyclopedia
John Kenneth Major ARIBA
, FSA
, popularly known as Ken Major (21 October 1928 – 25 July 2009) was an architect
, author
and world authority on industrial archaeology
, particularly windmill
s, watermill
s and animal powered machines
. As an author, he was known as J Kenneth Major.
on 21 October 1928. His parents were Katharine May Major (née Ridge) and John William Major. He was christened John Kenneth Major but owing to a number of John Majors in the family he was generally referred to as Ken.
Major attended the Boy's Grammar School at Leigh, Lancashire
, where his father was the headmaster
, from 1939 to 1945. He then attended a school in Kendal until 1946. Major was interested in ancient buildings from an early age. He recalled cycling to Winwick
church
aged 8 to see the carved pig (symbolic of a legend about the church being relocated to a pre-Christian site) there.
where his results would have enabled him to study mathematics
. He was able to obtain a place at King's College, Durham University
in Newcastle upon Tyne where he studied architecture
under the Beaux-Arts regime.
During his time at King's College, Major switched from design to repair. He visited Florence
, Italy
where he studied the repair of Renaissance buildings
damaged in the war. In 1952, he applied for and obtained the Lethaby Scholarship from the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
(SPAB).
, London
. In April 1954, he married Helen Lawrence after a four year courtship. They both had an interest in ancient building and in 1958 the purchase of a Lambretta
scooter
enabled them to travel further afield. In 1956, Major joined London Transport
where his work involved the design of bus garages. In May 1961, Major visited the Hudson River
to research the construction of a watermill
at Sleepy Hollow
. As the original settlers of Tarrytown
and Sleepy Hollow had come from East Anglia
, measured drawings of Woodbridge Tide Mill
were prepared to assist the restoration.
On his return from the United States
, Major joined architect and goldsmith
Louis Osman as his assistant. His main work while with Osman was the restoration of Ranston House, Iwerne Courtney
, Dorset
. In July 1963, Major joined Morgan and Branch, architects. He was involved in the redevelopment of Doncaster
town centre including a new cinema
for ABC
and a new library
.
After this, Major then joined Hammersmith Borough Council
where he was in charge of the building of the White City
scheme. The scheme was cancelled and Major joined Westminster City Council
where he was in charge of a scheme at Lisson Green, which was in limbo after the Ronan Point
disaster. Following this, Major was in charge of the redevelopment of parts of Westbourne Grove
where 101 properties formerly owned by Peter Rachman
were repaired and converted to make them suitable for use by council tenants. Major later took charge of Westminster City Council's maintenance team. In 1975, Major was appointed Assistant City Architect to Westminster City Council. In 1984 his department was closed by the Council and Major commenced practice on his own account.
Initial work in private practice involved finishing off various schemes from Westminster City Council. Major was involved in the restoration of the waterwheel (36 feet (10.97 m) diameter and 2 in 9 in (0.8382 m) wide) at Painshill Park
, Cobham
, Surrey
. Other work included the repair of Stainsby Mill
, Doe Lea
, Derbyshire
, Gelli Groes mill, Gwent
and Sacrewell Mill, Wansford, Cambridgeshire
. As well as mills, Major was involved in conservation and restoration of a number of churches. Other buildings Major was involved with include Churchgate House, Cookham
, Berkshire and a C13th cottage at Mowsley
, Leicestershire
.
invited Major to assist him in carrying out a survey of mills in Berkshire
. Following this, the Isle of Wight
, Northumberland
and Wiltshire
were covered. Major also conducted a survey of the Kennet and Avon Canal
, listing all artefacts surviving and producing a map at a scale of 2 inches to the mile (1:31,680). The resulting map was 18 feet (5.49 m) long.
In 1964, Major met João Miguel dos Santos Simões who was at that time trying to get the various individual mill societies together. This led to the formation of The International Molinological Society
in 1973, of which Major was a founder member. Major became chairman in 1977 and remained in that position until 1993. In 1970, Major's first book, Mills of the Isle of Wight was published. The publishing in 1978 of Animal-Powered Engines marked the first in-depth study of that subject.
Apart from his work for the SPAB, Major was also an advisor for other national heritage organisations, such as English Heritage
, The Heritage Lottery Fund
and other bodies concerned with mill preservation. He was also a founding trustee of the Mills Archive Trust
.
(see Finch Foundry
) (see List of windmills in the Isle of Wight) (see John Wallis Titt
, Crux Easton wind engine
) (see List of horse mills) (see Éolienne Bollée
) (see Rex Wailes
)
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
, FSA
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
, popularly known as Ken Major (21 October 1928 – 25 July 2009) was an architect
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...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and world authority on industrial archaeology
Industrial archaeology
Industrial archaeology, like other branches of archaeology, is the study of material culture from the past, but with a focus on industry. Strictly speaking, industrial archaeology includes sites from the earliest times to the most recent...
, particularly windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
s, watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
s and animal powered machines
Animal engine
An animal engine is a machine powered by an animal. Horses, donkeys, oxen, dogs, and humans have all been used in this way.-See also:*Horse mill*Horse power*Persian well*TreadwheelFor Details log on to www.greenenergysolutions.co.in- Books :...
. As an author, he was known as J Kenneth Major.
Early life
Ken Major was born in Reading, BerkshireReading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
on 21 October 1928. His parents were Katharine May Major (née Ridge) and John William Major. He was christened John Kenneth Major but owing to a number of John Majors in the family he was generally referred to as Ken.
Major attended the Boy's Grammar School at Leigh, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, where his father was the headmaster
Head teacher
A head teacher or school principal is the most senior teacher, leader and manager of a school....
, from 1939 to 1945. He then attended a school in Kendal until 1946. Major was interested in ancient buildings from an early age. He recalled cycling to Winwick
Winwick, Cheshire
Winwick is a village and civil parish in the borough of Warrington in Cheshire, England. Historically within Lancashire, until 1 April 1974, Winwick was administered as part of Lancashire with the rest of north Warrington. It is situated about three miles north of Warrington town centre, near...
church
St Oswald's Church, Winwick
St Oswald's Church, Winwick, is in the village of Winwick to the north of Warrington, Cheshire, England. The church has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Liverpool, the archdeaconry of Warrington and the...
aged 8 to see the carved pig (symbolic of a legend about the church being relocated to a pre-Christian site) there.
Higher education
Owing to the high number of demobbed ex-servicemen, Major was unable to gain a place at CambridgeUniversity of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
where his results would have enabled him to study mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
. He was able to obtain a place at King's College, Durham University
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
in Newcastle upon Tyne where he studied architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
under the Beaux-Arts regime.
During his time at King's College, Major switched from design to repair. He visited Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
where he studied the repair of Renaissance buildings
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
damaged in the war. In 1952, he applied for and obtained the Lethaby Scholarship from the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings was founded by William Morris, Philip Webb and J.J.Stevenson, and other notable members of the Pre Raphaelite brotherhood, in 1877, to oppose what they saw as the insensitive renovation of ancient buildings then occurring in Victorian...
(SPAB).
Professional
On completing his Scholarship in April 1953, Major was appointed as an architect at the Planning Department of Imperial CollegeImperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
, 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...
. In April 1954, he married Helen Lawrence after a four year courtship. They both had an interest in ancient building and in 1958 the purchase of a Lambretta
Lambretta
Lambretta can refer to:* Lambretta, a petrol-powered scooter made by Innocenti* Lambretta , a clothing brand* Lambretta , a Swedish rock band* The Lambrettas, a British mod revival band...
scooter
Scooter (motorcycle)
A scooter is a motorcycle with step-through frame and a platform for the operator's feet. Elements of scooter design have been present in some of the earliest motorcycles, and motorcycles identifiable as scooters have been made from 1914 or earlier...
enabled them to travel further afield. In 1956, Major joined London Transport
London Transport Executive
The London Transport Executive was the organisation responsible for public transport in the Greater London area, UK, between 1948-1962. In common with all London transport authorities from 1933 to 2000, the public name and operational brand of the organisation was London Transport.-Creation:On 1...
where his work involved the design of bus garages. In May 1961, Major visited the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
to research the construction of a watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
at Sleepy Hollow
Sleepy Hollow
-Fiction:* The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, an 1819 short story by Washington Irving* Sleepy Hollow , a 1998 adaptation of Washington Irving's short story* Sleepy Hollow , a 1999 movie by Tim Burton...
. As the original settlers of Tarrytown
Tarrytown, New York
Tarrytown is a village in the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, about north of midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by a stop on the Metro-North Hudson Line...
and Sleepy Hollow had come from East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
, measured drawings of Woodbridge Tide Mill
Woodbridge Tide Mill
Woodbridge Tide Mill in Woodbridge, Suffolk, England is a rare example of a tide mill whose water wheel still turns.The mill has been preserved and is open to the public, its machinery reflects the skills and achievements of the early Industrial Revolution. The mill is a three storey building...
were prepared to assist the restoration.
On his return from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Major joined architect and goldsmith
Goldsmith
A goldsmith is a metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Since ancient times the techniques of a goldsmith have evolved very little in order to produce items of jewelry of quality standards. In modern times actual goldsmiths are rare...
Louis Osman as his assistant. His main work while with Osman was the restoration of Ranston House, Iwerne Courtney
Iwerne Courtney
Iwerne Courtney, also known as Shroton, is a village in north Dorset, England, north-west of Blandford Forum. It lies on the River Iwerne under Hambledon Hill to the south-west and with Cranborne Chase to the east. The village has a population of 400 .- External links :*...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
. In July 1963, Major joined Morgan and Branch, architects. He was involved in the redevelopment of Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
town centre including a new cinema
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
for ABC
Associated British Cinemas
ABC Cinemas was a cinema chain in the United Kingdom. A wholly owned subsidiary of Associated British Picture Corporation , it operated between the 1930s and the late 1960s...
and a new library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
.
After this, Major then joined Hammersmith Borough Council
London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham is a London borough in West London, and forms part of Inner London. Traversed by the east-west main roads of the A4 Great West Road and the A40 Westway, many international corporations have offices in the borough....
where he was in charge of the building of the White City
White City, London
White City is a district in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, to the north of Shepherd's Bush. Today, White City is home to the BBC Television Centre and BBC White City, and Loftus Road stadium, the home of football club Queens Park Rangers FC....
scheme. The scheme was cancelled and Major joined Westminster City Council
Westminster City Council
Westminster City Council is the local authority for the City of Westminster in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council and is entitled to be known as a city council, which is a rare distinction in the United Kingdom. The city is divided into 20 wards, each electing three councillors...
where he was in charge of a scheme at Lisson Green, which was in limbo after the Ronan Point
Ronan Point
Ronan Point was a 22-story tower block in Newham, east London, which suffered a partial collapse when a gas explosion demolished a load-bearing wall, causing the collapse of one entire corner of the building...
disaster. Following this, Major was in charge of the redevelopment of parts of Westbourne Grove
Westbourne Grove
Westbourne Grove is a retail road running across Notting Hill, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, a section of west London, England. It runs from Kensington Park Road in the west to Queensway in the east, crossing over Portobello Road...
where 101 properties formerly owned by Peter Rachman
Peter Rachman
Peter Rachman was a London landlord in the Notting Hill area in the 1950s and 1960s. He became so notorious for his exploitation of tenants that the word "Rachmanism" entered the OED as a synonym for any greedy, unscrupulous landlord.-Career:Rachman was born Perec Rachman in Lvov, Poland in 1919,...
were repaired and converted to make them suitable for use by council tenants. Major later took charge of Westminster City Council's maintenance team. In 1975, Major was appointed Assistant City Architect to Westminster City Council. In 1984 his department was closed by the Council and Major commenced practice on his own account.
Initial work in private practice involved finishing off various schemes from Westminster City Council. Major was involved in the restoration of the waterwheel (36 feet (10.97 m) diameter and 2 in 9 in (0.8382 m) wide) at Painshill Park
Painshill Park
Painshill Park , near Cobham, Surrey, England, is one of the finest remaining examples of an 18th century English landscape park. It was designed and created between 1738 and 1773 by the Hon. Charles Hamilton .Painshill Park is owned by Elmbridge Borough Council and managed by the Painshill Park...
, Cobham
Cobham, Surrey
Cobham is a town in the Borough of Elmbridge in Surrey, England, about south-west of central London and north of Leatherhead. Elmbridge has been acclaimed by the Daily Mail as the best place to live in the UK, and Cobham is a prosperous part of the London commuter belt...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. Other work included the repair of Stainsby Mill
Stainsby Mill
Stainsby Mill is a 19th-century flour water mill in Doe Lea, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England. The mill, which is in full working order, is under the ownership of the National Trust....
, Doe Lea
Doe Lea
Doe Lea is a small, linear village in the English county of Derbyshire. It is in the Bolsover district of the county. The village runs along the old A617 road. A newer dual carriageway runs parallel to it. The village is also immediately adjacent to junction 29 of the M1 motorway, like its...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, Gelli Groes mill, Gwent
Gwent (county)
Gwent is a preserved county and a former local government county in south-east Wales. It was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, and was named after the ancient Kingdom of Gwent....
and Sacrewell Mill, Wansford, Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
. As well as mills, Major was involved in conservation and restoration of a number of churches. Other buildings Major was involved with include Churchgate House, Cookham
Cookham
Cookham is a village and civil parish in the north-easternmost corner of Berkshire in England, on the River Thames, notable as the home of the artist Stanley Spencer. It lies north of Maidenhead close to the border with Buckinghamshire...
, Berkshire and a C13th cottage at Mowsley
Mowsley
Mowsley, pronounced "mouseley" is a small village in the south part of Leicestershire. The modern village has just under 100 dwellings.-Entries in Domesday:...
, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
.
Molinological
In 1963, Rex WailesRex Wailes
Rex Wailes OBE, FSA, F I Mech E was an English engineer and historian who published widely on aspects of engineering history and industrial archaeology, particularly on windmills and watermills....
invited Major to assist him in carrying out a survey of mills in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. Following this, the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
, Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
and Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
were covered. Major also conducted a survey of the Kennet and Avon Canal
Kennet and Avon Canal
The Kennet and Avon Canal is a waterway in southern England with an overall length of , made up of two lengths of navigable river linked by a canal. The name is commonly used to refer to the entire length of the navigation rather than solely to the central canal section...
, listing all artefacts surviving and producing a map at a scale of 2 inches to the mile (1:31,680). The resulting map was 18 feet (5.49 m) long.
In 1964, Major met João Miguel dos Santos Simões who was at that time trying to get the various individual mill societies together. This led to the formation of The International Molinological Society
The International Molinological Society
The International Molinological Society has been active since 1965 and is the only organization dedicated to mills and molinology on a worldwide scale. It brings together more than six hundred members, mostly from Europe and the USA. TIMS is a non-profit organization with cultural and scientific...
in 1973, of which Major was a founder member. Major became chairman in 1977 and remained in that position until 1993. In 1970, Major's first book, Mills of the Isle of Wight was published. The publishing in 1978 of Animal-Powered Engines marked the first in-depth study of that subject.
Apart from his work for the SPAB, Major was also an advisor for other national heritage organisations, such as English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
, The Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
and other bodies concerned with mill preservation. He was also a founding trustee of the Mills Archive Trust
Mills Archive
The Mills Archive was established in 2002 to preserve and protect records of milling heritage and to make them freely available to the public. It is governed by the Mills Archive Trust, which is a charity that is based at Reading, Berkshire....
.
Death
Major died on 25 July 2009 after a short illness. His funeral took place on 6 August 2009 at Reading Crematorium.Books
Ken Major was the author of a number of books.(see Finch Foundry
Finch Foundry
Finch Foundry is a 19th century water-powered forge situated in the village of Sticklepath near Okehampton, Devon, England and was active until 1960. It was originally used to produce agricultural and mining hand tools, but the Foundry has been a National Trust property since 1994. It contains...
) (see List of windmills in the Isle of Wight) (see John Wallis Titt
John Wallis Titt
John Wallis Titt was a late nineteenth-century mechanical engineer and builder of a particular design of large wind engine.-Early life:...
, Crux Easton wind engine
Crux Easton wind engine
Crux Easton wind engine is a Grade II listed Titt wind engine at Crux Easton, Hampshire, England which has been restored to working order.-History:...
) (see List of horse mills) (see Éolienne Bollée
Éolienne Bollée
The Éolienne Bollée is an unusual wind turbine, unique for having a stator and a rotor, as a water turbine has. The eponymous invention was first patented in 1868 by Ernest Sylvain Bollée in France...
) (see Rex Wailes
Rex Wailes
Rex Wailes OBE, FSA, F I Mech E was an English engineer and historian who published widely on aspects of engineering history and industrial archaeology, particularly on windmills and watermills....
)