John Ladds

John Ladds, RIBA, (22 April 1835 – 15 October 1926) was an architect[1] best known for his work on churches and schools, very often church-affiliated schools.

Ladds' design for the church school in Alkrington.

Chorley Town Hall 1875

St Paul's Church, Long Lane, Finchley, London 1885-86

Life

He was born on 22 April 1835 at Ellington, Cambridgeshire, the son of William Ladds (1798 - 1882) and Ann Inskip (1799 - 1875). He was the 8th child of 12.

He married Cecilia Townshend Kent (1832 - 1922) in St Clement Danes on 19 January 1867[2] and they had the following children:

• Sidney Inskip Ladds (1868 - 1950) became an architect
• Amy Cope Ladds (1868 - 1922)
• Harriet Cecilia Ladds (1871 - 1940)
• Mabel Mary Ladds (1872 - 1952)

He died on 15 October 1926 and left and estate valued at £3,560 10s 9d.

Works

From around 1871 he worked in partnership with William Henry Powell (1847 - 1900) as Ladds and Powell until Powell emigrated to South Africa around 1890.

His notable designs include:

• St John's Church, Lawley, Shropshire 1865 Grade II listed[3]
• National School in Newport, Shropshire 1872
• The Corn Exchange, Bedford 1872-74
• Bowlee School, Rhodes near Manchester 1875
• Church School, Tonge, Alkrington, Lancashire 1875
• Chorley Town Hall, Lancashire 1875
• Christ Church, Marton Cum Grafton, North Yorkshire 1876[4] Grade II listed[5]
• Kimbolton Grammar School, Cambridgeshire 1877[6]
• St James' Church, Canterbury Street, Chorley, Lancashire 1878[7]
• Chancel redecoration, Church of St John the Evangelist, Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire 1879-80[8]
• Boxmoor Schools, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire 1880
• Rivington and Blackrod High School, Rivington Lane, Rivington, Bolton 1881-82[9]
• St Paul's Church, Finchley, London 1886
• Queen Elizabeth's School for Girls, Barnet Hill, High Barnet, London 1890 (extensions and rebuilding)[10]
• New reredos, St Mary's Church, East Farleigh, Kent 1894[11]
• Ophthalmic Hospital, Judd Street, London 1911-12

Ladds spent his last years in the North London neighbourhood of Harringay, where he died in 1926.

His son Sidney Ladds worked as an architect to Ely Cathedral until 1950.

Sources

1. Brodie, Antonia (20 December 2001). Directory of British Architects 1834-1914: Vol 2 (L-Z). Royal Institute of British Architects. p. 2. ISBN 082645514X.
2. "Marriages". London Daily News. England. 23 January 1867. Retrieved 2 May 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
3. Historic England. "Church of St John (1367388)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
4. "Boroughbridge. Consecration of a church at Marton-cum-Grafton". Knaresborough Post. England. 15 January 1876. Retrieved 1 May 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
5. Historic England. "Christ Church (1174037)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
6. "Kimbolton Grammar School". Cambridge Independent Press. England. 5 January 1878. Retrieved 1 May 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
7. Pevsner, Nikolaus (2002). The Buildings of England. North Lancashire. Yale University Press. p. 95. ISBN 9780300096170.
8. Historic England. "Church of St John (1127366)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
9. Kay, Margaret (1931). The History of Rivington and Blackrod Grammar School. Manchester University Press. p. 137.
10. Pevsner, Nikolaus; Cherry, Bridget (1998). The Buildings of England. London North. Yale University Press. p. 171. ISBN 9780300096538.
11. "East Farleigh". Maidstone Journal and Kentish Advertiser. England. 17 May 1894. Retrieved 1 May 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.

• John Newman and Nikolaus Pevsner, Shropshire; The Buildings of England, Yale University Press, 2006, ISBN 0-300-12083-4