John Douglas (1830–1911) was an English architect based in Chester, Cheshire. His output included new churches, alterations to and restoration of existing churches, church furnishings, new houses and alterations to existing houses, and a variety of other buildings, including shops, banks, offices, schools, memorials and public buildings.[1] His architectural styles were eclectic, but as he worked during the period of the Gothic Revival, much of his work incorporates elements of the English Gothic style.[2] Douglas is probably best remembered for his incorporation of vernacular elements in his buildings, in particular half-timbering.[3] Of particular importance to Douglas' church furniture is his use of joinery and highly detailed wood carving.[4]
John Douglas was born in the Cheshire village of Sandiway and was articled to the Lancaster architect E. G. Paley, later becoming his chief assistant. He established an office in Chester in either 1855 or 1860, from where he practised throughout his career.[1] Initially he ran the office himself but in 1884 he appointed his assistant, Daniel Porter Fordham, as a partner. When Fordham retired in 1897, he was succeeded by Charles Howard Minshull. In 1909 this partnership was dissolved and Douglas ran the office alone until his death in 1911.[5] As his office was in Chester, most of his works were in Cheshire and North Wales, although some were further afield, in Lancashire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and Scotland.[6]
Most of the churches on which Douglas worked have been recognised as listed buildings by English Heritage, Historic Environment Scotland or, in Wales, by Cadw. In England and Wales a GradeI listed building is one "of exceptional interest, sometimes considered to be internationally important", GradeII* consists of "particularly important buildings of more than special interest", and in GradeII are buildings which "are nationally important and of special interest".[7] There is only one Scottish church in the list; it is graded in CategoryA. This category contains "buildings of national or international importance, either architectural or historic, or fine little-altered examples of some particular period, style or building type".[8]
Douglas' church restorations were influenced by the Oxford Movement, which advocated moving the centre of importance in the church from preaching to the sacrament of the Eucharist; from the pulpit to the altar. Consequences of this included moving the pulpit from a more central position to the side of the church, replacing box pews with open pews, creating a central aisle to give a better view of the altar, and the removal of galleries. Another consequence was that a larger chancel was required for the associated ritual.[9] Douglas' father was a joiner by trade[10] and it is likely that this influenced his own work.[11] One of the hallmarks of Douglas' designs is his attention to detail, especially in respect to wooden articles, and this applies to his items of church furniture.[12] Examples of all these features are to be found in this list, which consists of the works carried out by Douglas, alone or in conjunction with his partners, on pre-existing churches and includes restorations, additions and amendments to churches, and ecclesiastical furnishings. The details have been taken from the Catalogue of Works in the biography by Edward Hubbard.[6] Work on churches attributed to Douglas by Hubbard on stylistic grounds together with evidence of a local association, even though they are not confirmed by other reliable evidence, are included.[13] Where this is the case, it is stated in the Notes column. Unexecuted schemes are not included.
Buildings of national or international importance, either architectural or historic, or fine little-altered examples of some particular period, style or building type.
Douglas' work in 1862 consisted of the restoration of the chancel. The later works are attributed to him; they comprise a southeast vestry and organ chamber, a lych gate, and a screen in the northeast chapel.[14][15]
Douglas was married in this church in 1860. In 1868 he restored the chancel and provided stalls and rails; in 1877 he added a north porch, replaced the south aisle and added pews and a pulpit.[16][17][18]
St Chad's was badly damaged during the Civil War and had to be almost completely rebuilt. Douglas restored the Barnston Chapel in the south transept.[19][20][21]
Douglas rebuilt almost the whole of an older church, including replacing the nave and chancel and adding an upper stage and a short spire to the tower. He also designed the lych gate and boundary wall, which were paid for by the 1stDuke of Westminster.[22][23][24]
Retaining the tower and most of the aisle walls from an older church, Douglas rebuilt the rest of the church in Perpendicular style, and added a timber-framed porch.[22][25][26]
St Garmon's dates mainly from 1736, and contains some medieval fabric. Douglas' restoration probably included the addition of bracing to the colonnade and Gothic-style windows. The pulpit is also attributed to him.[27][28][29]
The restoration of 1871 included the addition of a bell turret. The later restoration, which included the addition of a chancel, is attributed to Douglas.[35][36]
Some restoration was carried out in 1871 but more extensive work was done in 1883; this included an almost complete rebuilding of the nave, which in the opinion of the authors of the Buildings of England series was "carefully done".[37][38][39]
Restoration of the chancel was carried out by Ewan Christian, while Douglas was responsible for the rest of the church. His work included the vaulting of the under-tower space.[40][41][42]
Douglas worshipped at this church. The 1876 work was virtually a rebuilding, incorporating parts of an earlier church. The south aisle was added in 1902, and the clock turret dated 1905 is attributed to Douglas.[46][47][48]
In 1876 Douglas added the wall, gate and railings to the churchyard, made alterations to the chancel seats and designed a reredos. The Early English west tower of the church collapsed in 1881, destroying the north porch; Douglas rebuilt this in a similar style. In 1886–87 he added a bell tower to the northeast of the church and in 1887 he rebuilt the north aisle in Early English style, which was paid for by the 1stDuke of Westminster.[49][50][51]
In 1876–77 Douglas carried out a restoration of the church, removed the west gallery, the box pews and the three-decker pulpit, and replaced them with furnishings of his own design. In 1879 he enriched the altar table and the following year he restored the upper part of the tower.[52][53][54]
Work on this church was carried out for W.E.Gladstone and his family. In 1877 a gateway was added in memory of SirS.R.Glynne. In 1884 improvements were made to the Whitley Chancel. A chancel porch was added in 1896 and between 1901 and 1906 further restorations and alterations were carried out. Vestries were added in 1908–09.[58][59][60]
Douglas carried out a restoration of the church in 1877, which included work on the furnishings. In 1880–81 he added a wall to the churchyard.[61][62][63]
The restoration of an early medieval church included the removal of the north door, the addition of a vestry, the replacement of windows, and the addition of a new bellcote with a spire, and a lychgate.[74][75][76]
St Garmon's is a small ancient church which retains some Norman features; Douglas' restoration included "a thorough scraping, stripping and refitting".[77][78][79][80]
This church stands in a prominent position in the centre of the village of Malpas; Douglas' restoration included the stripping of plaster from the interior of the church and removal of the box pews[85][86]
An extensive restoration was carried out for the 1st Duke of Westminster; this included rebuilding the clerestory and, probably, the addition of the pyramidal spire.[87][88]
The restoration was started for the railway engineer W.B.Buddicom, and completed after his death; it includes the addition of south windows, the south porch, the upper stage and buttresses of the tower, and, internally, stalls, pews and the screens in the arcade.[89][90][91]
This extensive restoration included redesigning the chancel in Perpendicular style, and removing a plaster ceiling, replacing it with an open roof containing carved tracery; Douglas also designed furnishings including seating for the chancel and nave, and an organ case.[101][102][103]
Douglas carried out a remodelling for the 4thEarl of Sefton; this included adding a low tower with a spirelet and a short chancel with Perpendicular windows, and replacing the nave windows.[105][106][107]
A vestry was added to the northwest of the church, the plaster was removed from the interior, a Perpendicular style east window was inserted, and mullions and tracery were added to the windows on the south of the church.[110][111][112]
In the remodelling of 1896 Douglas added a spire and did much work on the structural woodwork of the interior; the following year he designed a lych gate.[113][114]
Douglas carried out work on this church for W.E.Gladstone and his family. In 1897–99 he added vestries, and later a chancel, a southwest porch and a lych gate. About this time he also remodelled the tower and, in 1904, he rebuilt the nave and added aisles.[115][116][117]
A restoration was carried out for Rev and Mrs T.J. Williams. Plaster was removed from the walls, the chancel floor was raised, the seating was replaced, and a screen was added between the nave and chancel. Douglas provided a new pulpit, lectern, prayer desks, altar rails and table, sedilia and a credence table, and he also designed the lych gate.[118][119][120]
Douglas added a northeast vestry and an organ chamber, replaced the internal plaster with limestone fragments, extended the chancel into the nave and provided furnishings.[121][123][124]
Pollard, Richard; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2006), Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, ISBN0-300-10910-5
Price, James (1998), Sharpe, Paley and Austin: A Lancaster Architectural Practice 1836–1942, Lancaster: Centre for North-West Regional Studies, ISBN1-86220-054-8