Frederic Chancellor

Frederic Chancellor RA FRIBA JP
Chancellor, c. 1888
Born	27 April 1825 Chelsea, London
Died	3 January 1918(1918-01-03) (aged 92) Chelmsford, Essex
Occupation	Architect
Practice	Chancellor & Son of Chelmsford

Frederic Chancellor RA, FRIBA, JP (27 April 1825 – 3 January 1918)^[1] was an English architect and surveyor who spent much of his career in the city of Chelmsford, Essex and its surrounding areas. His works included private houses, municipal buildings, churches, parsonages, banks and schools. It was during his later career that he concentrated on ecclesiastical buildings for which he became best known. Around 730 buildings have been attributed to him, 570 of which are in Essex.

From 1888, Chancellor became Mayor of Chelmsford for the first time, a post to which he was elected on six further occasions until 1906. He held senior posts in Chelmsford Town and Essex County councils and was elected as a freeman of the city in 1917. He retired that year and died at his home in Chelmsford the following year.

Early life[]

Chancellor was born on 13 April 1825 in Chelsea, London. He was one of 11 children and the third eldest child to John Chancellor (1794–1876), a coach builder, and his wife, Rebecca née Wilmott (1797–1869).

Chancellor began his architectural career working for the Chelmsford-based practice of James Beadel & Son in 1846, for whom he took on work designing farm buildings,^[2] including the range of farm buildings at Stevens Farm in Chignall, for the Chelmsford farmer, James Crush.^[3]

Chancellor won a competition to design a new school in Felsted in 1854, which brought him to wider attention.^[2] The following year he completed the designs for one of his earliest surviving buildings, the lodge within the grounds of Chelmsford's Quaker Burial Ground, whilst working under Beadel and Son.^[4]

He set up his own office in London, and another in Chelmsford, in 1860.^[2] His earliest client was the London and County Bank, for whom he designed properties at 32 and 34 Borough High Street, in 1862,^[5] 28 and 30, Market Place, Newbury, West Berkshire,^[6] and 49 Broadway, Stratford, in 1867.^[7]

Career[]

As of 2002, 730 buildings have been attributed to Chancellor, 570 of which are in Essex, making him one of England's most prolific architects. He was prolific in his ecclesiastical designs, as well as those for small country houses, including his largest private house, Pontlands Park, Great Baddow, and his restorations of Durwards Hall (now Kelvedon Park), Layer Marney Tower, and Leez Priory.^[2]

Chancellor undertook the remodelling of the house and grounds of Poulett Lodge, Twickenham, in the Italianate style, for William Punchard. The main house was demolished in the 1930s and the area was redeveloped into flats, known as Thames Eyot. The grounds were re-planned and replanted in 1962; of Chancellors work to survive includes the boathouse, deep-water dock, riverside landing stage, steps, balustrade, gates and loggia.^[8][9]

Notable churches[]

It was during his later career that Chancellor concentrated on churches, working on the designs and refurbishments of over 90 religious buildings.^[2] Of his existing buildings, which he either completely rebuilt or extensively refurbished, 16 have been listed by Historic England.

The Church of Holy Trinity, in Pleshey, was redesigned by Chancellor and built in 1868, with only the medieval crossing arches surviving from the earlier building. Historic England called the rebuild "handsome" which was conducted in a "boldly picturesque manner".^[10]

The Church of St John the Evangelist, Great Waltham, which Chancellor designed in 1870, was another to be singled out for its picturesque qualities. Completed in the Early English style of the 13th century, the building suffered many faults and had to be partially demolished and rebuilt, by Alfred Young Nutt in 1892 because of subsidence. From then on, much underpinning work took place and the chancel was demolished completely in 1984.^[11] Despite this, Pevsner considered it to be Chancellor's most successful building.^[11]

In 1878 Chancellor designed a new church for Creeksea, Essex. The Church of All Saints was built on the site of a former building that was erected in the 14th century. Historic England, who listed Chancellor's building at Grade II in 1951, noted the architect's "sensitivity" when redesigning the church and his reuse of existing materials in order to recreate the spirit of the earlier church,^[12] a sentiment shared by the architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner in the Essex edition of The Buildings of England.^[2]

Another of Chancellor's churches singled out by Pevsner for its picturesque qualities was St. Lawrence and All Saints in the parish of Steeple, Essex. Like his church at Creeksea, Chancellor re-used materials from the demolished former church of the 14th century. The foundation stone was under laid by Susanna Claughton, wife of the Bishop of St. Albans on 13 August 1883.^[2]

Later years and civic duties[]

From 1888, Chancellor became Mayor of Chelmsford for the first time, a post to which he was elected on six further occasions until 1906. He held senior posts in Chelmsford Town and Essex County councils and was elected as a freeman of the city in 1917.^[13]

By 1903 Chancellor and Sons had been appointed architects and surveyors to the trustees of the Upminster Hall Estate, Upminster. In 1904 the office drew up a survey plan and forwarded it to Sir Charles Reilly, chosen architect of the owner of Upminster hall, Arthur E Williams. The building now exists as Upminster Court.^[14]

Personal life[]

Chancellor was married twice, firstly to Harriet née Allen (1826–1900),^[15] with whom he had 5 children, including the architect Frederic Wykeham Chancellor (styled professionally as F W Chancellor) in 1865. Chancellor Jr became articled to his father in 1885 until 1893 when he became a partner in his father's business.^[16]

Chancellor's second marriage was to Emma née Wenley, whom he married in 1903 at Christ Church in Lancaster Gate, Westminster, London.^[17]

Chancellor's nephew, Francis Graham Moon Chancellor (styled professionally as F.G.M. Chancellor), was also an architect^[18] who later took over the office of Frank Matcham's successful theatre building business when Matcham retired in 1912.^[19] Francis's father, was the publisher Francis Moon.^[20] Perhaps the most notable of F.G.M Chancellor's commissions, under Matcham & Co., was the State Cinema in Grays, Essex.^[21]

Retirement and death[]

Chancellor retired from his civic duties in November 1917 because of poor health and died at his Chelmsford home, "Bellefield", in January the following year.^[1] His funeral took place at Chelmsford Cathedral on 8 February 1918 and he was interred in the neighbouring cemetery in Rectory Lane.^[22]

References[]

Sources[]

• Bradley, Enid; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2002). Essex. The Buildings of England. New Haven, US and London: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-09601-9. OCLC 49299203.

• Wilmore, David (2008). Frank Matcham & Co. South Yorkshire: Theatreshire Books. ISBN 978-0-95341-271-6. OCLC 800880206.