CORDER, John Shewell

1856 - 1922

John Shewell Corder was born at Westoe, South Shields, Tyne and Wear on 5 November 1856, son of Frederic Corder (25 December 1818-26 January 1908), silk mercer, and his first wife Jane Ransome (12 April 1820-6 December 1866), daughter of James Ransome (1782-1849), iron founder, and his wife Hannah née Hunton (1776-1826), Frederic and Jane, who was born at Rushmere, Ipswich on 12 April 1820, married at Ipswich on 9 January 1851. About the time of his marriage, Frederic had come to Ipswich to run a drapery business in Tavern Street in which he eventually assumed control, living at St Margaret’s Green, Ipswich. John Shewell's father Frederic, married secondly at St Mary the Virgin, Winchester on 24 February 1870, Maria Morris, 27-year-old daughter of architect Joseph Morris and Ann Talwin Shewell and his stepsister was Eleanor Mary Corder. John Shewell was educated at Bootham, a Friends School for Boys at York, and was articled to his step father-in-law, Joseph Morris at Reading, later being employed in the offices of Frederick Chancellor of London & Chelmsford and then worked for George Sherrin, F.R.I.B.A., of London. Corder opened his own architects practice in the Thoroughfare, Ipswich which, shortly afterwards, he moved to Wimbourne House, 13 Tower Street, Ipswich where he also made his home. Apart from a short partnership with Frank Brown, he worked on his own account. As a junior member of a wealthy Ipswich family, could explain his ability to spend countless hours on his favourite commissions. His sketching of the old buildings of the borough were in fact his first love, each sketch treated with the detail of a draughtsman and would spend hours on obtaining and recording accurate measurements and dimensions, prior to putting pencil to paper. Then living at the family home at Royston House, Westerfield Road, Ipswich, John was a member of Ipswich Art Club 1885-1921 and exhibited from Westerfield Road in 1885, two monochromes 'The Old Workhouse, Lavenham' and 'The Old Neptune Inn, Ipswich' and was the author of ‘The Corner Posts of Ipswich’ and ‘a Brief History of Christchurch or Withepole House’. One of the best known of the local Ipswich architects, being credited with over one hundred commissions with many banks and hotels to his credit and was particularly noted for his country house designs including the now famous Sutton House at Woodbridge which was purchased by Frank and Edith Pretty. John Shewell Corder died at Wimbourne House, 13 Tower Street, Ipswich on 19 July 1922, he was unmarried and left and estate of nearly £45,000.

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Works by This Artist