John Ladds

• Birth date            22 April 1835 at Ellington, Huntingdonshire
• Baptism               21 August 1835, at Ellington, Huntingdonshire
• Marriage              19 January 1867 to Cecilia Townshend Kent at St Clement Danes
• Death date          15 February 1926 at 93 Pemberton Road Harringay Middlesex

John Ladds was born on 22 April 1835 at Ellington, Huntingdonshire, the son of William Ladds (1798 - 1882), a gentleman farmer of 600 acres, and his wife Ann Inskip (1799 - 1875). He was one of twelve children and the twin brother of Catherine Ladds. He was educated at a private boys’ boarding school in Eaton Socon, then in Bedfordshire, before training as an architect. By 1863 he had moved to London and commenced independent practice on his own account and went on to enjoy considerable success in architectural competitions, being placed first in at least ten of these. Many such entries were described and illustrated in the pages of “Building News.” He was elected Associate of the RIBA on 15 February 1869, proposed by A Waterhouse, G Somers Clarke, J Clarke. (RIBA Nomination papers A v4 page 76)

Although it has been widely suggested that he entered into partnership with William Henry Powell, this appears incorrect; both men worked from separate addresses throughout the period of their supposed partnership and took on commissions individually. Rather, from about 1871 he worked in association with Powell on specific competition entries including the Corn Exchange, Bedford, Elementary School, Sharnbrook, St John’s Church, Blackpool, and schools at Bassingbourne and Kneesworth.  He also collaborated with a number of other architects in the preparation of competition entries. These included W H Fletcher (Church Bloxwich, about 1864; Castle Mona Hotel Pleasure Grounds, Douglas, 1889); J M  Hooker; (Cemetery Chapels, Biggleswade 1867, New wing, Infirmary, Tunbridge Wells 1868); W. Sim, (Church at Lee near Blackheath, 1887); and Joseph Gardner, of Folkestone (Workhouse, Elham) 

His last major competition victory was for Queen Elizabeth’s Girls Grammar School at Barnet in 1891 and he continued to work for the school on various extensions and additions until 1914. His last known work was the War Memorial at his parish church of St Paul, Harringay, dedicated in October 1922.

John Ladds married Cecilia Townshend Kent (1832-1922), the fourth daughter of Henry Kent, in St Clement Danes on 19 January 1867 and they had four children: Sidney Inskip Ladds (1868-1950) who became an architect; Amy Cope Ladds, (1868-1922); Harriet Cecilia Ladds, (1871-1940); and Mabel Mary Ladds, (1872-1952). John Ladds died on 15 October 1926 and left and estate valued at £3,560 10s 9d.

Address
1864             51, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC
1868-1884    4 Chapel Street, Bedford Row (also residence)
1890             7 Doughty Street, St Pancras
1904             93 Pemberton Road, Harringay, Middlesex

Residence
1841             Ellington, Huntingdonshire
1851             Eaton Socon, Bedfordshire (boarding school)
1861             Ellington, Huntingdon
1868-1884    4 Chapel Street, Bedford Row
1890-1891    7 Doughty Street, St Pancras
1901             Gray’s Inn Lane, St Pancras
1904-1926    93 Pemberton Road, Harringay, Middlesex

Reference     Joseph Jackson Howard. Visitation of England and Wales (volume 17) detail of baptism