John Shewell Corder Explained

John Shewell Corder (1856 in Westoe, South Tyneside – 19 July 1922 in Ipswich)^[1] was an English architect, artist and antiquarian.

Early life

Corder came from a well-connected Quaker family with links in East Anglia, North England and Berkshire. He was the son of Frederick Corder and Jane Ransome, daughter of James Ransome.^[2] Along with other siblings the family moved to Ipswich in 1860.^[3] He was given the name of Shewell from Fredrick's mother, Mary Shewell.^[4]

Architectural career

During the period 1872-7, Corder was articled to his step-uncle, the architect Joseph Morris based in Reading.^[4] Frederic Corder had married Maria Morris, Joseph's sister, both of whom were children of Thomas Morris and Ann Talwin Shewell.^[4] Corder has been credited with over 100 commissions. These include:^[3]

• Boscombe House, 65 Anglesea Road, Ipswich, (Grade II listed building)
• Hacheston Lodge, The Street, Hacheston
• Extra classrooms for Woodbridge School in Burkitt road, Woodbridge, Suffolk,
• Work on the Black Boy public house, Sudbury
• Tranmer House, 1910. Home of Edith Pretty during the 1938-39 excavation of the Sutton Hoo Anglo-Saxon burial mounds.

He trained Harold Ridley Hooper who later became a prominent Ipswich architect.^[5]

Publications

Corder joined the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology & History. He also made several contributions to their journal:

• "The Guild Hall, of Corpus Christi, Lavenham" Volume VII, part 2 (1890)
• "The timber framed buildings of Ipswich and their pargetting", Volume VII Part 3 (1891)
• "Notes on Bury corner posts", Volume XVI Part 3 (1918) Published as a separate booklet, 50 copies.^[6]

Other publications:

• Ye Olde Corner Posts of Ipswich, (1890) S. H. Cowell: Ipswich
• Christchurch or Withepole House: A Brief Memorial (1893) S. H. Cowell: Ipswich

Sources

• Book: John . Bettley . Nikolaus . Pevsner. Nikolaus Pevsner. Suffolk: East. Buildings of England. 2015. Yale University Press. New Haven, US and London. 978-0-300-19654-2. 995084088 .

Notes and References

1. Web site: Find a will GOV.UK. 2021-12-18. probatesearch.service.gov.uk. en.
2. Web site: Corder, John Shewell . suffolkartists.co.uk . Suffolk Artists . 13 September 2019.
3. Web site: Suffolk People . historicalsuffolk.com . Historical Suffolk Research . 13 September 2019.
4. Arnold . H. Godwin . Gold . Sidney M. . Morris of Reading:A Family of Architects 1836-1958 . Transactions of the Ancient Monuments Society . 1989 . 33 . 45-96.
5. Book: Directory of British Architects 1834–1914: A-K . limited . Antonia Brodie . Continuum International Publishing Group . 2001 . 0-8264-5513-1 . 945–946 .
6. Web site: Notes on Bury Corner Posts [Reprinted from Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology & Natural History, Volume XVI, Part III] by Corder, John Shewell: Good Hard Cover (1918) Limited Edition. Besleys Books PBFA ]. www.abebooks.com . Besleys Books . 1 August 2022 . en.