J. D. Sedding
Encyclopedia
John Dando Sedding was a noted Victorian church architect
, working on new buildings and repair work, with an interest in a ‘crafted Gothic’ style. He was an influential figure in the Arts and Crafts movement
, many of whose leading designers studied in his offices. His 1889 lecture, "The Architectural Treatment of Gardens", was influential in the revival espoused by Reginald Blomfield
, of "Jacobean" features such as terraces, covered walks, bowling green
s, clipped yew hedges and topiary
, which would combine with "cottage garden
" elements in the Arts and Crafts gardens
of 1890-1915.
. Like William Morris
, Philip Webb
and Norman Shaw, he was a pupil of George Edmund Street
. His elder brother, Edmund, had also trained as an architect with Street and had set up in practice as an architect in Penzance
, Cornwall
, where John Dando Sedding joined him about 1865. Edmund suffered from ill health and died in 1868. Sedding was elected a fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects
in 1875 and moved from Bristol to set up in practice in London the following year, when he took offices on the upper floors of 447 Oxford Street
, next door to the premises of William Morris & Co.
He was elected a member of The Art Workers Guild
in 1884, the year of its foundation.
In 1876 Sedding met John Ruskin
, under whose influence he developed a freer Gothic style, introducing natural ornament into his designs. Sedding encouraged his students to study old buildings at first hand, focusing on the practicalities of craft techniques. He placed an emphasis on texture and ornament; the naturalistic treatment of flowers, leaves and animals, always drawn from life; and the close involvement of the architect in the simple processes of building and in the supervision of a team of craftsmen employed direct. The firms of William Bone of Liskeard and Charles Trask from near Ilminster
appear frequently in the list of his works.
The German architect and critic Hermann Muthesius
stated that "he formed the first bridge between the architects' camp and that of handicraft proper".
Sedding's memorial is on the north wall in the Lady Chapel of his major church, at Holy Trinity, Sloane Street
, and he is buried in the churchyard of St John's Church, West Wickham
, Kent.
, London, the Church of the Holy Redeemer, Clerkenwell
, London (one of the first churches in London to be built in the classical style since the time of Sir Christopher Wren), and numerous rural churches, particularly in the West Country
, such as those at Holbeton
and Ermington
in Devon
, and St Elwyn's Hayle
and All Saints' Church, Falmouth
in Cornwall
. He also gained a reputation in the West Country as a skilled repairer of old churches.
His most notable work in the Bristol area is the so-called House of Charity (1890-5), with picturesque detailing. He added a new vestry to St Mary's Church, Stamford
, in 1890 and was the architect of St Edward's Church in the Hampshire village of Netley Abbey. He is noted for many successful designs for church furnishings and plate, and contributed rich decorative features to numerous churches, such as screens at Axbridge
, Somerset (1888) (with Art Nouveau
-style detailing to the arches and lettering), and a reredos
at St Saviour's, Walcot
, Bath.
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
, working on new buildings and repair work, with an interest in a ‘crafted Gothic’ style. He was an influential figure in the Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
, many of whose leading designers studied in his offices. His 1889 lecture, "The Architectural Treatment of Gardens", was influential in the revival espoused by Reginald Blomfield
Reginald Blomfield
Sir Reginald Theodore Blomfield was a prolific British architect, garden designer and author of the Victorian and Edwardian period.- Early life and career :...
, of "Jacobean" features such as terraces, covered walks, bowling green
Bowling green
A bowling green is a finely-laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of lawn for playing the game of lawn bowls.Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep on them...
s, clipped yew hedges and topiary
Topiary
Topiary is the horticultural practice of training live perennial plants, by clipping the foliage and twigs of trees, shrubs and subshrubs to develop and maintain clearly defined shapes, perhaps geometric or fanciful; and the term also refers to plants which have been shaped in this way. It can be...
, which would combine with "cottage garden
Cottage garden
The cottage garden is a distinct style of garden that uses an informal design, traditional materials, dense plantings, and a mixture of ornamental and edible plants. English in origin, the cottage garden depends on grace and charm rather than grandeur and formal structure...
" elements in the Arts and Crafts gardens
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
of 1890-1915.
Biography
Sedding was the son of a village schoolmaster, who spent much of his youth in DerbyshireDerbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
. Like William Morris
William Morris
William Morris 24 March 18343 October 1896 was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement...
, Philip Webb
Philip Webb
Another Philip Webb — Philip Edward Webb was the architect son of leading architect Sir Aston Webb. Along with his brother, Maurice, he assisted his father towards the end of his career....
and Norman Shaw, he was a pupil of George Edmund Street
George Edmund Street
George Edmund Street was an English architect, born at Woodford in Essex.- Life :Street was the third son of Thomas Street, solicitor, by his second wife, Mary Anne Millington. George went to school at Mitcham in about 1830, and later to the Camberwell collegiate school, which he left in 1839...
. His elder brother, Edmund, had also trained as an architect with Street and had set up in practice as an architect in Penzance
Penzance
Penzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, where John Dando Sedding joined him about 1865. Edmund suffered from ill health and died in 1868. Sedding was elected a fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
in 1875 and moved from Bristol to set up in practice in London the following year, when he took offices on the upper floors of 447 Oxford Street
Oxford Street
Oxford Street is a major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, United Kingdom. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, as well as its most dense, and currently has approximately 300 shops. The street was formerly part of the London-Oxford road which began at Newgate,...
, next door to the premises of William Morris & Co.
Morris & Co.
Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. and its successor Morris & Co. were furnishings and decorative arts manufacturers and retailers founded by the Pre-Raphaelite artist and designer William Morris...
He was elected a member of The Art Workers Guild
Art Workers Guild
The Art Workers Guild or Art-Workers' Guild is an organisation established in 1884 by a group of British architects associated with the ideas of William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement. The guild promoted the 'unity of all the arts', denying the distinction between fine and applied art...
in 1884, the year of its foundation.
In 1876 Sedding met John Ruskin
John Ruskin
John Ruskin was the leading English art critic of the Victorian era, also an art patron, draughtsman, watercolourist, a prominent social thinker and philanthropist. He wrote on subjects ranging from geology to architecture, myth to ornithology, literature to education, and botany to political...
, under whose influence he developed a freer Gothic style, introducing natural ornament into his designs. Sedding encouraged his students to study old buildings at first hand, focusing on the practicalities of craft techniques. He placed an emphasis on texture and ornament; the naturalistic treatment of flowers, leaves and animals, always drawn from life; and the close involvement of the architect in the simple processes of building and in the supervision of a team of craftsmen employed direct. The firms of William Bone of Liskeard and Charles Trask from near Ilminster
Ilminster
Ilminster is a country town and civil parish in the countryside of south west Somerset, England, with a population of 4,781. Bypassed a few years ago, the town now lies just east of the intersection of the A303 and the A358...
appear frequently in the list of his works.
The German architect and critic Hermann Muthesius
Hermann Muthesius
Adam Gottlieb Hermann Muthesius , known as Hermann Muthesius, was a German architect, author and diplomat, perhaps best known for promoting many of the ideas of the English Arts and Crafts movement within Germany and for his subsequent influence on early pioneers of German architectural modernism...
stated that "he formed the first bridge between the architects' camp and that of handicraft proper".
Sedding's memorial is on the north wall in the Lady Chapel of his major church, at Holy Trinity, Sloane Street
Holy Trinity Sloane Street
Holy Trinity Sloane Street is a London Anglican parish church, built 1888-90 at the south-eastern side of Sloane Street to a striking Arts & Crafts design by the architect John Dando Sedding at the cost of the 5th Earl Cadogan, in whose London estate it lay...
, and he is buried in the churchyard of St John's Church, West Wickham
West Wickham
West Wickham is a place in the London Borough of Bromley, England. It is 10.3 miles south east of Charing Cross. West Wickham history dates back to early settlements existing since 1068, although the name `Wickham` is an indication of an earlier Anglo-Saxon settlement...
, Kent.
Buildings and church work
Sedding’s buildings include the Holy Trinity Sloane StreetHoly Trinity Sloane Street
Holy Trinity Sloane Street is a London Anglican parish church, built 1888-90 at the south-eastern side of Sloane Street to a striking Arts & Crafts design by the architect John Dando Sedding at the cost of the 5th Earl Cadogan, in whose London estate it lay...
, London, the Church of the Holy Redeemer, Clerkenwell
Clerkenwell
Clerkenwell is an area of central London in the London Borough of Islington. From 1900 to 1965 it was part of the Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury. The well after which it was named was rediscovered in 1924. The watchmaking and watch repairing trades were once of great importance...
, London (one of the first churches in London to be built in the classical style since the time of Sir Christopher Wren), and numerous rural churches, particularly in the West Country
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
, such as those at Holbeton
Holbeton
Holbeton is a village located 9 miles south east of Plymouth in Devon, UK. Historically it formed part of Ermington Hundred. To the east of the village is an Iron age enclosure or Hill fort known as Holbury...
and Ermington
Ermington, Devon
Ermington is a village and civil parish located approximately south of the town of Ivybridge in the county of Devon, England. The village is in the South Hams district and is twinned with the commune of Clécy, in Normandy, France. It is known well for its crooked church spire, which a pub has been...
in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, and St Elwyn's Hayle
Hayle
Hayle is a small town, civil parish and cargo port in west Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated at the mouth of the Hayle River and is approximately seven miles northeast of Penzance...
and All Saints' Church, Falmouth
All Saints' Church, Falmouth
All Saints' Church, Falmouth is a parish church in the Church of England located in Falmouth, Cornwall, United Kingdom.-History:The foundation stone for this church was laid by the Duke of Cornwall in 1887. It was designed by the architect J. D. Sedding in the Gothic Revival style...
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. He also gained a reputation in the West Country as a skilled repairer of old churches.
His most notable work in the Bristol area is the so-called House of Charity (1890-5), with picturesque detailing. He added a new vestry to St Mary's Church, Stamford
St Mary's Church, Stamford
St Mary's Church, Stamford is a parish church in the Church of England, located in Stamford, Lincolnshire, lending its name to St Mary's Hill on which it stands, and which runs down to the river crossing opposite The George Hotel.-History:The church was built by the twelfth century, the tower in...
, in 1890 and was the architect of St Edward's Church in the Hampshire village of Netley Abbey. He is noted for many successful designs for church furnishings and plate, and contributed rich decorative features to numerous churches, such as screens at Axbridge
Axbridge
Axbridge is a town in Somerset, England, situated in the Sedgemoor district on the River Axe, near the southern edge of the Mendip Hills. The town population according to the 2001 census was 2,024.-History:...
, Somerset (1888) (with Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
-style detailing to the arches and lettering), and a reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
at St Saviour's, Walcot
Walcot
Walcot may refer to:* Walcot, Shropshire, a small village in the county of Shropshire, England* Walcot, Bath, a suburb of the city of Bath, England* Walcot, North Kesteven in Lincolnshire* Walcot, Lydbury North in Shropshire...
, Bath.