Mr. John Douglas, of Chester, was a pupil of Mr. E.G. Paley, of Lancaster. He began practice in 1860, his first important work being the re- building of the south front of Vale Royal Abbey for Lord Delamere, who afterwards gave him the memorial church of St. John's, Over, Cheshire, and other works. He has been much employed in Ecclesiastical and domestic work in Cheshire and other counties. Barrow Court, near Chester, is one of his works. He has built the following parish churches:— Aldford, Tattenhall, Dodleston, Pulford, Hartford, Altcar, Warburton, Colwyn Bay, Criccieth, and the churches in conjunction with his partner, Mr. Fordham, at Barmouth and Haydock. He has also restored the parish churches of Bangor Monachorum, Northop, Holt Llanaimon, Llanfechain, Cilcain, Bettws Gweifil Goch, Weaverham, Whitegate, and the fine old churches of Malpas and Tilston, St. Peters, and portions of St. John's Priory Church, Chester. His domestic work, besides grammar and other schools, includes the Grosvenor Club and County Offices, Chester, and consists of various buildings on the estates of several noblemen, notably the Eaton and Halkyn of the Duke of Westminster. He has also built the following mansions:— Appleton Hall, Oakmere Hall, Bronwylfa-Wygfair, Stratton Park, Shotwick Park, Elford House, Rowden Abbey, Llanerch Parma, the Gelli Malpas, Plas Mynach, Cornist Pabo Hall ; additions to the Plas Tan-y-Bwlch, Jodrell and Glossop Halls, Halkyn and Hawarden Castles, and recently, in conjunction with his partner, Abbeystead. for the Earl of Sefton. He has built the memorial fountains at Whitchurch and Ruthin. The portrait of Mr. Douglas [shown above, following p.708] was taken by Mr. Watmough Webster, of Chester. — "Contemporary British Architects."
This partnership was followed by one with Charles Howard Minshull (1858-1934): Douglas & Minshull operated until 1909, when it was dissolved. After that Douglas operated briefly on his own again, until his death in 1911. — Jacqueline Banerjee
Biographical Material
Works
Bibliography
Brodie, Antonia. Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Vol. I (A-K). London: Continuum / RIBA, 2001.
"Contemporary British Architects." The Building News Vol. 58 (1) 1890. 16 May 1890: 706. HathiTrust. Web. 28 November 2025.
Hubbard, Edward. The Work of John Douglas. Huddersfield: Northern Heritage Publcations, 2013.
John Douglas. Dictionary of Scottish Architects. Web. 28 November 2025. https://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/apex/r/dsa/dsa/architects?session=191130561267
Hartwell, Clare, Matthew Hyde, Edward Hubbard and Nikolaus Pevsner. Cheshire. Buildings of England series. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2011.
Created 28 November 2025