John Ladds

John Ladds, RIBA, (22 April 1835 – 15 October 1926) was an architect best known for his work on churches and schools, very often church-affiliated schools.

Life
He was born on 22 April 1835 at Ellington, Cambridgeshire, the son of William Ladds (1798 - 1882) and Ann Inskip (1799 - 1875). He was the eighth child of 12.

He married Cecilia Townshend Kent (1832 - 1922) in St Clement Danes on 19 January 1867 and they had the following children:
 * Sidney Inskip Ladds (1868 - 1950) became an architect
 * Amy Cope Ladds (1868 - 1922)
 * Harriet Cecilia Ladds (1871 - 1940)
 * Mabel Mary Ladds (1872 - 1952)

He died on 15 October 1926 and left and estate valued at £3,560 10s 9d.

Works
From around 1871, he worked in partnership with William Henry Powell (1847 - 1900) as Ladds and Powell, until Powell emigrated to South Africa around 1890.

His notable designs include:
 * St John's Church, Lawley, Shropshire 1865 Grade II listed
 * National School in Newport, Shropshire 1872
 * The Corn Exchange, Bedford 1872-74
 * Bowlee School, Rhodes near Manchester 1875
 * Church School, Tonge, Alkrington, Lancashire 1875
 * Chorley Town Hall, Lancashire 1875
 * Christ Church, Marton Cum Grafton, North Yorkshire 1876 Grade II listed
 * Kimbolton Grammar School, Cambridgeshire 1877
 * St James' Church, Canterbury Street, Chorley, Lancashire 1878
 * Chancel redecoration, Church of St John the Evangelist, Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire 1879-80
 * Boxmoor Schools, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire 1880
 * Rivington and Blackrod High School, Rivington Lane, Rivington, Bolton 1881-82
 * St Paul's Church, Finchley, London 1886
 * Queen Elizabeth's School for Girls, Barnet Hill, High Barnet, London 1890 (extensions and rebuilding)
 * New reredos, St Mary's Church, East Farleigh, Kent 1894
 * Ophthalmic Hospital, Judd Street, London 1911-12

Ladds spent his last years in the North London neighbourhood of Harringay, where he died in 1926.

His son Sidney Ladds worked as an architect to Ely Cathedral until 1950.