Name William Wallen | ||
During the ninetieth century, the Wallen family was linked to British architecture. William Wallen (1790–1873) and his son, William Wallen Junior (1817–1891) were both architects and surveyors in London.
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Biographies
William Wallen Senior (1790–1873), was born in Southwark, Surrey, the son of William Wallen and probably Frances Wallen née Smith. William married Amy Elizabeth Willcocks (1790 – C 1865) at Guildhall, Blackfriars in 1814. They lived in Hoxton, London, producing four sons and five daughters. William died at Hackney in 1873, aged 83.
William Wallen Junior (1816–1891) also became an architect and surveyor. Professionally, he remained William Wallen ( Junior), no doubt to distinguish himself from his father and his cousin, William Wallen (1807–1888) , a fellow architect in Huddersfield. William Jnr. was born in Hoxton and married Mary Ann Sydney (1828–1899) at Guildhall in 1848. They produced four sons and one daughter. William died in Greenwich aged 74 Years.
Career of William Wallen (Senior)
William Wallen Senior practised as an architect and surveyor, however; he appears to have favoured surveying commissions. His career was somewhat overshadowed by his older brother, John Wallen (1783–1865) who was an architect and the principal surveyor to London during the 1830s. Nevertheless, William is credited with at least two architectural projects between 1822 and 1823. They were non-conformist chapels in Newbury, Berkshire and Newark, Nottinghamshire. It is also suggested that he was the “Mr Wallen” who received a substantial fee for the survey and probably the design of Claremont Chapel in New Road, Pentonville.
During the 1830s, William’s professional office was at 1 Circus Place, Finsbury. Here he designed the British School in Wood Street, Spitalfields, and the Abbey Street British School in Bethnal Green. He briefly employed Owen Jones, a pupil of architect, Lewis Vulliamy. This was probably an arrangement between Vulliamy and Wallen to equip Jones with essential surveying skills before he undertook a Grand Tour of Europe and the Middle East in 1832.
Wallen family correspondence, dating from the 1800s, indicates that one, or both, the Wallen brothers were involved in the surveying of the London to Birmingham railway. Apparently, a ‘mistake’ caused the Wallens major financial hardship. Notably, William was declared bankrupt in February 1839. Undaunted, William returned to the Court in the same year. In Wallen v. Smith he successfully appealed costs exceeding £40 previously awarded against him. His case became legal precedent referred to during the 1800s. By 1848, William had opened an office at 17 King St, London City and through the 1850s, he and his son, William (Jnr), operated from 25 Bassinghall Street, London. In 1850, Henry Jones Lanchester (1834–1914) was articled to William Wallen and was educated in several offices including that of John Wallen. Lanchester is noted for laying out part of Hove and also the design of Palmeira Mansions, Hove.
Career of William Wallen (Junior)
William (jnr) designed the first school in the Isle of Dogs. Millwall British School was built by James and Jonathan Coleman of Bermondsey in 1846–47. He also designed a Lecture Hall for the Deptford Literary Institution. It was built by Joseph Lester in 1852. William won an allegedly corrupt competition to design the Vestry Hall at the Greenwich Public Offices. The hall was built in 1876–77 by W. W. Allen.
William Wallen the younger of Lawrence Pountney Lane, in the City of London, Architect, Surveyor, Builder, Dealer and Chapman was declared bankrupt on 25 March 1854. William (jnr) was again declared bankrupt on 29 September 1869, but an Order of Discharge was granted on 10 December 1869. Francis Hodgson Nixon (1832–83) became a pupil of William (jnr) in 1846. By mutual consent, Nixon and Wallen annulled the indenture agreement in 1849. Nixon moved to Australia to pursue a career in architecture before turning to journalism.