John Abel
Encyclopedia
John Abel was an English carpenter and mason, granted the title of 'King's Carpenter', who was responsible for several notable structures in the ornamented Half-timbered construction typical of the West Midlands
John Abel was born in Sarnesfield
, Herefordshire
. He was a Catholic recusant, along with his wife Johanna. In 1618 he was brought before a church court to answer for his recusancy and also for his secret marriage to Johanna. The case against him was eventually dismissed, but his name can be found on a list of Catholic recusants from 1640.
Abel married twice, but there is no record of his second wife except on his table tomb in Sarnesfield. He had one son, named John, who later became churchwarden of Sarnesfield.
. The contract was to fit into the terms of the will of Lady Margaret Hawkins. It is known that Abel supplied all the materials and that he was paid £240. The house design differs significantly from his later work in that it was built partially of stone. The stone window and ceiling beams of the house still survive, though the rest of the building was demolished.
In March 1633, it is known that Abel was contracted again, this time by John, 1st Viscount Scudamore
, to renovate Abbey Dore Church
, a former Cistercian monastery in Herefordshire. The work was completed in March 1634, in time for the reconsecration of the building. Though there have been some minor alterations made to his work, the church remains the most intact example of Abel's work available today as well as one of the best preserved examples of Laudian architecture
.
There is no record of Abel's work for another eighteen years, until in 1652, he was contracted to create a new building for which he was paid £30. 'The modell of ye New Building' still exists and is currently kept at Tyberton Court, where the work was originally done.
Abel is also known to have built market houses in Brecnoc
(1624), Kington and Lemster (1634). The Lemster (now Leominster
) market house originally stood in Broad Street, but was rebuilt in 1855 by John Arkwright who bought the building for £95. He offered the building to the council if they would re-erect it but they refused. He moved the building himself and rebuilt it in 1856. It remained as a private house until the 1930s. It now stands next to the priory church and is currently used as council offices. It is widely regarded as one of Abel's finest works and is built in the Renaissance tradition. It is now known as The Grange. In 2001, a campaign was started to raise money to restore the building to its original state. The building is Grade II listed.
The Kington market hall was demolished in 1820 and no record of its appearance remains.
All of Abel's market houses are known to have been built in timber and were known to contain lengthy religious inscriptions in their walls, some borrowing from both St Jerome and Cato the Elder. Some of these inscriptions can also be found on his work at Dore Abbey. In spite of the intricacies of his work, Abel's style has still been described as 'restrained'.
Based on the consistency of Abel's style, scholars tentatively attribute the restoration of Vowchurch
in 1613 and Monnington Court on the Wye to him.
, Abel was in Hereford when the Scots besieged it. With Charles I and his soldiers inside the city walls, mills were important to ensure the food supply lasted, and powder mills to make gunpowder
. The Roundheads had burnt down the mills the town had previously owned. However, Abel was able to design and build another one. Records differ but because of this the King granted Abel the title of either Master Carpenter or the King's Carpenter.
Sir Barnabus Scudamore went further in his estimation of Abel, saying that he was the only man in England who was able to create powder mills.
Abel is also known to have created a wooden tank called the Sow which Scudmore deployed against the parliamentary garrison at Canon Frome in October 1645. Unfortunately the device was never used in combat as it was surprised by Parliamentarian raiders.
Though historical records clearly show otherwise, legend states that Abel found, felled and used all the timber used in Fore Abbey Church in less than five months.
In spite of a lack of evidence that he had a hand in the architecture, John Abel was associated with buildings in: Weobley
, Abbey Dore
, Tyberton, Stretford
, Orleton
, Pembridge
, Ross-on-Wye
, Ledbury
and Hereford
.
In the Victorian era, the tomb was restored by the National Society for Preserving the Memorials of the Dead and the epitaph was slightly altered. In 2001 a campaign was started to restore Abel's tomb.
West Midlands (region)
The West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...
John Abel was born in Sarnesfield
Sarnesfield
Sarnesfield is a civil parish and village in Herefordshire, 11 miles north-west of Hereford.-De Sarnesfield:Philip de Sarnesfield held one and a half hides from Hugh de Lacy in 1109....
, Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
. He was a Catholic recusant, along with his wife Johanna. In 1618 he was brought before a church court to answer for his recusancy and also for his secret marriage to Johanna. The case against him was eventually dismissed, but his name can be found on a list of Catholic recusants from 1640.
Abel married twice, but there is no record of his second wife except on his table tomb in Sarnesfield. He had one son, named John, who later became churchwarden of Sarnesfield.
Work
Very little is known about Abel's work, and some local traditions attribute buildings to him that are impossible in terms of their date. Abel's first known commission was in 1625 when he was contracted to build Lady Hawkins' grammar school in KingtonKington, Herefordshire
Kington is a market town and civil parish in Herefordshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,597.-Location:Kington is near the Wales-England border and, despite being on the western side of Offa's Dyke, has been English for over a thousand years. The town is in the...
. The contract was to fit into the terms of the will of Lady Margaret Hawkins. It is known that Abel supplied all the materials and that he was paid £240. The house design differs significantly from his later work in that it was built partially of stone. The stone window and ceiling beams of the house still survive, though the rest of the building was demolished.
In March 1633, it is known that Abel was contracted again, this time by John, 1st Viscount Scudamore
John Scudamore, 1st Viscount Scudamore
John Scudamore, 1st Viscount Scudamore , diplomat and politician, was the eldest son of Sir James Scudamore of Holme Lacy, Herefordshire....
, to renovate Abbey Dore Church
Dore Abbey
Dore Abbey is a former Cistercian abbey in the village of Abbey Dore in the Golden Valley, Herefordshire, England. A large part of the original mediaeval building has been used since the 16th century as the parish church, with remaining parts either now ruined or no longer extant.-History:The...
, a former Cistercian monastery in Herefordshire. The work was completed in March 1634, in time for the reconsecration of the building. Though there have been some minor alterations made to his work, the church remains the most intact example of Abel's work available today as well as one of the best preserved examples of Laudian architecture
Laudianism
Laudianism was an early seventeenth-century reform movement within the Church of England, promulgated by Archbishop William Laud and his supporters. It rejected the predestination upheld by the previously dominant Calvinism in favour of free will, and hence the possibility of salvation for all men...
.
There is no record of Abel's work for another eighteen years, until in 1652, he was contracted to create a new building for which he was paid £30. 'The modell of ye New Building' still exists and is currently kept at Tyberton Court, where the work was originally done.
Abel is also known to have built market houses in Brecnoc
Brecon
Brecon is a long-established market town and community in southern Powys, Mid Wales, with a population of 7,901. It was the county town of the historic county of Brecknockshire; although its role as such was eclipsed with the formation of Powys, it remains an important local centre...
(1624), Kington and Lemster (1634). The Lemster (now Leominster
Leominster
Leominster is a market town in Herefordshire, England, located approximately north of the city of Hereford and south of Ludlow, at...
) market house originally stood in Broad Street, but was rebuilt in 1855 by John Arkwright who bought the building for £95. He offered the building to the council if they would re-erect it but they refused. He moved the building himself and rebuilt it in 1856. It remained as a private house until the 1930s. It now stands next to the priory church and is currently used as council offices. It is widely regarded as one of Abel's finest works and is built in the Renaissance tradition. It is now known as The Grange. In 2001, a campaign was started to raise money to restore the building to its original state. The building is Grade II listed.
The Kington market hall was demolished in 1820 and no record of its appearance remains.
All of Abel's market houses are known to have been built in timber and were known to contain lengthy religious inscriptions in their walls, some borrowing from both St Jerome and Cato the Elder. Some of these inscriptions can also be found on his work at Dore Abbey. In spite of the intricacies of his work, Abel's style has still been described as 'restrained'.
Based on the consistency of Abel's style, scholars tentatively attribute the restoration of Vowchurch
Vowchurch
Vowchurch is a village and civil parish in Herefordshire, England, situated in the Golden Valley, on the River Dore. The village is about southwest of Hereford. According to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 163. The parish church, St Bartholomew, serves a large ecclesiastical...
in 1613 and Monnington Court on the Wye to him.
Military work
In 1645, during the middle of the civil warEnglish Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, Abel was in Hereford when the Scots besieged it. With Charles I and his soldiers inside the city walls, mills were important to ensure the food supply lasted, and powder mills to make gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
. The Roundheads had burnt down the mills the town had previously owned. However, Abel was able to design and build another one. Records differ but because of this the King granted Abel the title of either Master Carpenter or the King's Carpenter.
Sir Barnabus Scudamore went further in his estimation of Abel, saying that he was the only man in England who was able to create powder mills.
Abel is also known to have created a wooden tank called the Sow which Scudmore deployed against the parliamentary garrison at Canon Frome in October 1645. Unfortunately the device was never used in combat as it was surprised by Parliamentarian raiders.
Myths
Abel is frequently connected to the Hereford Market Hall (which was partially demolished in 1862), though historical evidence suggests that the building was not created by him. In 2008, English Heritage's Inspector of Historic Buildings, Nick Molyneux, was noted as saying that the style of the architecture was different from Abel's.Though historical records clearly show otherwise, legend states that Abel found, felled and used all the timber used in Fore Abbey Church in less than five months.
In spite of a lack of evidence that he had a hand in the architecture, John Abel was associated with buildings in: Weobley
Weobley
Weobley is a black and white village in Herefordshire, England.The name possibly derives from 'Wibba's Ley', a ley being a woodland glade and Wibba being a local Saxon landowner...
, Abbey Dore
Abbey Dore
Abbey Dore is a village and civil parish in Herefordshire, England, known for Dore Abbey, a 12th century Cistercian abbey, expanded in the 13th century. The village is situated in the Golden Valley, and has a population of 342. Abbey Dore Court has large gardens open to the public in spring and...
, Tyberton, Stretford
Stretford
Stretford is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Lying on flat ground between the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal, it is to the southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Salford and northeast of Altrincham...
, Orleton
Orleton
For the locality Orleton, Worcestershire, see Stanford-on-TemeOrleton is a village in northern Herefordshire, England, at , about 7 km north of Leominster....
, Pembridge
Pembridge
Pembridge is a village located just south of the River Arrow on the A44 between Leominster and Kington in Herefordshire, England.Describing itself as The Jewel in the Crown of the Black and White Village Trail, Pembridge has a history stretching back at least eight hundred years and is notable for...
, Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye is a small market town with a population of 10,089 in southeastern Herefordshire, England, located on the River Wye, and on the northern edge of the Forest of Dean.-History:...
, Ledbury
Ledbury
Ledbury is a town in Herefordshire, England, lying east of Hereford, and south of the Malvern Hills.Today, Ledbury is a thriving market town in rural England. The town has a large number of timber framed buildings, in particular along Church Lane and High Street. One of Ledbury's most outstanding...
and Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
.
Death
Abel died in January 1675 and was buried at Sanesfield on January 31. He was 97 years old. He wrote his own epitaph and built his own tomb. His tombstone read:In the Victorian era, the tomb was restored by the National Society for Preserving the Memorials of the Dead and the epitaph was slightly altered. In 2001 a campaign was started to restore Abel's tomb.