Thomas Ellis Owen
Encyclopedia
Thomas Ellis Owen was an English
architect and developer responsible for many of the buildings that still exist in Southsea
and Gosport
. He designed many churches in Hampshire
and some of his work that still stands today can be found in Shropshire
, Dorset
and Pembrokeshire
.
Owen was born in Middlesex
, the son of Jacob Owen, who worked for the Royal Engineers Ordnance Department in Portsmouth. He trained as an architect and, although his architecture was probably influenced by John Nash (architect)
Owen had a lighter touch that belonged more to his Georgian routes than the Victorian times he mainly practised in.
Owen was instrumental in shaping the development of Southsea during the middle part of the 19th century, developing it from poorly-drained farmland into a garden suburb
. He designed and built 106 villa
s and 54 terrace houses in Southsea, including Queens Terrace, Portland Terrace, and Eastern Parade. In addition, he designed a range of commercial, religious, and civic buildings, including St Jude's Church in central Southsea.
In addition to his work as an architect and developer, Owen was a prominent civic figure. He became Mayor of Portsmouth twice (in 1847 and 1862) and also served as a magistrate
. A fuller account of his life can be found in Thomas Ellis Owen Shaper of Portsmouth, 'Father of Southsea'
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
architect and developer responsible for many of the buildings that still exist in Southsea
Southsea
Southsea is a seaside resort located in Portsmouth at the southern end of Portsea Island in the county of Hampshire in England. Southsea is within a mile of Portsmouth's city centre....
and Gosport
Gosport
Gosport is a town, district and borough situated on the south coast of England, within the county of Hampshire. It has approximately 80,000 permanent residents with a further 5,000-10,000 during the summer months...
. He designed many churches in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
and some of his work that still stands today can be found in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
and Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
.
Owen was born in Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, the son of Jacob Owen, who worked for the Royal Engineers Ordnance Department in Portsmouth. He trained as an architect and, although his architecture was probably influenced by John Nash (architect)
John Nash (architect)
John Nash was a British architect responsible for much of the layout of Regency London.-Biography:Born in Lambeth, London, the son of a Welsh millwright, Nash trained with the architect Sir Robert Taylor. He established his own practice in 1777, but his career was initially unsuccessful and...
Owen had a lighter touch that belonged more to his Georgian routes than the Victorian times he mainly practised in.
Owen was instrumental in shaping the development of Southsea during the middle part of the 19th century, developing it from poorly-drained farmland into a garden suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
. He designed and built 106 villa
Villa
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
s and 54 terrace houses in Southsea, including Queens Terrace, Portland Terrace, and Eastern Parade. In addition, he designed a range of commercial, religious, and civic buildings, including St Jude's Church in central Southsea.
In addition to his work as an architect and developer, Owen was a prominent civic figure. He became Mayor of Portsmouth twice (in 1847 and 1862) and also served as a magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
. A fuller account of his life can be found in Thomas Ellis Owen Shaper of Portsmouth, 'Father of Southsea'