George Glover (1812-1890): the unfulfilled potential of a Victorian architect

John Daffurn’s latest book is due to be published on 4 November 2022

Between 1839 and 1842, a wealthy newspaper proprietor in Stamford, England, commissioned a group of fine Victorian buildings by an architect who until recently, had remained unknown. The designer of these buildings has now been identified as George Glover, and despite the quality of this work, by an architect in his twenties, little knowledge of him exists in the literature. Glover was born in York, the son of a whitesmith, and his eldest sister married Joseph Aloysius Hansom (1803-1882), the well-known Catholic architect and inventor of the Hansom cab. Glover’s life is trailed from York to the coastal town of Lowestoft where he declined, after exhibiting so much early promise, into relative obscurity.

ISBN 9780993147937

72 pages Full colour

57 illustrations 189mm x 246mm

With a Foreword by Professor James Stevens Curl, eminent architectural historian and editor of the Oxford Dictionary of Architecture

Out of hibernation

Covid played havoc with my love of travel but it provided additional windows for desk research. I was able to publish Stamford Tenants towards the end of 2020 and make a start on a biography of the architect of Rock House and Rock Terrace in Stamford, which is now complete.

In November this new book, shown below,will be published.

Stamford Tenants publication 23 October

Pre-orders for delivery by 23 October are now closed but it is possible to order for delivery after publication date HERE.

Articles about the book will appear in Active magazine at the end of October and the Stamford Mercury on 23 October.

The book will be available from Walkers bookshop on Stamford High Street from 23 October. John will hold a book signing from a market stall outside of M&CO on Stamford High Street on Saturday 24 October.

Review

         “Meticulously researched and beautifully presented, Stamford Tenants would definitely appeal to those with local history interests or those seeking inspiration for their own house history project. If you have Stamford connections, the pages will reveal a fascinating history on your doorstep that you may have yet to explore; and, if you are tracing a house history, the way that John Daffurn has woven case studies, high quality illustrations and useful timelines, setting out the history in interestingly themed chapters, provides an impressive example of a century of history”

Family Tree  magazine

On track for launch

If you are interested in more information about Stamford Tenants please register HERE

The book will look like this when it is launched towards the end of October …

 

Next steps

If you are interested in additional information about Stamford Tenants please register HERE

The manuscript is being typeset as we speak and estimates are in from the printers.

My mind has turned to marketing the book and myself…the bit I hate. However I have set up a dedicated instagram account @stamfordtenants and this provides images and information about many of the other properties owned by Richard Newcomb or his heirs.

Final Book Cover

If you are interested in further information please register HERE

My new book

A few years ago, whilst living in a Grade II listed terrace house in Stamford, I wondered who had lived in the house before me.

The terrace of ten houses was built in 1841 by Richard Newcomb, the proprietor of the Stamford Mercury. However, it is unusual because the whole terrace was owned by only two families for over one hundred years. In order to find who had lived in my house I had to look for tenants and not freeholders.

I successfully completed the searches for my house but realised that many other interesting people lived in the other houses. That was the genesis for my new book:

STAMFORD TENANTS

a history of Rock Terrace and its occupants

A reawakening

I haven’t posted for some time.

Moving house and shielding from Coronavirus has slowed the pace of life and severely curtailed travel in 2020.

However, one benefit of lock down is the additional time which has allowed me to pick up, and almost complete, a project I have been working on for two years. A local history book about a row of ten terraced houses built in 1841, and all who lived in them during the one hundred years until 1941.

This site has been refreshed and is ready to bring you more news as I move towards the  publication of my second book.

Watch this space.

Two years ago I visited Argentina to research for my book Seeking John Campbell. Now in less than two weeks time I will return. Not for further research but to visit places in Argentina, Peru and Chile that have always held a fascination for me.

I have up a new travel blog for the trip Grey Trails: Solo travel in retirement

If you want to follow my trip through South America you can access the blog through the link above.

Latest Reviews of Seeking John Campbell

The following reviews of Seeking John Campbell have been recently published on Goodreads and Amazon.

“…excellent for anyone who likes reading real-life adventures…”

See full review by Rebecca McNutt HERE

Goodreads

“Written with the verve of a detective, the tenacity of an academic, and the creativity of a novelist…”

See full review by David Lankester HERE

Amazon