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John Wormald Appleyard
John Wormald Appleyard
Born	(1831-09-10)10 September 1831 School Close, Leeds, England
Died	14 January 1894(1894-01-14) (aged 62) Leeds
Resting place	Beckett Street Cemetery
Nationality	British
Education	Apprenticed to Abraham Wormald, stonemason
Known for	Wood and stone carving
Notable work	Old Father Time, 1872 on Time Ball Buildings Ivanhoe clock figures, 1878, in Thornton's Arcade, Leeds Interior carving, 1884, in Leeds Central Library
Style	Theatrical
Spouse	Elixabeth "Eliza" Whiteley
Memorial(s)	Appleyard window in St John's Church, Farsley

John Wormald Appleyard (10 September 1831 – 14 January 1894) (flourished 1851–1891) was a sculptor and monumental mason based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. He was sixteen years old when his apprenticeship as a stone carver was curtailed due to the death of his grandfather who was training him. He was versatile enough to turn his hand to wood carving, decorative ceiling work, stained glass and marble sculpture besides stone carving, so that from around the age of twenty-one years he was able to maintain a stoneyard and studio in Cookridge Street, Leeds, at least until 1891. He was generally known during his lifetime as a monumental mason. He is mainly known today in Leeds for his wooden Jacquemart figures of Robin Hood, Friar Tuck, Richard the Lionheart and the swineherd Gurth, which strike the hours on the Ivanhoe clock at one end of Thornton's Arcade in Briggate. He is also known for his figure of Old Father Time on the Tempus Fugit clock on the Time Ball Buildings, Leeds.

Background

Appleyard's maternal grandparents, both born in Yorkshire, were Abraham Wormald (ca.1786–1847) a stone mason of Spring Gardens, Drighlington, and his wife Elizabeth (ca.1781 – Drighlington 20 February 1848). His father was Jabez Appleyard (Birstall 1805 – Bradford 5 December 1870), a size-boiler for the preparation of wool, and his mother was Jane Wormald (Birstall 1810 – 30 January 1883). Jabez and Jane had nine children. John, the eldest, was born on 10 September 1831 at School Close, Leeds, and baptised on 9 October 1831 at St Peter's, Leeds. The family moved to Drighlington, then Water Lane in Farsley. By 1851, after completing his apprenticeship with his grandfather, he moved to 4 Hirst Square off St James Street, Leeds, on the site of the present Leeds Civic Hall, and lived there for the rest of his life. In 1853 he married the widow Mrs Elizabeth "Eliza" Whiteley (Foleshill 1824 – Leeds 1889) at Leeds Parish Church. He died on 14 January 1894 without issue, and was buried on 17 January at Burmantofts Cemetery in grave no.12542. He was sufficiently wealthy to bequeath £100 to Leeds General Infirmary, and £2,133 16s 10d to his relative Isaac Appleyard, a coal merchant.

Media related to St John Farsley, Appleyard gravestone at Wikimedia Commons
Media related to Beckett Street Cemetery, John Wormald Appleyard gravestone at Wikimedia Commons

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  Appleyard family gravestone, 1863, probably carved by J.W. Appleyard
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  Head of Christ on family gravestone, 1863
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  A border of plied yarn around the monument indicates that the family worked in the wool trade
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  Grave of John Wormald Appleyard, died 1894

Career

In 1841, by the time he was nine years old, Appleyard was already apprenticed in Drighlington to his maternal grandfather Abraham Wormald, a stone mason. At this yard he was permitted to concentrate on carving. His grandfather's death in 1847 curtailed his apprenticeship at the age of 16, and he was back with his parents in Farsley by 1851, when he was 19 years old and already calling himself a "stone carver and cutter." He plied his trade as a "sculptor, stone and marble mason and monumental mason" until at least 1891, although he tended to call himself simply a stone carver or sculptor. The Beckett Street Cemetery record keeper knew him as a monumental mason. By 1871 he had a workshop producing sculpture and designs in 16–18 Cookridge Street, Leeds, next door to architect George Corson, and he remained there as a monumental mason until at least 1891.

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  Cookridge Street, Leeds, in 2010. On the left are nos.19–21, so Appleyard's studio at nos.16–18 was probably on the site of The Light, right
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  Hirst Square, Leeds, in 1913. This is where Appleyard lived, at number 4
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  Leeds Civic Hall was built in 1933 on the site of Appleyard's home, 4 Hirst Square

Works

Exhibitions, 1875–1891

The whereabouts of the following exhibits is unknown. At the Leeds Mechanics' Institution, Yorkshire Exhibition of Arts and Manufactures in 1875 Appleyard exhibited "several marble sculptures." At the Yorkshire Fine Art Society, Autumn Exhibition, 1880, he showed Sabrina. In 1888 he exhibited unknown works alongside Matthew Taylor at a show of international works of art, in the central court, at the Leeds Fine Art Gallery exhibition. In 1889 he entered a Medallion Portrait of Lady Jane Grey at the Leeds City Art Gallery, The Spring Exhibition. His The Elements was exhibited at the same spring exhibition in 1890, and again in spring 1891. Other exhibited pieces were Head of Christ, Neptune, Portrait, Medallion Portrait of Mozart and Head of Mozart 1880.

Old Father Time figure, Time Ball Buildings, Leeds, after 1872

This is part of a Grade II* listed building. Appleyard executed the sculpture on top of Dyson's cantilevered Tempus Fugit clock, which is suspended from the front of the Time Ball Buildings, Leeds. Although the clock is dated 1865, the figure of Chronos or Old Father Time above the clock was created by Appleyard after Dyson bought the building in 1872.

• Media related to Time Ball Buildings, Old Father Time statue at Wikimedia Commons

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  Close-up
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  Old Father Time, 1872
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  Silhouette

Decorative ceilings, Grand Theatre, Leeds, 1877–1878

The Grand Theatre in Upper Briggate, Leeds, is a Grade II* listed building, designed by George Corson and his chief assistant James Robinson Watson, and opened in November 1878, having taken "thirteen months to build." It originally consisted of a theatre and assembly rooms, with shops in between. The interiors have been much changed, especially in the 1930s. Appleyard carried out ceiling work inside this combination building, contracted by J. Pollard of Bond Street. The auditorium has a "ribbed and domed ceiling with central chandelier and plaster pendentives," and the former assembly room (now the Opera North rehearsal room) has a "segmental-arched ceiling with ribs and panels decorated with reliefs of fruit and flowers." Describing the auditorium in 1878, The Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer said: "The roof, lighted by one great chandelier, presents a very rich appearance." "The prevailing colour of the decorations (was) crimson and gold."

Media related to Grand Theatre Leeds, ceilings at Wikimedia Commons

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  Part of auditorium ceiling of Grand Theatre, 1878

Ivanhoe Clock, Thornton's Arcade, Leeds, 1877–1878

Thornton's Arcade is a Grade II listed building, designed by George Smith, and located between Lands Lane and Briggate in Leeds, West Yorkshire. It was in the planning stage in 1875, approved in 1877 and completed in 1878. The Ivanhoe Clock is a large, automated, public timepiece manufactured by Potts of Leeds between 1877 and 1878 to strike on the hour and each quarter. Appleyard created the four life-sized, wooden, Jacquemart figures of Richard I, Friar Tuck, Robin Hood and the swineherd Gurth. The figures appear to strike the bells, which are actually hit by hammers hidden behind the display. The Arcade's founder Charles Thornton already owned the music hall which later became the City Varieties, so these pantomime figures are in keeping with his showmanship. The clock was once manually wound, but was automated in 1955, and was restored in 1997.

The wooden female head, inside and above the door opposite the clock, is a likeness of Gainsborough's Portrait of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. It is likely to be the work of Appleyard because it is in the same theatrical style as the clock figures, it is worked in the same materials, and is also painted. It was placed here as a topical subject because Gainsborough's portrait painting was stolen in 1877 while the arcade was under construction.

• Media related to Thornton's Arcade clock at Wikimedia Commons
• Media related to Thorntons Arcade wooden head sculptures at Wikimedia Commons

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  Richard the Lionheart, 1878
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  The four Jacquemart figures, 1878
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  The swineherd, Gurth, 1878
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  Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, 1878

Barran's Fountain, Roundhay Park, Leeds, 1882

This is a Grade II listed building, designed by Thomas Ambler (1838–1920) in Park Springs stone. It is a rotunda-shaped drinking fountain in Roundhay Park, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Appleyard executed the carving on this domed fountain, which was donated by the founder of Roundhay Park, Sir John Barran. The fountain was opened for public use on Monday 3 April 1882. Around the inside of the dome is the inscription: "Presented to the Leeds Corporation by John Barran, M.P., April 3rd 1882."

As a drinking fountain, the structure is no longer functional. It originally had "ornate bronze vases through which the water issues, to the taps, the drinking cups, and their connections, all being very pretty. The minute detail with which everything is executed reflects creditably on all concerned." The four-foot hole in the dome was " covered with plate glass 3/4 of an inch thick, painted with a rosette in the centre and surrounded by guilloché ornament." It still has the "red granite basins – moulded, cut and polished," and "each basin (was originally) supplied by a bronze vase. Those on the outside (had) three taps and those on the inside (had) two taps, of bronze, with sea-horse heads, and electro-silver plated ... Surrounding the basins (were) iron gratings, to receive any overflow." The original bronze fittings were designed by Ambler and made by Warner & Sons of London, and the stained glass roof insert (now gone) was made by the St Helen's Company.

Media related to Barran's Fountain at Wikimedia Commons

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  Barran's Fountain, 1882
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  Corinthian capital, 1882
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  Barran's Fountain, 1882
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  Shell splashback, 1882

Central Library interior, Leeds, 1878–1884

Leeds Central Library is a listed building, designed as municipal buildings by George Corson to complement the Town Hall, and completed in 1884. The foundation stone was laid in 1878, and it was completed in April 1884. Appleyard led the team of stone carvers who worked on the interior staircases, pillars and arches (except for the alabaster entrance-hall arch, carved by Farmer & Brindley). His name and Corson's were engraved on a roundel "high on the wall" of the entrance hall or exterior. The other stone carvers of the interior staircases and arches have not been identified, and the extent of Appleyard's contribution to the artwork is unknown.

Media related to Leeds Central Library, stair rail carvings at Wikimedia Commons
Media related to Leeds Central Library, interior carvings at Wikimedia Commons

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  Carved capital on staircase, 1884
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  Lion dogs, 1884
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  Lion couchant, 1884
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  Portrait of George Corson on a capital, 1884

Memorial to J.F. Longrigg, St Paul's, Shipley, 1890

This wall memorial to the Rev. John Fallowfield Longrigg MA, who died 8 September 1888, was produced in Appleyard's stoneyard. It is in St Paul's Church, Kirkgate, Shipley, West Yorkshire, a Grade II listed building, and consists of a white marble tablet on a slab of empress red marble which was originally "on the west wall, to the right of the central doorway, of St Paul's Church." It is now on the left side of the door. Longrigg had initiated a young men's class during his curacy, and this group organised the funding by subscription of the tablet. Longrigg also initiated the poor children's annual Christmas dinner at Shipley, and this work continued for many years after he left St Paul's. The dedication is to the "rarest devotion to duty" by Longrigg, who was curate of St Paul's 1885–1887, after which he was vicar of Emmanuel Church in Woodhouse Lane, Leeds from November 1887. He died suddenly in September of the following year.

Media related to St Paul Shipley, Longrigg memorial at Wikimedia Commons

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  Longrigg memorial, 1890, closeup
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  Longrigg memorial, 1890

Window, St John the Evangelist, Farsley, before 1894

This stained glass crucifixion window is in St John the Evangelist Church, Farsley, West Yorkshire, a listed building. The window was found in Appleyard's Cookridge Road studio after his death. It had been designed and executed by him during his lifetime. It was possibly intended in memory of his parents who are buried in St John's churchyard, although his friends added a dedication to Appleyard's memory only. It was installed in June or July 1894. The windows of St John's were restored in 2015.

Media related to St John Farsley, Appleyard window at Wikimedia Commons

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  Appleyard window, before 1894
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  Appleyard window, detail
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  Appleyard window, crucifixion

External links

• "Thornton's Arcade, Leeds, designed by George Smith". The Victorian Web. 29 September 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2019.

Category:1831 births Category:1894 deaths Category:English sculptors Category:19th-century British sculptors Category:British male sculptors Category:19th-century English artists Category:British architectural sculptors Category:19th-century male artists Category:English woodcarvers Category:Monumental masons