John Christopher Derham

Birth date         1882 at Preston
Married (1)       1910 Florence Walker at Old Fylde Registry Office
Married (2)       1929 Doris Ivy Stokes
Death date        5 July 1936

John Christopher Derham was born in Preston, Lancashire, in 1882, the son of a Police Sergeant John Christopher Derham (1846-1911), and Mary Emma Tate. His father was to become Blackpool's first Chief Constable while his brother H. E. Derham, occupied the same post until his resignation in 1935. 

A contemporary of Fred Moxon Wilding (qv), J. C, Derham served his articles with Alderman R. B. Mather J.P. architect and remained with him until 1910. Following his marriage, he moved to London
to work as manager for the theatre architect Bertie Crewe and had been connected with the building and reconstruction of many theatres and cinemas in London. including the Princess Theatre and the Tivoli Cinema in the Strand. With an interruption for war service, he remained with him until 1929. In that year he returned to Blackpool as architect to the Blackpool Tower and Winter Gardens Company, Here his works included the Olympia Hall (1930); and the Baronial Hall, the Galleon Bar, the Renaissance Restaurant, the Windsor Bar, and the Spanish Congress Hall (all completed in 1931). He collaborated with French-born British art director Andrew Mazzei on the projects

In 1931 Derham was elected a Licentiate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (LRIBA).

In 1932 Charles Hamilton MacKeith (1898-?) joined the practice which subsequently operated as Derham, MacKeith & Partners. Following his death, MacKeith continued the practice.
Frank Marshall Dickinson partner in1939.

John Christopher Derham served as a Sergeant with the "D" Troop of the Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry before his full-time wartime deployment. He was much involved with the regiment's infrastructure having worked alongside Sgt F.M. Wilding as a Clerk of Works to construct the custom-built Drill Hall at 221 Talbot Road in Blackpool, which was officially opened by Field Marshal Earl Roberts. In 1903. During World War One, he served in the Army and rose to the rank of major, a title he was still using in the 1930s. Details off his wartime service in the army are unclear but appear to have ended in 1916. In 1917 J. C. Derham was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, attached to the Naval Air Service and was an engineer at one of the largest airship stations in England.  [Fleetwood Chronicle 8 June 1917 page 5]

J. C. Derham was a member of the Blackpool Football Club board of directors, but at the annual meeting he was to have announced his intention not to seek re-election because pressure of business at the nex annual meeting. Mr. Derham was also member of the Blackpool Cricket Club.

Partnerships
1928-1929    Derham and Kay, London, with (unknown) Kay
1932-1936    Derham, MacKeith and Partners, Blackpool, with Charles Hamilton MacKeith 

Address
1899-1910    c/o Alderman R. B. Mather J.P. Birley Street Blackpool
1910-1929    c/o Bertie Crewe, Shaftesbury Avenue, London
1929-1936    J. C. Derham, L.R.I.B.A. Empress Chambers, Church Street, Blackpool

Residence
1901        133 Albert Road, Blackpool
1911        147 Widdenham Road, Holloway, London  
1926        147, Loraine Mansions. Holloway, London
1930-1936    The Mount, 46 Forest Gate, Blackpool,


Obituary    The Builder vol. 151, 17 July 1936 page 120
Obituary    Blackpool Gazette 12 June 1926 page 16 – Florence Derham]
Obituary    Lytham Times 10 July 1936 page 6
Obituary    Manchester Evening News 6 July 1936 page 9
Obituary    Liverpool Daily Post 6 July 1936 page 10

Reference    Fleetwood Chronicle 8 June 1917 page 5