Maxwell Craven, '“Great Taste and Much Experience in Building”: Richard Leaper: Amateur Architect', the Georgian Group J
Maxwell Craven, ‘“Great Taste and Much Experience in Building”: Richard Leaper: Amateur Architect’, The Georgian Group Journal, Vol. XVIII, 2010, pp. 152–172 TEXT © THE AUTHORS 2010 ‘GREAT TASTE AND MUCH EXPERIENCE IN BUILDING’: RICHARD LEAPER, AMATEUR ARCHITECT MAXWELL CRAVEN Amateur architects are a diverse bunch. Some Derby in – , and in had married Sarah, aristocrats like the Hon. Roger North, Sir Roger sister of Archer Ward, also on the bank’s board and a Pratt, Lord Burlington and the fifth Earl Ferrers, keen Baptist. Richard was educated at Derby School, indulged themselves in designing buildings, for becoming a member of the Corporation in , themselves or others, and were able to apply themselves being elected Mayor in – and made an to the occasional practice of architecture without alderman shortly thereafter. He served as Mayor having to rely on it for a living. It was rarer for a again in , and , by which time he was, municipal grandee to turn his hand to architecture, like his father before him, also a partner in the bank. but a notable example was Richard Leaper of Derby, For some years he was also Chief Distributor of four times Mayor of his town, partner in the family Government Stamps and lived for the first half of his bank, distributor of stamps and proprietor of a adult life at No. Friar Gate (a house of upon tanning firm. Indeed, with so crowded a curriculum which he seems to have left no discernible vitae, one might well ask whether he had time for any architectural impression); he died in .
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