Architect. He and fellow architect Geoffrey Darke founded the firm of Darbourne and Darke, specifically, to design the Lillington Gardens Estate in Pimlico. They also designed much of the landscaping for Heathrow Airport.
In addition to the information given on his Wikipedia page, John William Charles Darbourne was born on 11 January 1935, the elder son of William Leslie Arthur Darbourne (1907-1968) and Violet Rosina Darbourne née Yorke (1910-1939). His birth was registered in the 1st quarter of 1935 in the Lambeth registration district. Electoral registers in 1936 show his parents listed at 174 Lavender Avenue, Mitcham, Surrey.
His brother, Michael P. Darbourne, was born in 1939 and his birth was registered in the 2nd quarter of 1939 in the Lambeth registration district.
In the 1939 England and Wales Register he is shown as 'under school age', living at 1 Seymour Avenue, Morden, Surrey, with his widowed father, who was listed as a van driver and an Air Raid Precautions Warden, together with his paternal grandmother, Emily Alice Darborne née Hall (1892-1991) and his uncle, Arthur Leonard Darbourne (1909-1990) who was shown as a collector salesman and who was also an Air Raid Precautions Warden.
He married Noreen Fifield (b.1938) in the 2nd quarter of 1960 in the Braintree registration district, Essex and they were to have four children: Robert J. Darbourne, whose birth was registered in the 2nd quarter of 1962 in the Westminster registration district, Claire Darbourne, 4th quarter of 1963 in the Surrey Northern registration district, Jane Darbourne, 1st quarter of 1965 in the Surrey Northern registration district and Tessa Darbourne, 2nd quarter of 1971 in the Merton registration district.
Together with Geoffrey Darke (1929-2011) he founded their architecture and landscape planning practice, Darbourne & Darke, in 1961 winning the prestigious project to build the Lillington Gardens Estate in Westminster. Whilst Darke concentrated on housing work, Darbourne expanded into designing the three-tier East Stand at Chelsea Football Club, laboratories, offices and the landscaping of Heathrow airport. Throughout the 1970s, their housing in Stuttgart, Hanover, and Bolzano won them success in international competitions.
Electoral registers in 1963 list both him and his wife at 15 Telford Terrace, Churchill Gardens Estate, London, SW1, although he is shown at this address as 'Darbourne John, BA(Arch), ARIBA', in the 1963 telephone directories. Telephone directories in 1964 and 1965 together with electoral registers in 1965 show him at 18 Kew Road, Richmond-upon-Thames. Telephone directories in 1966 show that while Darbourne & Darke continued to trade at 18 Kew Road, he was listed at 44 Rosemont Road, Richmond, whilst from 1968 to 1973 they show him still listed at 44 Rosemont Road but the business was at 2 The Green, Richmond. From 1974 to 1981 telephone directories confirm that the business was still at 2 The Green, Richmond, but he was now listed at 10 Dynevor Road, Richmond. In the 1982 directories he was still at this address, but the company had moved to 6a The Green, Richmond.
For his services to architecture he was made an Ordinary Commander of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1977 New Year Honours List.
Notice was given in the London Gazette of 30 October 1987 that "the partnership previously subsisting between John William Charles Darbourne, Geoffrey James Darke and Bernard Grimes carrying on business as architects and landscape planners under the style or firm of Darbourne & Darke at 6 The Green, Richmond, Surrey and at Hanover, West Germany and at Bolzano in Italy has been dissolved as from 30th September 1987. John William Charles Darbourne and Bernard Grimes will in future practise through the medium of a company to be known as Darbourne & Partners Limited at 6 The Green, Richmond. Geoffrey Darke will in future practise as Geoffrey Darke Associates initially at 23 Arundel Gardens, London W.1.".
Probate records confirm that he died, aged 56 years, on 29 September 1991 and had lived at 46 Crabtree Lane, London, SW6. Probate was granted on 19 December 1991 and his effects did not exceed £125,000. His death was registered in September 1991 in the Merton registration district.
Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk and Andrew Behan.
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