J. L. Clemence

John Louth Clemence (1822-1911) was a British architect, active in Suffolk, particularly Lowestoft.

Clemence was born in Lowestoft, and learned his trade from 1839 to 1843 in the London offices of C.R. Cockerell. He then worked for Sir Morton Peto and the Lucas Brothers, who were Lowestoft-based building contractors.

Clemence practised in his own right from 1854. He designed the Baptist church of St John, Lowestoft in 1853, which was demolished in 1978 and replaced by Levington House, a block of flats. As a child, the composer Benjamin Britten visited with his mother. They lived about a mile away in Kirkley, and his mother was the organist, so it is probable that he also played the organ. All that survives is the organ, which in 1979 was installed at nearby St Andrew, Gorleston. He also designed the Grade II listed Lowestoft Town Hall, which was built on the High Street in 1857.

Clemence designed several buildings in Kirkley Cemetery; the Lychgate, South Western and North Eastern Chapels which were all listed in 1998 as Grade II listed buildings. These were built in 1880.