John Yenn

John Yenn RA (1750–1821) was a notable 18th-century English architect.

John Yenn by William Daniell, after George Dance, soft-ground etching, 17 November 1793

Life

Yenn was born on 8 March 1750. He was a student at the Royal Academy from September 1769. He was elected an associate of the academy in 1774 and a full academician in 1791. He served as treasurer of the academy from 1796 to 1820.^[1]

He was a pupil of Sir William Chambers. In the late 1770s he succeeded Chambers as the Duke of Marlborough's architect at Blenheim Palace,^[2] where his works included, in 1789, the design of the small Corinthian "Temple of Health", built to celebrate the recovery of George III from illness.^[3] Nearby, in 1783, he built a new aisle at Woodstock church.^[4] Chambers provided him with a number of other important positions: in 1780 he became the Clerk of the Works at Richmond Park, and he later held the same position at Kensington Palace, Buckingham House and at the Royal Mews.^[2]