Joseph John Scoles (1798-1863) was born in London, the son of a Catholic joiner. He was educated at Baddesley Green and in 1812 apprenticed for seven years to his relation, the Catholic architect Joseph Ireland. From 1822 to 1826 he travelled in Europe and the Middle East before resuming architectural work.
Catholic Emancipation in 1829 released a torrent of Catholic church building in England but Scoles initially built a couple of Gothic churches for the Church of England. The now Anglo-Catholic St Mary’s, Southtown, Great Yarmouth was built in 1831 in yellow brick in a decidedly non-ecclesiological style. Pevsner rather unfairly describes it as “depressing”. St Peter, Great Yarmouth (now St Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church) was built in whitish brick with a great tower. Pevsner described this building as “large and uncommonly dull”.
