John Williams entered the Architectural Association as a 1st Year student in 1953, progressing successfully through the five-year Diploma Course. As part of his final year’s studies, in 1957-58, Williams elected to take the AA’s six-month Department of Tropical Architecture course. Upon graduation, Williams worked for the London studio of Michael G.R. Lyell, before becoming a founding partner in the practice of ‘Williams and Winkley’ in 1963, set up with his fellow DTA student, Austin Winkley (1934-). Williams married Catriona Garrett Anderson, the daughter of Sir Colin Skelton Anderson, President of the International Chamber of Shipping and Chairman of the Trustees of the Tate Gallery. By the early 1960s the couple were living at Lesser Wildwood, North End, Hampstead, next door to the house built by his fellow AA graduate, Michael Ventris, and the family house designed by AA tutor and Architect’s Co-Partnership co-founder, Kenneth Capon. Williams and Winkley soon established themselves as a respected practice, completing a lot of work for the Roman Catholic church, where they advancing liturgical design reforms post the Second Vatican Council of 1962. Some of their most notable works include the Church of St. Margaret of Scotland, St Margaret’s-on-Thames (1968-69), the Church of St Elphege, Wallington (1972), Sacred Heart, Coventry (1978-79) and the Church of St Dunstan, Bourne End (1978-80). It appears that Williams retired in the late 1980s, with the practice changing its name to Austin Winkley & Associates in 1987. The latter years of Williams’ life were spent at Le Val House, St Brelade, Jersey, a spectacular mansion inherited from his father in law.
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