Frederick Chatterton was born in London, England in 1871 and was articled to John Thomas Lee (c.1845-1920) from 1889 to 1892 he then worked for him as his assistant for a year. In 1894 he attended the Royal Academy Schools in London. He also studied at Regent Street Polytechnic in London. He worked as an assistant to John Thomas Newman (1831-1896) and William Jacques (1853?-1918) of Newman & Jacques in 1894-95 and to William Cecil Marshal, of Marshall & Vickers in 1895.
In 1896 Chatterton qualified as an architect and later that year was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA). He was subsequently active as an architect in London. Between 1904-07 he lived and worked in South Africa. Following his return to London in c.1907 he formed a partnership, Chatterton & Couch, with fellow architect William Edward Couch (1877-1942). It is not known when the partnership was dissolved. It was possibly short-lived as Chatterton was appointed a lecturer at the Egyptian Government School of Engineering in Cairo in 1909. Chatterton returned to London in 1919.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1917. He was the editor of the 1923 and 1926 editions of Who's Who in Architecture (London: The Architectural Press).
His address was given as 27, Tothill Street, Westminster, London and Halley House, 46, Vauxhall Bridge Road, London in 1923 and 1926; and 9 Queen Anne's Gate, London in 1934. He died in London on 16 June 1934.
Studios at the Camden School of Art, and 15 Woburn Square, London; "Alvaston," Chelwood Gate, Sussex; St. Patrick's Church, Pietermaritzburg, Natal; residences and warehouse at Pretoria; masonry approaches and pedestals to lamp standards of New English Bridge, Cairo; and In partnership with W. E. Couch: offices at Lloyd's Avenue, Fenchurch Street; residence at Bilbao, Spain
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 1: A-K. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001
‘Obituary’. Architects’ Journal vol. 79, 21 June 1934 p. 896
‘Obituary’. The Builder vol. 146, 22 June 1934 p. 1057
‘Obituary’. Royal Institute of British Architects Journal vol. 41, 7 July 1934 p. 889
Who's Who in Architecture 1926. Edited by Frederick Chatterton. London: The Architectural Press, 1926