Julius Alfred Chatwin was born in Birmingham, England on 27 April 1830. After leaving school in c.1846 he was employed as a draughtsman by the construction company Branson & Gwyther in Birmingham for five years. He then moved to London where he was articled to Sir Charles Barry (1795-1860) from 1851 to 1855. During his time with Barry, he attended classes at the first Schools of Design at Somerset House, London.
After completing his articles Chatwin returned to Birmingham where he commenced independent practice as an architect in 1855. From 1897 he was in partnership with his son, Philip Boughton Chatwin (1873-1964) in the Birmingham-based architectural firm J. A. Chatwin & Son.
Fom 1866 he was architect to the Governors of King Edward's School. He was also Architect to St. Mary's Church in Warwick from 1891.
In 1863 Chatwin was elected a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA); he was also a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland FSAScot), and an Associate of the Royal British Society of Sculptors (ARBS). From 1883 to 1902 he was President of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. He died at his home in Edgbaston on 6 June 1907.
In 1864 Chatwin was appointed Architect to Lloyds Bank and over the next four decades, designed numerous branches for the company throughout Britain. Other works by him included two houses, 38-39 Frederick Street, Edgbaston (1848 and 1850); the Exhibition hall at Bingley Hall, King Alfred's Place, Birmingham (1850) for Branson & Gwyther; St. Silas's National School, Church Street, Lozells, Birmingham (1851); House at 89 Harborne Road, Birmingham (1851); Work on Palace of Westminster, London for Sir Charles Barry (1851-52); Houses at Gloddaeth Crescent, Llandudno, Wales for Branson & Gwyther (1854-55); House for John Leonard on Hagley Road, Birmingham (1856); House for W. Taylor, Llandudno, Wales (1857); Layout of estate and various houses in Rotton Park, Edgbaston (1857-58); House for Dr. W. Fletcher, Acock's Gree, Birmingham (1858); St. Clement's Church, Park Road, Nechells, Birmingham (1858); St. Clement's National School, High Park Street, Nechells, Birmingham (1858); St. Matthew's National School, Luppin Street, Duddleston (1859); Two houses, 2-3 Augustus Road, Edgbaston (1859); Holy Trinity Church, Birchfield Road, Handsworth (1860-64); St. John's Infant Church School, Caplow Street, Landywood (1861); Knutsford Lodge, 25 Somerset Road, Edgbaston (1861); Restoration of St. Michael's Church, Waddesdon, Buckinghamshire (1862 and 1877); Joint Stock Bank, 4 Temple Row West, Birmingham (1862-64); Great Western Hotel, Colmore, Row, Birmingham (1865); Engine House for Appliances, Alliance Fire Insurance Co., Temple Row, Birmingham (c.1865); Bishop Ryder School, Staniforth, Birmingham (1868); Fire Brigade Headquarters, Little Cannon, Birmingham (1868); St. Pasul's School, Legge Lane, Birmingham (1869); Berry Hall, Solihull for Joseph Gillott (1870); Work at Uppingham School, Rutland (1870); St. Saviour's Church, Bridge Street West, Hockley (1871-74); Additions to and restoration of St. Marton's Church, Bull Rong, Birmingham (1872-75); St. Andrew's Catholic Apostolic Church, Summer Hill Terrace, Birmingham (1873); Organ Case for St. Nicholas Church, King's Norton (1875); Work at Grand Hotel, Colmore Row, Birmingham (1875); Additions and restoration to St. Mary's Churchm, Hamstead Road, Handsworth (1876-80); Work for Exchange Building, Stephenson Place, Burmingham (1877); Premises for J. D. Goodman, 135 Edmund Street, Birmingham (1877-78); Work on St. Silas's Church, Church Street, Lozells, Birmingham (1878-81); Restoration of All Saints' Church, Preston Bagot, Warwickshire (1879); Solihull Grammar School, Warwick Road, Solihull (1879-82, 1900); Additions to and restoration of St. Perter and St. Paul's Church, Witton Road, Aston (1879-1907); St. Paul's Church, Lozell's Road, Birmingham (1880); Compton & Evans' Bank, Irongate, Derby (1880); House at Upper Skilts, Mappleborough Green, Warwickshire (1880-90); Addition to St. John's Church, Monument Road, Ladywood (1881); Addition to Edgbaston Proprietory School, Five ways, Edgbaston (1881); Restoration of St. Michael's Church, Penkridge, Staffordshire (1881); King Edward's Grammar School for Boys, Aston (1881-83); Addition to St. Barnabas' Church, High Street, Erdington (1883); Addition to All Saints' Church, King's Heath (1883); Gymnasium for King Edward VI School, New Street, Birmingham (1883); Additions and alterations to St. Philip's Church [later Cathedral, Birmingham (1883-84); Christ Church, Summerfield Crescent, Edgbaston (1883-85); Art Gallery, Lichfield Street, Wolverhampton (1883-85); Additions to St. George's Church, Edgbaston (1884-85); Restoration of St. Michael's Church, Salwarpe, Worcestershire (1885); Bucks & Oxon Union Bank, High Street, Hemel Hempstead (1884-85); Additions to and restoration to St. Bartholomew's Church, Edgbaston (1885-89); Additions to and restoration of St. Mary's Church, Moseley (1886-97); Additions to St. John's Church, Perry Barr (1887); St. Mary's Church, Bearwood, Sandwell (1887-88); Restoration of All Saints' Church, Church Lench, Worcestershire (1887-88); Holy Ascension Church, Mappleborough Green Warwickshire (1888); St. Martin's Church, Clapham Road, Bedford (1888-89); St. Michael's Church and lychgate, Underwood, Nottinghamshire (1888-89); St. Mark's Church, Washwood Heath (1890); St. James' Church, Frederick Road, Aston (1890); White Swan Cellars, Constitution Hill, Birmingham (1890); Additions to The Firs, College Grove, Malvern, Worcestershire (1890-95); St. Andrew's Church, Bennett Street, Charminster, Bournemouth, Hampshire (1891); Additions to St. Mary's Church, Acock's Green (1891-94); Restoration of St. Mary's Church, Warwick (1891-96); Restoration of St. Mary's Church, Kiddersminster (1892-95); Additions to St. John's Church, Bewdley Road, Kidderminster (1893-94 and 1902); Addition of tower to Bishop Ryder Memorial Church, Costa Green (1894); Additions to St. James' Church, Crockett's Road, Handsworth (1894-95); Additions to St. Michael's Church, Boldmere, Sutton Coldfield (1895); King Edward VI School for Girls, New Street, Birmingham (1895-96); Additions to St. Philips's Church, Dorridge (1896-97); St. Mary and St. Ambrose Church, Pershore Road, Edgbaston (1897-98); All Saints' Church, Stechford (1897-98); Additions to St. Mary's Church, Old Swinford, Stourbridge, Dudley (1898); Rebuilding of Hen and Chicken Hotel, New Street, Birmingham (1898); Commercial premises at 20-25, Albert Street, Birmingham (1898); Public Hall, Poplar Road, Solihull (1899); Additions to St. John, St. Lawrence and St. Anne's Church, Knowle (1899); and and St. Peter's Church, Grove Lane, Handsworth (1905).
Avery, Derek. Victorian and Edwardian Architecture. London: Chaucer Press, 2003
Bridges, Tim. ‘J. A. Chatwin’ in Birmingham’s Victorian and Edwardian Architects, edited by Phillada Ballard. Wetherby: Oblong Creative Ltd. for the Birmingham and West Midlands Group of the Victorian Society, 2009 pp. 89-122
Chatwin, Philip Boughton. Life Story of J. A. Chatwin 1830-1907. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1952
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'. The Builder vol. 92, 15 June 1907 p. 728
'Obituary'. Royal Institute of British Architects Journal, 1906-07 p. 556