Herbert Lee Cowell was born in Helston, Cornwall, England [1] in 1873 and was the son of Robert Corlett Cowell (1843-1908), a Wesleyan Minister who had been born in the Isle of Man. By 1881 he had moved to Upperthong, Yorkshire and in 1891 he was living in St. Andrew, Devon. He was articled to Thomas Scammell (c.1847-1907) in Bristol.
Cowell commenced independent practise as an architect in 1899 and in the 1901 England Census his occupation is given as Architect, living in Newquay, Cornwall.
In c.1922 Cowell formed a partnership with Frederick George Drewitt (1877-1958) and Reginald Francis Wheatly (1879-1959) as Cowell, Drewitt & Wheatly. They had offices in Truro and Penzance, Cornwall.
Cowell died at Hermosa, Teignemouth, Devon on 6 August 1930. Following his death, the original title of the firm was retained until it closed in the 1950s.
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[1] The 1881 and 1891 England Census gives his place of birth as Helson, Cornwall, however, the 1901 Census gives it as London and the 1911 Census gives it as Bideford, Devon
War Memorial in Mousehole, Cornwall (1922); Falmouth and District Hospital (1928-30)
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. 130, 1930 p. 294