John Foss was a self-taught architect active, particularly in Yorkshire, England, in the late-18th and early-19th centuries. He was born in 1745, the son of James and Elizabeth Foss of Richmond in the North Riding of Yorkshire.
In addition to training as a mason and a carver, Foss twice held the office of Mayor of Richmond (in 1811 and 1822) and from 1807 to 1822 was Surveyor to the North Riding.
Foss died on 18 July 1827. He was survived by his son, William Foss, and was buried in the parish churchyard where a tombstone commemorates his life.
Bibliography
Colvin, Howard, A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840, 3rd edition (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1995), pp. 371-372.