Alfred was born at Marryatville, Adelaide, a son of Percy Wells and his wife Caroline (1831–1901).
[1] In 1871 the family returned to England aboard the Yatala, which was wrecked off the coast of France en route, but without loss of life.
[citation needed] In 1888 Withall and his family left for Britain,[3] never to return, and Wells ran the business alone, designing for the Adelaide Children's Hospital (now Women's and Children's Hospital) two structures which still stand: the heritage-listed Allan Campbell and the Angas Buildings.
[4][5][6] Other high-profile buildings for which he was responsible were:[4] Wells retired in 1926, and died at Memorial Hospital, North Adelaide in 1935.
– 8 January 1946) on 29 August 1883, living at "Rathmines" in Collinswood; they had two sons and two daughters:[citation needed]