Sharpe, Paley and Austin
Sharpe, Paley and Austin are the surnames of architects who practised in
The practice specialised in work on churches; the design of new churches,
The practice used a greater variety of styles when working on country houses, including
History and works
During the life of the practice its title varied according to the names of the architects who ran it, either individually or in partnership. The history of the practice, and the works produced during each stage, are described under the titles used by the practice.[1][2][a] As there are two periods when the practice worked under the title Austin and Paley, the relevant dates have been added to these headings.
Edmund Sharpe
Edmund Sharpe established an architectural practice in his mother's house in Penny Street, Lancaster, in late 1835.[3] He had received no formal training in architecture, gaining his knowledge from studying and drawing buildings during a tour of Germany and France between 1832 and 1835.[4] In 1838 he moved his office to Sun Street, and that year Edward Paley, then aged 15, joined him as a pupil. The following year Sharpe moved his office again, this time to St Leonard's Gate.[3]
Sharpe's earliest commissions were for churches, the first being St Mark, Witton (1836–38), quickly followed by St Saviour's Church, Cuerden (1836–37).[5] He then designed two small chapels, Holy Trinity, Howgill, and St John, Cowgill (both 1837–38), in what is now Cumbria.[6] Larger and grander churches followed, including Christ Church, Walmsley (1839–40),[7] and his largest church, Holy Trinity, Blackburn (1837–48). The latter was a Commissioners' church, so-called because it was partly financed by a grant from the Church Building Commissioners.[8] In all, Sharpe designed six Commissioner's churches,[9] including St George, Stalybridge (1838–40).[10] In the early 1840s Sharpe gained a commission from the trustees of the Weaver Navigation to build three (or four) churches along its route for their employees.[11] By 1842 he was designing his 31st church,[12] including a long hoped for commission from the 13th Earl of Derby to design St Mary, Knowsley (1843–44).[13]
Sharpe was persuaded by his future brother-in-law John Fletcher, owner of Ladyshore Colliery, to experiment with the use of terracotta in the structure of his churches; not just for decoration, as had been done before, but for the whole structure of the church, other than the foundations and rubble infill. The churches resulting from this project were St Stephen and All Martyrs, Lever Bridge (1842–44), and Holy Trinity, Rusholme (1845–46).[14] These were nicknamed by Sharpe himself as "the pot churches".[15][b]
In addition to Edward Paley, Sharpe took on other pupils, some of whom later established their own architectural practices. One of these was Thomas Austin (1822–67), who joined Sharpe in 1841 and left in 1852 to set up his practice in Newcastle upon Tyne. Another pupil was John Douglas (1830–1911), who created a successful practice in Chester.[16]
Sharpe's architectural works were not limited to churches, nor was his practice confined to architecture. His most important architectural work in the domestic field was his remodelling of
Sharpe and Paley
Sharpe appointed Paley as his partner in 1845, and then took an increasing interest in activities outside the practice. By 1847 Paley was responsible for most of the work in the practice, certainly carrying out independent commissions from at least 1849.
The first secular work undertaken during this period was the remodelling of
The rapid growth of the town of
E. G. Paley
Paley continued to work from the offices in St Leonard's Gate after Sharpe's resignation, but in 1860 he moved to offices in Castle Hill, where the practice remained throughout the rest of its existence.[38] During the 1850s he designed St Peter, Lancaster, a Roman Catholic church that later became Lancaster Cathedral (1857–59).[39] This is regarded by Brandwood et al. as his "masterwork as an independent church architect".[40] Hartwell et al. agree, calling this church, with its northwest steeple 240 feet (73 m) high, his chef d'oeuvre.[41] During the 1860s, Paley began to design churches with bare brick interior walls, rather than plastered walls, the earliest being St Peter, Quernmore (1860). Although the High Victorian style was becoming popular elsewhere, it played little part in Paley's designs, other than more elaborate decorative features, such as the embellishment of the principal rafters at Quernmore. He never used the more blatant features of the style, such as polychromy.[42] During this decade, before the arrival of Austin, he designed churches for the industrial towns of Lancashire, one of the largest being St James, Poolstock (1863–66).[43] The rebuilding of St Peter's Church, Bolton (1867–71) with its northwest tower rising to 180 feet (55 m),[44][f] is considered by Brandwood et al. to be "Paley's other great independent church project".[45] Hartwell et al. refer to it as a "formidable new church".[46]
Secular commissions during this period included the restoration of the
Paley and Austin
On 28 January 1867 Hubert Austin joined Paley in the practice as a partner. He was the half-brother of Thomas Austin, who had been a pupil of Sharpe. Hubert Austin had worked for three years in the office of George Gilbert Scott, and before he joined the Lancaster practice had designed Christ Church, Ashford, Kent (1855–56).[49] Following his arrival, the work of the practice continued much as before, with both ecclesiastical and secular commissions.
Ecclesiastical works
Two early large churches in industrial areas in Lancashire were built in 1869–71: St Chad, Kirkby, and St John the Evangelist, Cheetham.[50] Pollard describes St Chad as one of the partnership's "most powerful churches",[51] Brandwood et al. consider that St John the Evangelist is the practice's "most important church in Manchester.[52] These were followed by the rebuilding, other than the tower, of St Mary, Leigh (1871–73), in which the Perpendicular style, generally unfashionable at the time, was used throughout. Similarly the body of All Saints' Church, Daresbury (1870–72) was rebuilt in Perpendicular style.[53] Meanwhile the practice was designing new churches or rebuilding old churches for villages in the countryside. Some of these were small, others larger and more impressive, such as St Peter, Finsthwaite (1873–74) and St Peter, Scorton (1878–79).[54] In 1872–73 the partners built their only new church in Wales, St Mary, Betws-y-Coed. This was followed by an estate church, St John the Evangelist (1882–84) at Walton, south of Warrington, and by the rebuilding of the old parish church of St Mary (1884–85) at Dalton-in-Furness.[55]
They also designed about 23 urban churches of varying sizes and styles. Most were in the industrial towns of Lancashire, except for
Secular works
Meanwhile, the town of Barrow was continuing to grow, and this resulted in many commissions for the practice. In order to deal with this they opened a sub-office in the town, run by John Harrison (1837–96), which continued to exist until the late 1880s. The first major commission in the town was to design a
Paley, Austin and Paley
In 1886 Edward Paley's son, Henry (who was and is usually known as Harry), became a partner in the practice, which continued to work much as before, with ecclesiastical and secular commissions. New churches were built in villages and towns, and older churches were restored or altered. The first new country church resulting from the partnership was the
During this time much less work was carried out in the secular sphere. There were no new substantial country houses designed during this time, the largest being the "rather plain, four-square" Hampsfield House.
Austin and Paley
1895–1914
Edward Paley died on 23 January 1895 at the age of 71, and the remaining partners continued the practice under the title Austin and Paley. It is not clear how much Edward Paley had been contributing to the work of the practice in his later years; it is likely that by then Austin had been "the chief creative force".
Although church work dominated the work of the practice there were also some secular commissions. There was no work on country houses during this period, nor were there any commissions for public buildings, other than an expansion of the Storey Institute (1906–08). The last public building designed by the partnership was Hornby Village Institute (1914).[85] In the commercial field the firm designed workshops and a showroom for William Atkinson, which were among the earliest motor garages and showrooms in the provinces. The practice continued to carry out work for the Lancaster and Skerton Cooperative Society, designing numerous shops in the local area.[87] The partners also carried out work on schools, in particular for Sedbergh School. They designed an extension to Leeds Grammar School (1904–05), Llandovery College, North Wales (1901–03), Shrewsbury School (1913–14), and extra buildings for St Bees School, Rossall School, and the Clergy Daughters' School at Casterton (1896).[86]
Austin, Paley and Austin
Hubert Austin's eldest son, Bernard Tate (1873–1955), studied architecture in the firm, but had a disagreement with his father and left in 1902 to work as an architect for Lever Brothers. Austin's youngest son, Geoffrey Langshaw (1884–1971), also worked with the practice from 1907, and was made a junior partner in January 1914, when the practice became known as Austin, Paley and Austin. However the partnership was short-lived as Geoffrey enlisted to serve in the King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment in February 1915. He saw active service in the First World War, leaving the army in 1919, but did not return to the practice, nor did he continue with an architectural career.[96]
1915–44
Hubert Austin died on 22 March 1915 leaving Harry Paley as the sole principal,
Architectural styles
Sharpe's first three churches were in
Almost all of Paley's designs were in
During the Paley and Austin partnership, the architectural styles used by the practice changed and developed. In church architecture, Paley had already started to introduce Perpendicular features in some of his designs, and this trend was to continue and increase after the arrival of Austin. Throughout their partnership, the designs for churches were mainly in Gothic Revival style. After the arrival of Austin, there was much greater use of Perpendicular features.[112] Brandwood et al. see the practice as national pioneers in this trend, saying "the firm can be seen as a true pioneer in the rehabilitation of Perpendicular architecture after its ecclesiological exile for a quarter of a century".[40] Early examples of what the authors consider to be part of what they call "the Perpendicular revival in the North"[113] are the rebuilding of the bodies of St Mary, Leigh, (1871–73) and All Saints, Daresbury (1870–72).[114] The Perpendicular "would become the stock-in-trade style for some of the most admired buildings as the years rolled on".[115] However they did continue to use features from the Early English and Decorated styles, sometimes together in the same church, as in New St Leonard, Langho.[116] Away from the Gothic Revival style, Norman or Norman transitional features were occasionally used, as in St Mary, Betws-y-Coed (1872–73),[117][118] and St Peter, Finsthwaite (1873–74).[119]
Brandwood et al identify two other, potentially incompatible, stylistic changes in the firm's designs during this period. The first is what they describe as "a greater muscularity ...at times accompanied by continental overtones".
In their secular commissions the practice used a variety of styles. Their new wing at Holker Hall was in Elizabethan style,[68] as were the additions to Underley Hall.[125] Witherslack Hall has Jacobean detailing,[125] while other country houses, such as Sedgwick House, incorporate Gothic features.[126] Thurland Castle has features of both Elizabethan and late Gothic styles.[125] Motifs taken from the Aesthetic Movement can be found in both the exterior and the interior of their new wing at Holker Hall,[127] and from the Arts and Crafts Movement in the interior of Thurland Castle.[125]
Patrons
Sharpe's earliest commissions were promoted by his older cousin
Practice organisation and personalities
As the office records have been destroyed there is no detailed account of how the office was run, or how the partners related to each other in business matters.[131] Sharpe was a man of many interests and talents. In addition to him being an entrepreneur, establishing a practice that lasted for more than 100 years, he was a railway engineer and developer, a public figure who pioneered sanitary reform in Lancaster. He was also an accomplished sportsman and musician.[132] Edward Paley also took an active part in the civil life of Lancaster, while Hubert Austin had a more retiring personality, concentrating more on his work in the practice and with his family. By the time Harry Paley came to run the practice alone there was less work available. As he was relatively comfortable financially, he was also able to take part in the life of the town and in his sporting interests.[133]
All the principals were
Appraisal
The firm was a "provincial architectural practice" in the strict use of the term;[135] sited as it was in a town some distance from any major city. Its output was almost entirely in North West England, particularly in Lancashire and in the southern part of what is now Cumbria. Nevertheless, the practice did achieve national recognition, especially in the later part of the 19th century, and in particular for its churches.[135] A contemporary opinion of the practice was given by the German architect and critic Hermann Muthesius who was present in England between 1896 and 1904. He commented on English architecture and architects, and in his book Die neuere kirchliche Baukunst in England (1901) he placed the works of Austin and Paley on a par with Bodley and Garner, James Brooks, J. D. Sedding, Norman Shaw, and George Gilbert Scott, junior. He was particularly impressed by St Peter, Lancaster, and by the village churches designed by the practice.[136] Writing in 1969 the architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner said "this Lancaster dynasty of architects did more work in the county, and for a time more outstanding work, than any other".[137][i] Referring to the late Victorian churches designed by the practice, Pevsner stated that they were "of the highest European standard of their years".[138] Of the partners, Pevsner had highest regard for Hubert Austin, whom he called a "genius",[139] saying that it was he "it seems, who was responsible for the firm's masterpieces".[137] The title of the introduction to the book by Brandwood et al. entitled The Architecture of Sharpe, Paley and Austin is "A practice like no other".[140]
References
Notes
- ^ In the cases of Edmund Sharpe, and Sharpe and Paley the words "Architect" and "Architects" have been omitted. From 1916 until his death, Harry Paley ran the practice alone, but continued to use the title Austin and Paley.
- ^ This term was chosen because terracotta is commonly used as a material for the manufacture of plant pots.
- Conwy Valley Line.[23]
- ^ Its name was changed to the Midland Hotel in 1871. It was demolished in 1932 and replaced by a new building, also called the Midland Hotel.[29]
- ^ Abbot's Wood was demolished in 1960.[37]
- ^ This is the highest church tower in Lancashire.[45]
- ^ Holker Hall was the seat of William Cavendish, by then the 7th Duke of Devonshire.[68]
- Temple Moore".[84]
- ^ The county referred to here was the historic county of Lancashire, which was then much larger than the present ceremonial county; it included parts of what are now Cumbria, Greater Manchester and Merseyside.
Citations
- ^ Price (1998), p. 5
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 2
- ^ a b Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 19
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 12–17
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 20–23
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 23–24
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 26
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 26–27
- ^ Port (2006), pp. 331, 334–335
- ^ a b Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 29
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 29, 31
- ^ a b Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 32
- ^ a b Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 19, 32
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 34–37
- ^ Hughes (2010), p. 243
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 31
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 38–42
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 38
- ^ Hughes (2010), pp. 316–341
- ^ Hughes (2010), p. 412
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 55
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 2, 55
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 194
- ^ a b Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 56
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 57–59
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 40
- ^ Hartwell & Pevsner (2009), p. 347
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 40–41
- ^ History of the Midland Hotel, Midland Hotel, Morecambe, archived from the original on 7 August 2011, retrieved 8 February 2013
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 41
- ^ a b Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 68
- ^ Price (1998), p. 77
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 70–71
- ^ a b Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 68–70
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 71–73
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 74–75
- ^ a b Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 74
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 19, 55
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 59–61
- ^ a b c Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 58
- ^ Hartwell & Pevsner (2009), p. 369
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 62–63
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 63
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 66–68
- ^ a b Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 66
- ^ Hartwell, Hyde & Pevsner (2004), p. 137
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 75–77
- ^ Hartwell & Pevsner (2009), p. 405
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 2, 85–87
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 92–94
- ^ Pollard & Pevsner (2006), p. 213
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 93
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 94–96
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 99–101
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 101–102
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 103
- ^ Pollard & Pevsner (2006), p. 439
- ^ Pollard & Pevsner (2006), p. 141
- ^ Pollard & Pevsner (2006), p. 136
- ^ Hartwell, Hyde & Pevsner (2004), p. 150
- ^ a b Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 112–113
- ^ Hartwell, Hyde & Pevsner (2004), p. 676
- ^ Pollard & Pevsner (2006), p. 230
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 118–119
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 119–121
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 122–125
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 90, 125–126
- ^ a b Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 125
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 127–129
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 129–131
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 132–133
- ^ a b c Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 137
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 138–139
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 139
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 148–149
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 149–150
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 150–151
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 151
- ^ Cherry & Pevsner (1977), pp. 185–186
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 153–157
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 153
- ^ Hartwell et al. (2011), p. 609
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 146
- ^ a b Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 167
- ^ a b Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 168–171
- ^ a b Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 171–173
- ^ a b Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 174
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 135
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 139–142
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 143–145
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 160–161
- ^ a b Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 164
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 164–165
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 165–167
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 146–147
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 174–177
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 177
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 178
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 180–187
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 179–180
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 249
- ^ Historic England, "War memorial, cross and enclosing walls approximately 40m north of Church of St Michael, Beetham (1086538)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 13 March 2013
- ^ Historic England, "War Memorial south of Church of St Cuthbert, Great Salkeld (1145370)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 13 March 2012
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 180
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 187
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 21
- ^ Price (1998), pp. 38–39, 41
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 33–34
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 56–57
- ^ Price (1998), p. 41
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 57–58
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 56–58, 92
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 94
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 94–97
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 97
- ^ Price (1998), p. 85
- ^ Price (1998), p. 80
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 101
- ^ Price (1998), p. 82
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 91
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 91–92
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 92
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 150
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 149
- ^ a b c d Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 131
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 129
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 126
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 1, 20
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 28–29
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 71–75
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 5–6
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 188–196
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 6
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 4–5
- ^ a b Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 3
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), pp. 162–187
- ^ a b Pevsner (2002), p. 31
- ^ Pevsner (1969), p. 45
- ^ Pevsner (1969), p. 44
- ^ Brandwood et al. (2012), p. 1
Sources
- Brandwood, Geoff; Austin, Tim; Hughes, John; Price, James (2012), The Architecture of Sharpe, Paley and Austin, Swindon: ISBN 978-1-84802-049-8
- Cherry, Bridget; ISBN 0-14-071007-8
- Hartwell, Clare; Hyde, Matthew; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2004), Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, ISBN 0-300-10583-5
- Hartwell, Clare; Hyde, Matthew; ISBN 978-0-300-17043-6
- Hartwell, Clare; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2009) [1969], Lancashire: North, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, ISBN 978-0-300-12667-9
- Hughes, John M. (2010), Edmund Sharpe: Man of Lancaster (CD), John M. Hughes
- Pevsner, Nikolaus (2002) [1969], North Lancashire, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, ISBN 0-300-09617-8
- Pevsner, Nikolaus (1969), South Lancashire, The Buildings of England, Harmondsworth: ISBN 0-300-09617-8
- Pollard, Richard; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2006), Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, ISBN 0-300-10910-5
- Port, M. H. (2006), 600 New Churches: the Church Building Commission 1818-1856 (2nd ed.), Reading: Spire Books, ISBN 978-1-904965-08-4
- Price, James (1998), Sharpe, Paley and Austin: a Lancaster architectural practice 1836–1942, Lancaster: Centre for North-West Regional Studies, ISBN 1-86220-054-8