Augustus Welby Pugin
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Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin ( ; 1 March 181214 September 1852) was an English architect, designer, artist and critic with French and, ultimately, Swiss origins. He is principally remembered for his pioneering role in the Gothic Revival style of architecture. His work culminated in designing the interior of the
Palace of Westminster The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parli ...
in
Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...
,
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, England, and its iconic clock tower, later renamed the Elizabeth Tower, which houses the bell known as
Big Ben Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England, and the name is frequently extended to refer also to the clock and the clock tower. The officia ...
. Pugin designed many churches in
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, and some in
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
and
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. He was the son of Auguste Pugin, and the father of
Edward Welby Pugin Edward Welby Pugin (11 March 1834 – 5 June 1875) was an English architect, the eldest son of architect Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin and Louisa Barton and part of the Pugin & Pugin family of church architects. His father was an architect an ...
and
Peter Paul Pugin Peter Paul Pugin (1851 – March 1904) was an English architect. He was the son of Augustus Pugin by his third wife, Jane Knill, and the half-brother of architect and designer Edward Welby Pugin. Life and career Peter Paul Pugin was only a ...
, who continued his architectural firm as
Pugin & Pugin Pugin & Pugin ( fl. 1851– c. 1958) was a London-based family firm of church architects, founded in the Westminster office of Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (1812–1852). The firm was succeeded by his sons Cuthbert Welby Pugin (1840–1928) a ...
. He also created Alton Castle in
Alton, Staffordshire Alton ( ) is a village in Staffordshire, England. It is noted for the theme park Alton Towers, built around the site of Alton Mansion, which was owned by the Earls of Shrewsbury, and designed by Augustus Pugin. In the 1914 map by Whiston, there ...
.


Biography

Pugin was the son of the French draughtsman Auguste Pugin, who had immigrated to
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
as a result of the
French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
and had married Catherine Welby of the Welby family of
Denton, Lincolnshire Denton is a village and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. The population of the civil parish was 273 at the 2011 census. It is situated approximately both south-west of Grantham and west from the A1 road. ...
, England. Pugin was born on 1 March 1812 at his parents' house in
Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural, intellectual, and educational institutions. Bloomsbury is home of the British Museum, the largest mus ...
, London, England. Between 1821 and 1838, Pugin's father published a series of volumes of architectural drawings, the first two entitled ''Specimens of Gothic Architecture'' and the following three ''Examples of Gothic Architecture'', that not only remained in print but were the standard references for Gothic architecture for at least the next century.


Religion

As a child, his mother took Pugin each Sunday to the services of the fashionable Scottish Presbyterian preacher
Edward Irving Edward Irving (4 August 17927 December 1834) was a Scottish clergyman, generally regarded as the main figure behind the foundation of the Catholic Apostolic Church. Early life Edward Irving was born at Annan, Annandale the second son of Ga ...
(later the founder of the Holy
Catholic Apostolic Church The Catholic Apostolic Church (CAC), also known as the Irvingian Church, is a Christian denomination and Protestant sect which originated in Scotland around 1831 and later spread to Germany and the United States.Hatton Garden Hatton Garden is a street and commercial zone in the Holborn district of the London Borough of Camden, abutting the narrow precinct of Saffron Hill which then abuts the City of London. It takes its name from Sir Christopher Hatton, a favourit ...
, Camden, London. Pugin quickly rebelled against this version of Christianity: according to
Benjamin Ferrey Benjamin Ferrey FSA FRIBA (1 April 1810–22 August 1880) was an English architect who worked mostly in the Gothic Revival. Family Benjamin Ferrey was the youngest son of Benjamin Ferrey Snr (1779–1847), a draper who became Mayor of Christc ...
, Pugin "always expressed unmitigated disgust at the cold and sterile forms of the Scottish church; and the moment he broke free from the trammels imposed on him by his mother, he rushed into the arms of a church which, pompous by its ceremonies, was attractive to his imaginative mind".


Education and early ventures

Pugin learned drawing from his father, and for a while attended
Christ's Hospital Christ's Hospital is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 11–18) with a royal charter located to the south of Horsham in West Sussex. The school was founded in 1552 and received its first royal charter in 1553 ...
. After leaving school, he worked in his father's office, and in 1825 and 1827 accompanied him on visits to
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. His first commissions independent of his father were for designs for the goldsmiths
Rundell and Bridge Rundell & Bridge were a London firm of jewellers and goldsmiths formed by Philip Rundell (1746–1827) and John Bridge (baptized 1755–1834). History When Edmond Walter Rundell, nephew of Philip Rundell, was admitted as a partner in 1804, th ...
, and for designs for furniture of
Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history. The original cast ...
from the upholsterers Morel and Seddon. Through a contact made while working at Windsor, he became interested in the design of theatrical scenery, and in 1831 obtained a commission to design the sets for the production of the new opera ''
Kenilworth Kenilworth ( ) is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Warwick (district), Warwick District in Warwickshire, England, south-west of Coventry, north of Warwick and north-west of London. It lies on Finham Brook, a ...
'' at the
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Ope ...
. He also developed an interest in sailing, and briefly commanded a small merchant
schooner A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...
trading between
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
and
Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...
, which allowed him to import examples of furniture and carving from
Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...
, with which he later furnished his house at
Ramsgate Ramsgate is a seaside resort, seaside town in the district of Thanet District, Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century. In 2001 it had a population of about 40,000. In 2011, according to t ...
in Kent.Eastlake, 1872, p. 148. During one voyage in 1830, he was wrecked on the Scottish coast near
Leith Leith (; gd, Lìte) is a port area in the north of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith. In 2021, it was ranked by '' Time Out'' as one of the top five neighbourhoods to live in the world. The earliest ...
, as a result of which he came into contact with
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
architect
James Gillespie Graham James Gillespie Graham (11 June 1776 – 11 March 1855) was a Scottish architect, prominent in the early 19th century. Life Graham was born in Dunblane on 11 June 1776. He was the son of Malcolm Gillespie, a solicitor. He was christened as J ...
, who advised him to abandon seafaring for architecture. He then established a business supplying historically accurate carved wood and stone detailing for the increasing number of buildings being constructed in the Gothic Revival style, but the enterprise quickly failed.


Marriages

In 1831, at the age of 19, Pugin married the first of his three wives, Anne Garnet. She died a few months later in childbirth, leaving him a daughter. He had a further six children, including the future architect
Edward Welby Pugin Edward Welby Pugin (11 March 1834 – 5 June 1875) was an English architect, the eldest son of architect Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin and Louisa Barton and part of the Pugin & Pugin family of church architects. His father was an architect an ...
, with his second wife, Louisa Burton, who died in 1844. His third wife, Jane Knill, kept a journal of their marital life, from their marriage in 1848 to Pugin's death, which was later published. Their son was the architect
Peter Paul Pugin Peter Paul Pugin (1851 – March 1904) was an English architect. He was the son of Augustus Pugin by his third wife, Jane Knill, and the half-brother of architect and designer Edward Welby Pugin. Life and career Peter Paul Pugin was only a ...
.


Salisbury

Following his second marriage in 1833, Pugin moved to
Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of Wil ...
,
Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...
, with his wife, and in 1835 bought of land in
Alderbury Alderbury is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, in the south of the county around southeast of Salisbury. The parish includes the village of Whaddon, which is adjacent to Alderbury, and the hamlet of Shute End. The River Avon fo ...
, about outside the town. On this he built a Gothic Revival style house for his family, which he named St. Marie's Grange. Of it,
Charles Eastlake Charles Locke Eastlake (11 March 1836 – 20 November 1906) was a British architect and furniture designer. His uncle, Sir Charles Lock Eastlake PRA (born in 1793), was a Keeper of the National Gallery, from 1843 to 1847, and from 1855 its fi ...
said "he had not yet learned the art of combining a picturesque exterior with the ordinary comforts of an English home."


Conversion to the Roman Catholic Church

In 1834, Pugin converted to the
Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and was received into it the following year. British society at the start of the 19th century often discriminated against dissenters from the Church of England, although things began to change during Pugin's lifetime, helping to make Pugin's eventual conversion to Roman Catholicism more socially acceptable. For example, dissenters could not take degrees at the established universities of Oxford and Cambridge until 1871, but the University of London (later renamed University College London) was founded near Pugin's birthplace in 1826 with the express purpose of educating dissenters to degree standard (although it would not be able to confer degrees until 1836). Dissenters were also unable to serve on parish or city councils, be a member of Parliament, serve in the armed forces or on a jury. A number of reforms across the 19th century relieved these restrictions, one of which was the Roman Catholic Relief Act of 1829, which allowed Roman Catholics to become MPs. Pugin's conversion acquainted him with new patrons and employers. In 1832 he made the acquaintance of
John Talbot, 16th Earl of Shrewsbury John Talbot, 16th Earl of Shrewsbury, 16th Earl of Waterford (18 March 1791 – 9 November 1852) was a British peer and aristocrat. Sometimes known as "Good Earl John", he has been described as "the most prominent British Catholic of his day ...
, a Catholic sympathetic to his aesthetic theory and who employed him in alterations and additions to his residence of
Alton Towers Alton Towers Resort ( ) (often referred to as Alton Towers) is a theme park and resort complex in Staffordshire, England, near the village of Alton. The park is operated by Merlin Entertainments Group and incorporates a theme park, water park, ...
, which subsequently led to many more commissions.Eastlake, 1872, p. 150. Shrewsbury commissioned him to build St. Giles Roman Catholic Church, Cheadle,
Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...
, which was completed in 1846, and Pugin was also responsible for designing the oldest Catholic Church in
Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to th ...
, St Peter and Paul Church, Newport.


''Contrasts''

In 1836, Pugin published ''Contrasts'', a polemical book which argued for the revival of the medieval Gothic style, and also "a return to the faith and the social structures of the Middle Ages". The book was prompted by the passage of the Church Building Acts of 1818 and 1824, the former of which is often called the Million Pound Act due to the appropriation amount by Parliament for the construction of new Anglican churches in Britain. The new churches constructed from these funds, many of them in a Gothic-Revival style due to the assertion that it was the "cheapest" style to use, were often criticised by Pugin and many others for their shoddy design and workmanship and poor liturgical standards relative to an authentic Gothic structure. Each plate in ''Contrasts'' selected a type of urban building and contrasted the 1830 example with its 15th-century equivalent. In one example, Pugin contrasted a medieval monastic foundation, where monks fed and clothed the needy, grew food in the gardens – and gave the dead a decent burial – with "a
panopticon The panopticon is a type of institutional building and a system of control designed by the English philosopher and social theorist Jeremy Bentham in the 18th century. The concept of the design is to allow all prisoners of an institution to be o ...
workhouse In Britain, a workhouse () was an institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. (In Scotland, they were usually known as poorhouses.) The earliest known use of the term ''workhouse'' ...
where the poor were beaten, half-starved and sent off after death for dissection. Each structure was the built expression of a particular view of humanity: Christianity versus
Utilitarianism In ethical philosophy, utilitarianism is a family of normative ethical theories that prescribe actions that maximize happiness and well-being for all affected individuals. Although different varieties of utilitarianism admit different charact ...
." Pugin's biographer, Rosemary Hill, wrote: "The drawings were all calculatedly unfair.
King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...
was shown from an unflatteringly skewed angle, while
Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniqu ...
, was edited to avoid showing its famous
Tom Tower Tom Tower is a bell tower in Oxford, England, named after its bell, Great Tom. It is over Tom Gate, on St Aldates, the main entrance of Christ Church, Oxford, which leads into Tom Quad. This square tower with an octagonal lantern and facet ...
because that was by
Christopher Wren Sir Christopher Wren PRS FRS (; – ) was one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history, as well as an anatomist, astronomer, geometer, and mathematician-physicist. He was accorded responsibility for rebuilding 52 churches ...
and so not medieval. But the cumulative rhetorical force was tremendous." In 1841 he published his illustrated ''The True Principles of Pointed or Christian Architecture'', which was premised on his two fundamental principles of Christian architecture. He conceived of "Christian architecture" as synonymous with medieval, "Gothic", or "pointed", architecture. In the work, he also wrote that contemporary craftsmen seeking to emulate the style of medieval workmanship should reproduce its methods.


Ramsgate

In 1841 he left
Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of Wil ...
,Eastlake, 1872, pp. 150–1. having found it an inconvenient base for his growing architectural practice. He sold St. Marie's Grange at a considerable financial loss, and moved temporarily to
Cheyne Walk Cheyne Walk is an historic road in Chelsea, London, England, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It runs parallel with the River Thames. Before the construction of Chelsea Embankment reduced the width of the Thames here, it fronted ...
in
Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
, London. He had, however, already purchased a parcel of land at West Cliff,
Ramsgate Ramsgate is a seaside resort, seaside town in the district of Thanet District, Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century. In 2001 it had a population of about 40,000. In 2011, according to t ...
,
Thanet Thanet may refer to: *Isle of Thanet, a former island, now a peninsula, at the most easterly point of Kent, England *Thanet District, a local government district containing the island *Thanet College, former name of East Kent College *Thanet Canal, ...
in Kent, where he proceeded to build for himself a large house and, at his own expense, a church dedicated to St. Augustine, after whom he thought himself named. He worked on this church whenever funds permitted it. His second wife died in 1844 and was buried at
St Chad's Cathedral, Birmingham The Metropolitan Cathedral Church and Basilica of Saint Chad is a Catholic cathedral in Birmingham, England. It is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Birmingham and is dedicated to Saint Chad of Mercia. Designed by Augustus Welby Pugin and ...
, which he had designed.


Architectural commissions

Following the destruction by fire of the
Palace of Westminster The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parli ...
in
Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...
,
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, in 1834, Pugin was employed by Sir Charles Barry to supply interior designs for his entry to the architectural competition which would determine who would build the new
Palace of Westminster The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parli ...
. Pugin also supplied drawings for the entry of James Gillespie Graham. This followed a period of employment when Pugin had worked with Barry on the interior design of
King Edward's School, Birmingham King Edward's School (KES) is an independent school (UK), independent day school for boys in the British Public school (UK), public school tradition, located in Edgbaston, Birmingham. Founded by Edward VI of England, King Edward VI in 1552, it ...
. Despite his conversion to the
Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
in 1834, Pugin designed and refurbished both
Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
and
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
churches throughout
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. Other works include
St. Chad's Cathedral The Metropolitan Cathedral Church and Basilica of Saint Chad is a Catholic cathedral in Birmingham, England. It is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Birmingham and is dedicated to Saint Chad of Mercia. Designed by Augustus Welby Pugin an ...
,
Erdington Abbey Erdington Abbey Church () on Sutton Road, Erdington, Birmingham, England, is the more usual name of the grade II listed church of Saints Thomas and Edmund of Canterbury. It is the church of a Roman Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Birmingh ...
, and
Oscott College St Mary's College in New Oscott, Birmingham, often called Oscott College, is the Roman Catholic seminary of the Archdiocese of Birmingham in England and one of the three seminaries of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. Purpose Oscott Coll ...
, all in
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
,
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. He also designed the collegiate buildings of St. Patrick and St. Mary in St. Patrick's College, Maynooth,
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
; though not the collegiate chapel. His original plans included both a chapel and an ''aula maxima'' (great hall), neither of which were built because of financial constraints. The college chapel was designed by a follower of Pugin, the Irish architect J. J. McCarthy. Also in
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, Pugin designed St. Mary's Cathedral in
Killarney Killarney ( ; ga, Cill Airne , meaning 'church of sloes') is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is on the northeastern shore of Lough Leane, part of Killarney National Park, and is home to St Mary's Cathedral, Ross Castl ...
, St. Aidan's Cathedral in
Enniscorthy Enniscorthy () is the second-largest town in County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. At the 2016 census, the population of the town and environs was 11,381. The town is located on the picturesque River Slaney and in close proximity to the ...
(renovated in 1996), and the Dominican Church of the Holy Cross in
Tralee Tralee ( ; ga, Trá Lí, ; formerly , meaning 'strand of the Lee River') is the county town of County Kerry in the south-west of Ireland. The town is on the northern side of the neck of the Dingle Peninsula, and is the largest town in County ...
. He revised the plans for St. Michael Church in
Ballinasloe Ballinasloe ( ; ) is a town in the easternmost part of County Galway in Connacht. Located at an ancient crossing point on the River Suck, evidence of ancient settlement in the area includes a number of Bronze Age sites. Built around a 12th-ce ...
,
County Galway "Righteousness and Justice" , anthem = () , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg , map_caption = Location in Ireland , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = ...
,
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. Bishop Wareing also invited Pugin to design what eventually became
Northampton Cathedral The Cathedral Church of St Mary and St Thomas is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Northampton, England. It is the seat of the Bishop of Northampton and mother church of the Diocese of Northampton which covers the counties of Northamptonshire, Bedfor ...
, a project that was completed in 1864 by Pugin's son
Edward Welby Pugin Edward Welby Pugin (11 March 1834 – 5 June 1875) was an English architect, the eldest son of architect Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin and Louisa Barton and part of the Pugin & Pugin family of church architects. His father was an architect an ...
. Pugin visited
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
in 1847; his experience there confirmed his dislike of
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
and
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
architecture, but he found much to admire in the medieval art of northern
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
.


Stained Glass

Pugin was a prolific designer of stained glass. He worked with
Thomas Willement Thomas Willement (18 July 1786 – 10 March 1871) was an English stained glass artist, called "the father of Victorian stained glass", active from 1811 to 1865. Biography Willement was born at St Marylebone, London. Like many early 19th centu ...
,
William Warrington William Warrington, (1796–1869), was an English maker of stained glass windows. His firm, operating from 1832 to 1875, was one of the earliest of the English Medieval revival and served clients such as Norwich and Peterborough Cathedrals. W ...
and
William Wailes William Wailes (1808–1881) was the proprietor of one of England's largest and most prolific stained glass workshops. Life and career Wailes was born and grew up in Newcastle on Tyne, England's centre of domestic glass and bottle manufacturing. ...
before persuading his friend John Hardman to start stained glass production.


Illness and death

In February 1852, while travelling with his son Edward by train, Pugin had a total breakdown and arrived in London unable to recognise anyone or speak coherently. For four months he was confined to a private asylum, Kensington House. In June, he was transferred to the Royal Bethlem Hospital, popularly known as Bedlam.Hill, 2007, pp. 484–490 At that time, Bethlem Hospital was opposite
St George's Cathedral, Southwark The Metropolitan Cathedral Church of St George, usually known as St George's Cathedral, Southwark, is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark, south London, and is the seat of the Archbishop of Southwark. The cathedral i ...
, one of Pugin's major buildings, where he had married his third wife, Jane, in 1848. Jane and a doctor removed Pugin from Bedlam and took him to a private house in
Hammersmith Hammersmith is a district of West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. ...
where they attempted therapy, and he recovered sufficiently to recognise his wife. In September, Jane took her husband back to The Grange in Ramsgate, where he died on 14 September 1852. He is buried in his church next to The Grange, St Augustine's, Ramsgate. On Pugin's death certificate, the cause listed was "convulsions followed by coma". Pugin's biographer, Rosemary Hill, suggests that, in the last year of his life, he had had
hyperthyroidism Hyperthyroidism is the condition that occurs due to excessive production of thyroid hormones by the thyroid gland. Thyrotoxicosis is the condition that occurs due to excessive thyroid hormone of any cause and therefore includes hyperthyroidism ...
which would account for his symptoms of exaggerated appetite, perspiration, and restlessness. Hill writes that Pugin's medical history, including eye problems and recurrent illness from his early twenties, suggests that he contracted
syphilis Syphilis () is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium ''Treponema pallidum'' subspecies ''pallidum''. The signs and symptoms of syphilis vary depending in which of the four stages it presents (primary, secondary, latent, an ...
in his late teens, and this may have been the cause of his death at the age of 40.Hill, 2007, pp. 492–494


Palace of Westminster

In October 1834, the
Palace of Westminster The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parli ...
burned down. Subsequently, the Prime Minister,
Sir Robert Peel Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet, (5 February 1788 – 2 July 1850) was a British Conservative statesman who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1834–1835 and 1841–1846) simultaneously serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer ...
, wanted, now that he was premier, to disassociate himself from the controversial
John Wilson Croker John Wilson Croker (20 December 178010 August 1857) was an Anglo-Irish statesman and author. Life He was born in Galway, the only son of John Croker, the surveyor-general of customs and excise in Ireland. He was educated at Trinity College Dubl ...
, who was a founding member of the Athenaeum Club; a close associate of the pre-eminent neoclassical architects
James Burton James Edward Burton (born August 21, 1939, in Dubberly, Louisiana) is an American guitarist. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 2001 (his induction speech was given by longtime fan Keith Richards), Burton has also been recognized ...
and
Decimus Burton Decimus Burton (30 September 1800 – 14 December 1881) was one of the foremost English architects and landscapers of the 19th century. He was the foremost Victorian architect in the Roman revival, Greek revival, Georgian neoclassical and Reg ...
; an advocate of neoclassicism; and a repudiator of the neo-gothic style. Consequently, Peel appointed a committee chaired by Edward Cust, a detestor of the style of John Nash and William Wilkins, which resolved that the new Houses of Parliament would have to be in either the 'gothic' or the 'Elizabethan' style. Augustus W. N. Pugin, the foremost expert on the Gothic, had to submit each of his designs through, and thus in the name of, other architects, Gillespie-Graham and Charles Barry, because he had recently openly and fervently converted to
Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
, as a consequence of which any design submitted in his own name would certainly have been automatically rejected; the design he submitted for improvements to
Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the f ...
, in 1843 were rejected for this reason. The design for Parliament that Pugin submitted through Barry won the competition. Subsequent to the announcement of the design ascribed to Barry, William Richard Hamilton, who had been secretary to Elgin during the acquisition of the marbles, published a pamphlet in which he censured the fact that 'gothic barbarism' had been preferred to the masterful designs of Ancient Greece and Rome: but the judgement was not altered, and was ratified by the Commons and the Lords. The commissioners subsequently appointed Pugin to assist in the construction of the interior of the new Palace, to the design of which Pugin himself had been the foremost determiner. Pugin's biographer,
Rosemary Hill Rosemary Hill (born 10 April 1957) is an English writer and historian. Life Hill has published widely on 19th- and 20th-century cultural history, but she is best known for ''God's Architect'' (2007), her biography of Augustus Pugin. The book won ...
, shows that Barry designed the Palace as a whole, and only he could co-ordinate such a large project and deal with its difficult paymasters, but he relied entirely on Pugin for its Gothic interiors, wallpapers and furnishings. The first stone of the new Pugin-Barry design was laid on 27 April 1840. During the competition for the design of the new Houses of Parliament, Decimus Burton, 'the land's leading classicist', was vituperated with continuous invective, which Guy Williams has described as an 'anti-Burton campaign', by the foremost advocate of the neo-gothic style, Augustus W. N. Pugin, who was made enviously reproachful that Decimus "had done much more than Pugin's father (
Augustus Charles Pugin Augustus Charles Pugin (born Auguste-Charles Pugin; 1762 – 19 December 1832) was an Anglo-French artist, architectural draughtsman, and writer on medieval architecture. He was born in Paris, then the Kingdom of France, but his father was Swi ...
) to alter the appearance of London". Pugin attempted to popularize advocacy of the neo-gothic, and repudiation of the neoclassical, by composing and illustrating books that contended the supremacy of the former and the degeneracy of the latter, which were published from 1835. In 1845, Pugin, in his ''Contrasts: or a Parallel Between the Noble Edifices of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries and Similar Buildings of the Present Day'', which the author had to publish himself as a consequence of the extent of the defamation of society architects therein, satirized John Nash as "Mr Wash, Plasterer, who jobs out Day Work on Moderate Terms", and Decimus Burton as "Talent of No Consequence, Premium Required", and included satirical sketches of Nash's Buckingham Palace and Burton's triumphal arch at Hyde Park. Consequently, the amount of commissions received by Decimus declined, although Decimus retained a close friendship with the aristocrats amongst his patrons, who continued to commission him. At the end of Pugin's life, in February 1852, Barry visited him in Ramsgate and Pugin supplied a detailed design for the iconic Palace clock tower, in 2012 dubbed the Elizabeth Tower but popularly known as
Big Ben Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England, and the name is frequently extended to refer also to the clock and the clock tower. The officia ...
. The design is very close to earlier designs by Pugin, including an unbuilt scheme for
Scarisbrick Hall Scarisbrick Hall is a country house situated just to the south-east of the village of Scarisbrick in Lancashire, England. History Scarisbrick Hall was the ancestral home of the Scarisbrick family and dates back to the time of King Stephen (113 ...
, Lancashire. The tower was Pugin's last design before descending into madness. In her biography, Hill quotes Pugin as writing of what is probably his best-known building: "I never worked so hard in my life sfor Mr Barry for tomorrow I render all the designs for finishing his bell tower & it is beautiful & I am the whole machinery of the clock." Hill writes that Barry omitted to give any credit to Pugin for his huge contribution to the design of the new
Houses of Parliament The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parliament, the Palace lies on the north bank ...
. In 1867, after the deaths of both Pugin and Barry, Pugin's son
Edward Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sa ...
published a pamphlet, ''Who Was the Art Architect of the Houses of Parliament, a statement of facts'', in which he asserted that his father was the "true" architect of the building, and not Barry.


Pugin in Ireland

Pugin was invited to Ireland by the Redmond family, initially to work in
County Wexford County Wexford ( ga, Contae Loch Garman) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region. Named after the town of Wexford, it was based on the historic Gaelic territory of Hy Kinsella (''Uí Ceinns ...
. He arrived in Ireland in 1838 at a time of greater religious tolerance, when Catholic churches were permitted to be built. Most of his work in Ireland consisted of religious buildings. Pugin demanded the highest quality of workmanship from his craftsmen, particularly the stonemasons. His subsequent visits to the country were brief and infrequent. He was the main architect of St Aidan's Roman Catholic Cathedral for the diocese of Ferns in Enniscorthy, County Wexford. Pugin was the architect of the Russell Library at St. Patrick's College, Maynoooth, although he did not live to see its completion. Pugin did the initial design of St. Mary's Cathedral, Killarney.


Pugin and Australia

The first
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
Bishop of
New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...
, Australia,
John Bede Polding John Bede Polding, OSB (18 November 1794 in 16 March 1877 ) was the first Roman Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Australia. Early life Polding was born in Liverpool, England on 18 November 1794. His father was of Dutch descent and his mother ...
, met Pugin and was present when
St Chad's Cathedral, Birmingham The Metropolitan Cathedral Church and Basilica of Saint Chad is a Catholic cathedral in Birmingham, England. It is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Birmingham and is dedicated to Saint Chad of Mercia. Designed by Augustus Welby Pugin and ...
and
St Giles' Catholic Church, Cheadle St. Giles' Church is a Roman Catholic church in the town of Cheadle, Staffordshire, England. The Grade I listed Gothic Revival church was designed by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin. It has a spire height of 61m / 200 ft and is by far the ta ...
were officially opened. Although Pugin never visited Australia, Polding persuaded Pugin to design a series of churches for him. Although a number of churches do not survive, St Francis Xavier's in
Berrima, New South Wales Berrima () is a historic village in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, in Wingecarribee Shire. The village, once a major town, is located on the Old Hume Highway between Sydney and Canberra. It was previously known officially ...
, is regarded as a fine example of a Pugin church. Polding blessed the foundation stone in February 1849, and the church was completed in 1851. St Stephen's Chapel, now in the cathedral grounds in Elizabeth Street,
Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
, was built to a design of Pugin. Construction began in 1848, and the first Mass in the church was celebrated on 12 May 1850. In 1859 James Quinn (Australian bishop), James Quinn was appointed Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane, Bishop of Brisbane, Brisbane becoming a diocese, and Pugin's small church became a cathedral. When the new cathedral of St Stephen was opened in 1874 the small Pugin church became a schoolroom, and later church offices and storage room. It was several times threatened with demolition before its restoration in the 1990s. In Sydney, there are several altered examples of his work, namely St Benedict's, Chippendale, New South Wales, Chippendale; St Charles Borromeo, Ryde, New South Wales, Ryde; the former church of Augustine of Hippo, St Augustine of Hippo (next to the existing church), Balmain, New South Wales, Balmain; and St Patrick's Cathedral, Parramatta, which was gutted by a fire in 1996 According to Steve Meacham writing in the The Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney Morning Herald, Pugin's legacy in Australia is particularly of the idea of what a church should look like: After his death, Pugin's two sons, E. W. Pugin and
Peter Paul Pugin Peter Paul Pugin (1851 – March 1904) was an English architect. He was the son of Augustus Pugin by his third wife, Jane Knill, and the half-brother of architect and designer Edward Welby Pugin. Life and career Peter Paul Pugin was only a ...
, continued operating their father's architectural firm under the name Pugin & Pugin. Their work includes most of the "Pugin" buildings in Australia and New Zealand.


Reputation and influence

Eastlake, writing in 1872, noted that the quality of construction in Pugin's buildings was often poor, and believed he was lacking in technical knowledge, his strength lying more in his facility as a designer of architectural detail. Pugin's legacy began to fade immediately after his death. This was partly due to the hostility of John Ruskin. In his appendix to ''The Stones of Venice (book), The Stones of Venice'' (1851), Ruskin wrote of Pugin, "he is not a great architect but one of the smallest possible or conceivable architects".Hill, 2007, pp. 458–459 Contemporaries and admirers of Pugin, including Sir Henry Cole, protested at the viciousness of the attack and pointed out that Ruskin's idea on style had much in common with Pugin's. After Pugin's death, Ruskin "outlived and out-talked him by half a century". Sir Kenneth Clark wrote, "If Ruskin had never lived, Pugin would never have been forgotten."Clark, 1962, p. 144 Nonetheless, Pugin's architectural ideas were carried forward by two young architects who admired him and had attended his funeral, W. E. Nesfield and Norman Shaw. George Gilbert Scott, William Butterfield and George Edmund Street were influenced by Pugin's designs, and continued to work out the implication of ideas he had sketched in his writings. In Street's office, Philip Webb met William Morris and they went on to become leading members of the English Arts and Crafts Movement. When the German critic Hermann Muthesius published his admiring and influential study of English domestic architecture, ''Das englische Haus'' (1904), Pugin was all but invisible, yet "it was he ... who invented the English House that Muthesius so admired". An Armoire (Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin), armoire that he designed (crafted by frequent collaborator John Gregory Crace (designer), John Gregory Crace) is held at the Victoria and Albert Museum. It was shown at the The Great Exhibition, Great Exhibition of 1851, but was not eligible for a medal, as it was shown under Crace's name and he was a judge for the Furniture Class at the exhibition. On 23 February 2012 the Royal Mail released a first class stamp featuring Pugin as part of its "Britons of Distinction" series. The stamp image depicts an interior view of the Palace of Westminster. Also in 2012, the BBC broadcast ''God's Own Architect'', an arts documentary program on his achievements hosted by Richard Taylor.


Pugin's principal buildings in the United Kingdom


House designs, with approximate date of design and current condition

*John Halle's Hall, Hall of John Halle,
Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of Wil ...
(1834) – Restoration of an existing hall of 1470, largely intact but extended prior to and following the 1834 restoration; now in use as the vestibule to a cinema *St Marie's Grange,
Alderbury Alderbury is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, in the south of the county around southeast of Salisbury. The parish includes the village of Whaddon, which is adjacent to Alderbury, and the hamlet of Shute End. The River Avon fo ...
(1835) – altered; a private house *Oxburgh Hall (with John Chessell Buckler, J.C. Buckler, 1835) – Restoration of a 15th-century fortified manor house, now owned by the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, National Trust *Derby presbytery (1838) – demolished *
Scarisbrick Hall Scarisbrick Hall is a country house situated just to the south-east of the village of Scarisbrick in Lancashire, England. History Scarisbrick Hall was the ancestral home of the Scarisbrick family and dates back to the time of King Stephen (113 ...
(1837) – largely intact; a school *Uttoxeter presbytery (1838) – largely intact; in use *Keighley presbytery (1838) – altered; in use *Bishop's House,
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
(1840) – demolished *Warwick Bridge presbytery (1841) – intact with minor alterations; in use *Clergy House, Nottingham (1841) – largely intact; in use *Garendon Hall scheme (1841) – not executed *Bilton Grange (1841) – intact; now a school *Oxenford Grange farm buildings (1841) – intact; private house and farm *Cheadle presbytery (1842) – largely intact; now a private house *St Peter's Roman Catholic Church, Woolwich#Presbytery and school, Woolwich presbytery (1842) – largely intact; in use *Brewood presbytery (1842) – largely intact; in use *The Grange, Ramsgate, St Augustine's Grange ("The Grange"),
Ramsgate Ramsgate is a seaside resort, seaside town in the district of Thanet District, Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century. In 2001 it had a population of about 40,000. In 2011, according to t ...
(1843) – restored by the Landmark Trust * Alton Castle (1843) – intact; a Catholic youth centre *
Alton Towers Alton Towers Resort ( ) (often referred to as Alton Towers) is a theme park and resort complex in Staffordshire, England, near the village of Alton. The park is operated by Merlin Entertainments Group and incorporates a theme park, water park, ...
– largely intact; used as a theme park *Oswaldcroft, Liverpool (1844) – altered; a residential home *Dartington Hall scheme (1845) – unexecuted *Lanteglos-by-Camelford rectory (1846) – much altered; a hotel *Pugin Hall, Rampisham rectory (1846) – unaltered; private house *Woodchester Mansion, Woodchester Park scheme (1846) – unexecuted *St Thomas of Canterbury Church, Fulham (1847) *Fulham presbytery (1847) – intact; in use *Leighton Hall, Powys (1847) – intact; in use *Banwell Castle (1847) – intact now a hotel and restaurant *Wilburton Manor House (1848) – largely intact; Stafford Grammar School *Pugin's Hall (1850) – intact, a private house *St Edmund's College Chapel (1853) – intact, a school and chapel


Institutional designs

*Convent of Mercy, Bermondsey (1838) – destroyed *Mount St. Bernard Abbey (1839) – largely intact; in use *Downside Abbey schemes (1839 and 1841) – unexecuted *St Mary's Convent, Handsworth, Convent of Mercy, Handsworth, West Midlands, Handsworth 1840 – largely intact; in use *St John's Hospital, Alton, Staffordshire, Alton (1841) – intact; in use *Convent of St Joseph, school and almshouses, Chelsea, London (1841) – altered; used as a school *Convent of Mercy, Liverpool (1841 – and from 1847) – demolished *Spechley school and schoolmaster's house (1841) – intact, now a private house *
Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the f ...
, scheme (1843) – unexecuted *Ratcliffe College (1843) – partially executed; largely intact; in use *Liverpool Orphanage (1843) – demolished *Magdalen College School, Oxford, Magdalen College School, Oxford, schemes (1843–44) – unexecuted *Convent of Mercy, Nottingham (1844) – altered; private flats *Mercy House and cloisters, Handsworth (1844–45) – cloisters intact; otherwise destroyed *Cotton College, Staffordshire (1846) – alterations to older house for use by a religious community, now derelict *St Anne's Bedehouses, Lincoln, England, Lincoln, (1847) – intact; in use *Convent of the Good Shepherd,
Hammersmith Hammersmith is a district of West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. ...
, London (1848) – demolished *Convent of St Joseph's, Cheadle (1848) – intact; private house *
King Edward's School, Birmingham King Edward's School (KES) is an independent school (UK), independent day school for boys in the British Public school (UK), public school tradition, located in Edgbaston, Birmingham. Founded by Edward VI of England, King Edward VI in 1552, it ...
(design of parts of interior) (1838) –


Major ecclesiastical designs

*St James's Church, Reading, St James's, Reading, Berkshire, Reading (1837) – altered *St Mary's Church, Derby, St Mary's, Derby (1837) – altered *St Mary's College, Oscott, Oscott College Chapel (1837–38) – extant *Our Lady and St Thomas of Canterbury, Dudley (1838) – altered *St Anne's, Keighley (1838) – altered and extended *St Alban's Church, Macclesfield, St Alban's, Macclesfield (1838) – extant *St Benedict Abbey (Oulton Abbey), Stone, Staffordshire, Stone, Staffordshire (1854) – complete and in use as a nursing home *St Marie's, Ducie Street, Manchester (1838) – not executed *St Augustine's, Solihull (1838) – altered and extended *St Marie's, Southport (1838) – altered *St Mary's Catholic Church, Uttoxeter (1839) – altered *St Wilfrid's Church, Hulme, St Wilfrid's, Hulme, Manchester (1839) – extant *Chancel of St John's, Banbury (1839) – extant *St. Chad's Cathedral, Birmingham, St Chad's, Birmingham (1839) – extant *St. Giles' Catholic Church, Cheadle, St Giles', Cheadle (1840) – extant *St Oswald's, Liverpool (1840) – only tower remains *
St George's Cathedral, Southwark The Metropolitan Cathedral Church of St George, usually known as St George's Cathedral, Southwark, is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark, south London, and is the seat of the Archbishop of Southwark. The cathedral i ...
, London (1840) – almost entirely rebuilt after World War II bombing *Holy Trinity, Radford, Oxfordshire (1839) – extant *Our Lady and St Wilfred, Warwick Bridge (1840) – extant *St Mary's, Brewood (1840) – extant *St Marie's, Liverpool (1841) – demolished *St Augustine's, Kenilworth (1841) – extant *St Mary's, Newcastle upon Tyne (1841) – extant, with tower by C. Hansom *Nottingham Cathedral, St Barnabas' Cathedral, Nottingham (1841) – extant *St Mary's Church, Stockton-on-Tees, St Mary's, Stockton-on-Tees (1841) – extant *Jesus Chapel, Ackworth Grange, Pontefract (1841) – demolished *St Peter's Roman Catholic Church, Woolwich, St Peter's, Woolwich (1842) – extended *St Winifrede's, Shepshed (1842) – now a private house *Old St Peter and St Paul's Church, Albury, Albury Park (morgue, mortuary chapel) (1842) – extant *Reredos of Leeds Cathedral (1842) – transferred to rebuilt cathedral 1902, restored 2007 *Sacred Heart, Cambridge (1843) – dismantled in 1908 and re-erected in St Ives, Cambridgeshire *Our Lady and St Thomas, Northampton (1844) – Subsequently, enlarged in stages forming St Mary and St Thomas RC
Northampton Cathedral The Cathedral Church of St Mary and St Thomas is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Northampton, England. It is the seat of the Bishop of Northampton and mother church of the Diocese of Northampton which covers the counties of Northamptonshire, Bedfor ...
*St Marie's, Wymeswold (restoration) (1844) – extant *St Wilfrid's Church, Cotton, St Wilfrid's, Cotton, Staffordshire Moorlands (1844) – extant, but redundant 2012 *St Peter's, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, Marlow (1845) – extant *St John the Evangelist ("The Willows"), Kirkham, Lancashire (1845) – extant * St Augustine's, Ramsgate (1845) – extant, loss of some fittings. The only church he built entirely with his own money *St. Maries Church, Rugby, Rugby, Warwickshire, Rugby (1845) – much added to *St Lawrence's, Tubney (1845) – extant *The Hub, Edinburgh, Highland Tolbooth Kirk/Victoria Hall, Edinburgh (1845) – with James Gillespie Graham, now a Festival venue *St Edmund's College (Ware), St Edmund's College chapel, Old Hall Green 1846 – extant *St Mary's, West Tofts (1845) – disused and inaccessible *St Thomas of Canterbury Church, Fulham (1847) – extant *St Osmund's, Salisbury (1847) – much added to *Chancel of St Oswald's Church, Winwick (1847) – extant *
Erdington Abbey Erdington Abbey Church () on Sutton Road, Erdington, Birmingham, England, is the more usual name of the grade II listed church of Saints Thomas and Edmund of Canterbury. It is the church of a Roman Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Birmingh ...
, Birmingham (1848) *Jesus College Chapel, Cambridge (1849) – restoration, extant *Rolle Mortuary Chapel, Bicton Grange, Bicton (1850) – extant *St Nicholas' Church, Boldmere, Sutton Coldfield (1841) – demolished *St James-the-Less, Rawtenstall (1844) – extant, restored 1993–95 *Bolton Priory, North Yorkshire, set of six windows (185

– extant


Railway cottages

Slightly less grand than the above are the railway cottages at Windermere railway station in Cumbria which have been loosely attributed to Pugin or a follower. Believed to date from 1849, and probably some of the first houses to be built in Windermere, Cumbria (town), Windermere, the terrace of cottages was built for railway executives. One of the fireplaces is a copy of one of his in the Palace of Westminster.


Buildings in Ireland

*Church of Assumption of Mary, Bree, County Wexford. 1837–1839. Patronage from the Redmond family *Church of St. John the Baptist, Bellevue, Ballyhogue, County Wexford. 1859 *St. Peter's College, Summerhill Road, Wexford, County Wexford. Chapel.1838–1841. 6 bay chapel integrated as part of the college. Built in Wexford red sandstone. Various Pugin elements including stations of cross, balcony, rood screen etc. were removed in the renovation of 1950. *Church of St. James's, Ramsgrange, County Wexford. 1838–1843 *Chapel at Loreto Abbey, Rathfarnham, Dublin. Currently vacant and out of use *Church of St. Michael the Archangel, Gorey, County Wexford. 1839–1842. Cruciform plan in Romanesque style. 9 bay nave. Low square tower over the crossing. The design may have been influenced by Dunbrody Abbey, County Wexford. Built in Ballyscartin limestone with Wicklow granite dressings. Spire not constructed. Patronage of Sir Thomas Esmonde and family *Loreto Convent, St. Michael's Road, Gorey, County Wexford. 1842–1844 *St Mary's Cathedral, Killarney, St. Mary's Cathedral,
Killarney Killarney ( ; ga, Cill Airne , meaning 'church of sloes') is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is on the northeastern shore of Lough Leane, part of Killarney National Park, and is home to St Mary's Cathedral, Ross Castl ...
, County Kerry. 1842–1856. Cruciform early English style in limestone. Much modified. 12 bay nave and spire over the crossing completed by others. *Two Villas, Cobh, County Cork. 1842 for 5th Viscount Midleton *Church of St. Mary's, Tagoat, County Wexford. 1843–1848. Cruciform plan. 5 bay nave and aisles. Contains Pugin brasses, tiles etc. Damaged in fire 1936 * St. Aidan's Cathedral,
Enniscorthy Enniscorthy () is the second-largest town in County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. At the 2016 census, the population of the town and environs was 11,381. The town is located on the picturesque River Slaney and in close proximity to the ...
, County Wexford. 1843–1860. Cruciform plan *Church of St. Alphonsus or Blessed Virgin Mary, Barntown, County Wexford. 1844–1848. 7 bay church with nave and aisles. Scissors roof truss. Design may be based on an early church at Stanton, Cambridgeshire. Interior much modified *Houses, Midleton, County Cork. For Viscount Midleton. 1845 *St Patrick's College, Maynooth, St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, County Kildare. 1845–1850. Quadrangles *Presentation Convent, Waterford, County Waterford. Quadrangle and internal cloister *Presentation Monastery, Port Road, Killarney, County Kerry. 1846–1862 *Adare Manor, Adare, County Limerick. 1846. Alterations including hall ceiling, staircase, gallery etc. *St. John's Convent of Mercy, Birr, County Offaly, Birr, County Offaly. 1846–1856. Completed by E. W. Pugin


See also

* Mintons Ltd * John Dibblee Crace


References


Sources

*Brian Andrews, 2001, ''Creating a Gothic Paradise: Pugin at the Antipodes'', Hobart, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. Exhibition catalogue. *Charles Locke Eastlake, ''A History of the Gothic Revival'', London, Longmans, Green & Co, 1872. *Benjamin Ferrey, 1861, ''Recollections of A.N. Welby.Pugin, and his Father Augustus Pugin'', London, Edward Stanford. *Michael Fisher, Alexandra Wedgwood, 2002, ''Pugin-Land: A W N Pugin, Lord Shrewsbury and the Gothic Revival in Staffordshire'', Stafford Fisher. *Michael Fisher,''Gothic For Ever! Pugin, Lord Shrewsbury, and the Rebuilding of Gothic England'', Reading, Spire Books, 2012, *Rachel Hasted, 1995, ''Scarisbrick Hall – A Guide'', Social History at Lancashire County Museum Service, 1984. *Rosemary Hill, ''Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin: A Biographical Sketch'', in ''A.W.N. Pugin: Master of Gothic Revival'', New Haven and London, Yale University Press. *Rosemary Hill, 2007, ''God's Architect: Pugin and the Building of Romantic Britain.'' Allen Lane. * (Published in five volumes between 1821 and 1838) *


External links


The Pugin SocietyAugustus Welby Northmore Pugin 1812–1852, A comprehensive overview of Pugin's life with nearly 400 imagesThe Pugin Foundation – Australian Works of Augustus Welby Northmore PuginAugustus Pugin's Map Room - UK Parliament Living HeritageSt Giles' Roman Catholic Church
Cheadle, Staffordshire with 360° images of the interior
Papers of AWN Pugin
at the UK Parliamentary Archives
"Pugin's manifesto"
an essay on Pugin's early work fro
TLS
1 August 2007.
A Victorian Novel in Stone: the Houses of Parliament tell the story of Britain's past and its peculiar constitution
''The Wall Street Journal'', 21 March 2009
Pugin: God's Own Architect
BBC4, 19 January 2012 * *
Floriated Ornament: A Series of Thirty-One Designs
Pugin, Augustus W. N. London: H.G. Bohn, 1849
NA997 P8.8o
Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute. Library
Table designed by A.W.N. Pugin for Windsor Castle, 1828.
Butchoff Antiques, London. * hdl:10079/fa/beinecke.pugin, A. W. N. Pugin Drawings. James Marshall and Marie-Louise Osborn Collection. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.
Parliamentary Archives, Papers of AWN Pugin, (1812-1852); Architect
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pugin, Augustus Welby Northmore Augustus Pugin, 1812 births 1852 deaths 19th-century English architects Architects of cathedrals Architects of Roman Catholic churches British stained glass artists and manufacturers English furniture designers Converts to Roman Catholicism English ecclesiastical architects English people of French descent English Roman Catholics Gothic Revival architects People educated at Christ's Hospital People with mental disorders Pugin family, Augustus Architects from London English people of Swiss descent