ARCHITECTURE
The Cathedrals of Edward Welby Pugin
Cobh: the interior
Paul Waddington looks at some of the larger works of one of the most prolific architects of the Gothic revival
D
uring the final illness of Augustus Welby Pugin, the great protagonist of the Gothic revival, the management of his architectural practice fell into the hands of his teenage son, Edward Welby Pugin. In overseeing the completion of several of his father’s works, it seems that he conducted the business with remarkable proficiency for someone so young. Edward was 17 when his father died in 1852 and found himself the bread-winner for a large family that included his stepmother and six siblings. After exploring the possibility of
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joining the practice of Sir Charles Barry, Edward determined to set up as an architect on his own account, and to continue the work of his father, which mostly involved the design of Catholic Churches. In a career lasting only 23 years – he died at the age of 41 – Edward’s output was staggeringly prolific, amounting to some 220 new buildings, as well as modifications to many existing ones. Although mostly parish churches, his works included presbyteries, convents, monasteries, schools and an orphanage. This article focuses on the three cathedrals which were completed in his
lifetime, as well as mentioning a further three cathedrals that he designed, but were never built. Shrewsbury Cathedral The site of the Cathedral of Our Lady Help of Christians and St Peter Alcantara in Shrewsbury had been donated by a Mr Perks, and Bertram Talbot, the 17th Earl of Shrewsbury, undertook to fund the project. Before his death in 1852, Edward’s father, Augustus, had done some work on the design, but the start of building was delayed due to Augustus’ illness. Thus it
WINTER 2021
