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G Page
Gregory Page (1773-1834) is one of a relatively small number of local statuaries in Sussex with any pretensions - possibly because the proximity of London discouraged them. He worked in Horsham, where he is listed as a stonemason in PD 1823.
Memorials: Warnham; West Chiltington; Wisborough Green
P Paget
Paul Edward Paget (1901-85) was the son of a bishop of Chester, who became partner of J Seely (Lord Mottistone), whom he met at Cambridge and with whom he restored many damaged buildings after World War II. Despite limited professional training, since 1926 he had been a successful designer of opulent houses, including the former Eltham Palace, and claimed that he looked after 14 city churches. In his partnership with Mottistone he concentrated more on their clients than on design work. He succeeded Seeley as surveyor to St Paul’s Cathedral in 1963 and designed or restored many churches. He was master of the Art Workers Guild in 1971.
Lit: C Aslet: An interview with the Late Paul Paget 1901-1985, TSJ 6 pp16-25; Obit: The Times 16 Aug 1985
Restored: Petworth (1953)
Paley and Austin
The practice owed its origins to one established in c1835 in Lancaster by Edmund Sharpe (1809-77). In 1838 the young Edward Graham Paley (1823-95) joined as a pupil and from the mid-1840s progressively took it over as Sharpe became mainly interested in studying and writing about architecture; he had withdrawn entirely by 1851, though he became increasingly a respected expert in his field - see New Shoreham for what proved to be his final intervention. By 1851 the practice had become highly successful, mainly in the North West, and was renowned for never turning down a commission because it was too small. In addition to churches, they designed almost every other kind of building, industrial, commercial, educational and domestic, the last including several large houses. In 1868 Paley took Hubert James Austin (1841-1915) as his partner; he had been articled to his brother Thomas in Newcastle and then assisted Sir George G Scott. The practice was one of the pioneers in the 1870s in the revival of interest in the Perp style and most of their commissions were Low Church in character. Later generations joined the firm, which at various times was called Austin and Paley and Paley, Austin and Paley and lasted until 1940. During his time in Scott's office, Austin took part in at least one sketching tour of churches in Sussex, though it is most probable that they took on three small restoration projects in the Eastbourne area because in two of the cases the Duke of Devonshire was patron of the living (as well as being one of the two main developers of Eastbourne itself). They did extensive work for the then Duke in the North West.
Source: Lecture on Paley and Austin to the Victorian Society, 22 February 2011 by Dr Geoff Brandwood. (I am also indebted to him for the final point above).
Restoration: Westham (1876); Willingdon (1878); Wilmington (1883)
W Palmer
William Palmer (1673-1739) was born and apprenticed in London and after a period of working for others had his own workshop by 1710. As well as being a statuary, he was a mason, most notably for Lincoln's Inn. His memorials, some of which are quite large, are widely spread across England, indicating that he enjoyed a good reputation.
Memorials: Horsted Keynes; Wadhurst
W Pape
William Pape (1852-1937) was a glass merchant, whose firm was founded in Leeds in 1876; by 1881 he employed 8 workers. In 1901 he was in addition a glass stainer and the firm still existed as an independent entity in 1935, though in view of Pape's age, it could have been in other hands. In 1939 it was sharing premises with another Leeds firm of glassmakers, Kayll and Reed, which provided stained glass windows all over the North and was still in existence as late as 1973, when it was said to incorporate the business of William Pape. Most of Kayll and Reed's work is in the North.
Glass: Upper Beeding
G Parlby
George Measures Parlby (1857-1944) worked initially for J Powell and Sons (JP - see this section below) and continued to produce designs for them on a freelance basis until 1916. He also designed for Cox, Son and Buckley and then became chief designer for Curtis, Ward and Hughes (see Ward and Hughes). He worked independently and as a painter, though his involvement in the wall paintings at St Paul, Brighton is open to doubt. He became Master of the Art Workers Guild in 1942 and died at Hammersmith, where he had been working.
Glass: Fairwarp (JP); Newtimber; Rotherfield (JP)
Painting: Brighton and Hove, - St Paul (attr)
M Parrington
Matthew Parrington (1807-82) was a man of many parts. He born in Yorkshire and graduated from Cambridge in 1830, becoming canon of Chichester, principal of Bishop Otter College, Chichester and successively rector of Fishbourne and vicar of Felpham. It is open to doubt whether he actually did any restoration work on Portslade, St Nicolas in 1868, but he was clearly much interested in matters of church building and fittings. In 1860 he had signed the plans for the restoration of Portslade that were submitted to the ICBS as ‘a member of the Architectural Committee’. This was presumably a diocesan body and though he has no known link with that church, he may have signed a faculty application or similar in some such capacity. He also belonged to the small group of woodcarving clerics in Sussex and it is probable that the desk at East Dean (E) is not the only such work he did.
Restored: Portslade (1868 - doubtful)
Fitting: East Dean (E), panels on reading desk.
J L Parsons Parsons and Sons
John Latter Parsons (1805/06-85) was a builder and antiquarian, who was clearly closely related to Latter Parsons (see immediately below), though the precise connection is doubtful - the dates would allow them to be father and son, but by 1841 the younger man seems to have been in business for himself and he features in LBPB for 1847. In 1871 his yard and home were in Eastgate and he was also a landowner. He worked on churches as a mason, including the restoration of Denton (1866), and as an architect, in which capacity he designed the Congregational Church at Uckfield (BN 13 p454), the School of Science and Art at Lewes (BN 23 p151) and a cemetery at East Grinstead (B 25 p735). Also responsible for the last was C Parsons, who might be assumed to be one of the ‘sons’ of what became Parsons and Sons, especially since in 1851 and 1867 (KD) J L and C Parsons are listed at the same address of Eastgate Wharf. However, J L Parsons is not recorded in any census as having had a son with this initial, so 'C Parsons' may have been the otherwise unidentified son of Latter Parsons known to have assisted him in the later part of his life and thus conceivably J L Parsons's brother.
Restored: Folkington (1870 – probable); Hartfield (1865-66 – as Parsons and Sons); Iford (1864-65 - as C Parsons and Co of Lewes, but doubtless the same); Lewes, Southover (1847 – with B Ferrey)
L Parsons C Parsons Martin
Latter Parsons (1772-1848) was a mason and statuary, who came of a long line of such craftsmen who had been settled in Lewes since the C17. The family business was acquired from the Morris family, of whom J Morris was a leading mason of the town - in PD in 1823-24 it is called Latter Parsons and PB 1837 gives the owner only as Latter Parsons. His memorials were mostly modest, but were well regarded and there are likely to be others that are unsigned. Some of his monuments are also signed by C Parsons, who is assumed to have been his son since most such monuments date from late in his career. However, one at East Blatchington is signed by both as early as 1808, suggesting either that C Parsons was not a son or that there were more than one person of the name. A single monument at Lindfield of 1830 may originally have been signed Martin and Parsons (now it reads 'Martin' only), but nothing further is known of Martin. According to KD/1845 the business was in East Street. The precise relationship between Latter Parsons and John Latter Parsons (see immediately above) has not been established, but was clearly close, possibly father and son. There do, however, seem to have been two distinct businesses, of which the masons survived into the later C20 as Bridgeman Ltd at the same address in East Street.
Memorials: Beckley; Burwash; Cowfold (4); East Blatchington (with C Parsons); Framfield (3); Hamsey; Herstmonceux; Hurstpierpoint; Iford; Lewes, - St John Baptist, Southover; Lindfield; Mayfield; Newhaven; Salehurst; Shermanbury; Sompting; Upper Dicker; Wilmington
L H Parsons
Leslie Harry Parsons was a partner in C R B Godman and C J Kay of Horsham from c1962 who is found down to 1983. He is said to have been Diocesan Architect.
Repaired: Itchingfield (1962); Patcham (1970); Slinfold (1974-75); Southwater (1974-75)
Fitting: Findon, reredos
Patent Marble Works
The company was founded in 1809 and appears to have had two yards in Westminster. In 1851 it was owned by Thomas Hartley and the last known memorial by the company dates from 1853, though it does not appear in any directory under this name, so it is likely that it was also known by the name of an owner. Most of its production was unambitious.
Memorial: Crawley, - St John Baptist; Eastbourne, - St Mary
J Patterson
Jane Patterson (b1955) trained as a painter at the Slade, where she later taught, before taking up glassmaking. She teaches at West Dean College.
Glass: Friston
J Peacock
Joseph Peacock (1821-93) was articled in Worthing to C Hide and later practised in Bloomsbury Square, London. He was surveyor for various railways and estates in London and designed churches mainly there and in Derby (a railway centre). He was favoured by the Low Church party and Goodhart-Rendel included him amongst the ‘rogues’ because of the often wilful detailing of his earlier work. His later work is more conventional.
Lit: BAL Biog file
Restored: Worthing, - St Andrew, West Tarring (1853 - probably)
F L Pearson
Frank Loughborough Pearson (1864-1947) was the only son of J L Pearson (see immediately below). After an early upbringing on the Isle of Man following his mother's death, he was educated at Winchester and joined his father's office in 1881. There he encountered W D Caröe, who was his father's assistant. He was admitted as a partner in 1890 and completed several of his father's works after his death. He lived in Oxfordshire but his practice was in London. Unlike his father he used styles other than gothic.
Lit: BAL Biog file
Completed: Brighton and Hove, - All Saints, Hove (1897-1901)
J L Pearson
John Loughborough Pearson (1817-97) was the son of a painter in Durham. He worked in the offices of I Bonomi, A Salvin and P C Hardwick, before going into independent practice in 1843. Almost exclusively he designed and restored churches, becoming one of the most successful ecclesiastical architects of his age. Much of his early work is in the North. His personal interpretation of C13 and C14 gothic, influenced by French examples, had a sureness of proportion and an elegance with few equals and this contributed to his being one of the first Victorian architects to be taken more seriously in more modern times. Probably because of his interest in French architecture, he made more use than most contemporaries of vaulting and other forms of stone roofs.
Lit: A Quiney: John Loughborough Pearson, 1979
Designed: Brighton and Hove, - All Saints, Hove (1889-1901); - St Barnabas (1881-82); Hastings, - St Matthew (1884)
Fitting: Lewes, - St Michael, High Street, reredos
Restored: Arundel (c1879); Isfield (1875-76); Lewes, - St Michael, High Street (1884 - doubtful); Shipley (1889-93)
T Pearson
The name of Thomas Pearson and the date 1774 are given in Sir Thomas Kendrick’s index. No one of the precise name is known and Elleray (2004) states that there was some glass at Glynde by W Peckitt (see immediately below). Conceivably therefore, 'Pearson' is a misreading, though it seems an unlikely one. More plausibly, especially as the glass at Glynde is heraldic, the first name may be an error for James Pearson (c1740-1838), who was known as a designer of heraldic glass – there is some in the Ely Stained Glass Museum. He was born in Dublin and trained in London. He also painted some glass with figures, but by the end of his long life his style of enamelled glass had fallen out of fashion.
Glass: Glynde
W Peckitt
William Peckitt (1731-95) was a stained glass maker of York, who was in business there by 1752. It is likely that he was self-taught and he continued to experiment with various techniques for the rest of his life. In York he did much restoration work on the mediaeval glass of the Minster. Elsewhere, the circumstances of his time meant that the greater part of his output was heraldic, though he designed windows for several cathedrals and also worked for Horace Walpole at Strawberry Hill. Much of his glass, both pictorial and heraldic, fell a victim to later changes of taste, but in his lifetime he was the most celebrated artist in stained artist in the land, whose work was distributed widely and who did much to revive its use.
Source: DNB
Glass: Glynde (possibly - see under T Pearson, immediately above)
F Peel
Frederick William Peel (1858-1910) was a pupil of Edwin T Hall, in whose office he then worked. By 1901 he was living in Addison Road, Bedford Park, Chiswick, of which he became resident architect.
Lit: BAL Biog file
Restored: Sutton (nd)
J Peerless
James Peerless (1785/86-1855) was described as a carpenter when he repewed Jevington church, but in 1841 and 1851 he gave his trade as wheelwright. He had a sizeable family, of which at least one son, Peter Peerless, was also a wheelwright. James was a man of property, who is in PB 1837.
Repaired: Jevington (1844)
E Peirce
Edward Peirce was a statuary of Deptford, who can be traced between 1777 and 1790. He worked widely in the south east and much of his decoration is in the idiom of Robert Adam. The spelling of the name is to be found on the memorial he did at Frant, though Roscoe prefers the more conventional 'Pierce'.
Memorials: East Grinstead, - St Swithun; East Hoathly; Frant
---- Pelham
The only record of this man is that he signed an application to the ICBS in connection with work at Westhampnett church, without stating a first name or even initial. He signs along with W Brooks, a surveyor, and was probably a builder. In 1841 there was a Joseph Pelham, a bricklayer of Boxgrove (1788/93-1844?), who is quite likely in view of his trade and the proximity of the two places.
Repaired: Westhampnett (1831-32)
J W Penfold
John Wornham Penfold (1828/29-1909) was a pupil of T T Bury. After working as an assistant for Bury and William Burn, designer of country houses, Penfold started his own practice in 1854 in London, working also as a surveyor and arbitrator. He lived there and at Haslemere, Surrey, where he was born and developed much of the town, designing many houses. He is, however, best known for designing the hexagonal pillar box which was first produced in 1866 and of which some remain in use.
Lit: BAL Biog file
Restored: Rogate (1874-75)
W Pepper senior
William Pepper (1806-1887) was born in Folkestone, Kent and was in business as a sculptor in Brighton by 1841 with an address in Western Road, the first of several in the town. His choice of Brighton may have been determined by the fact that his wife came from there. Pepper exhibited several times at the RA and was still living in the town at his death.
Memorials: Bramber (2); Brighton, - St Nicholas; - St Peter
W R Pepper junior
William Reynolds Pepper (1830-1919) was the son of William Pepper senior (see immediately above) and entered the RA Schools in 1852. He was to have a varied career, as documented by the census records. In 1861 he had moved to Worth, where his wife originated, and described himself as a sculptor and victualler - he last exhibited at the RA in 1868. By 1871, though still there, he was simply an innkeeper. In 1881 after a move to East Grinstead, his artistic interests were once more to the fore and he called himself as an artist and portrait painter. He was in the same place in 1891, but had now become a journalist and author as well as an artist, but he moved at least once more as his death was recorded in Plaistow, East London.
Memorial: Brighton, - St George
H M Pett
Harold Milburn Pett (1883-1966) was a pupil of F T Cawthorn and later assistant to J G Gibbons. He worked with Brighton Corporation and had wide contacts among architects there – J L Denman nominated him for FRIBA. He was Chichester Diocesan Surveyor, working extensively on churches and parsonages. Much of his work consisted of introducing new standards of comfort into churches, e g heating and lighting systems. The churches below are those on which he worked more obviously and are only a fraction of the total. He lived in Hove.
Lit: BAL Biog file
Altered, improved and extended: Ardingly (1927); Balcombe (1948-50); Brighton and Hove, - St Agnes (nd - doubtful); - St Andrew, Hove (old) (1927); - St Leonard, Aldrington (1931); - St Patrick, Hove (1927); Donnington (1934); Eastbourne, - St Michael (1936-38); Henfield (1927); Jevington (1935); Middleton (1927-28); Newick (1948); Portslade (1934); Rodmell (1930-31); Rustington (1933)
J B Philip
John Birnie Philip (1824-75) was a Londoner, who studied at the Government School of Design under John Rogers Herbert RA, a painter and moved with him when Herbert set up his own school. Herbert introduced him to A W Pugin (see below), for whom he worked on the Palace of Westminster, before setting up his own business. He specialised in architectural carving and did much work for Sir George G Scott, most notably on the Foreign Office building and the Albert Memorial. He also produced a number of statues in various English cities.
Lit: DNB
Fittings: Brighton and Hove, - St Martin, terra cotta; - St Nicholas, memorial and font cover
H Phillips
Harry Raines Phillips (1911-76) was born in London and his early training as a sculptor was at Dartington Hall. For a short time he taught at Blundell’s School nearby and from 1950 in Leeds. He became known for his public sculptures and portrait heads. He spent his last years in Lewes.
Sculpture: Lewes, - St Michael, figure
E J Physick
Edward James Physick (1829-1906) was the grandson of E W Physick (see immediately below) and followed in the family occupation. He entered the RA Schools in 1847 and exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851, as well as the RA. He did not do so after 1863, though his last known work dates from 1899. He produced many memorials and is said to have devised the use of inlaid lead letters in tombs, a favourite Victorian practice.
Memorial: East Hoathly
E W Physick
Edward William Physick (c1774-1862) was one of a large family of sculptors of Cornish ancestry who were active in London between c1769 and 1906. The circumstances of his training are not known, but he was exhibiting at the RA by 1810 and continued until 1842. He was best known for his portrait busts, but also made memorials in some quantity.
Memorials: Frant (2)
R Physick
Robert Physick (1815-1865) was the was the son of E W Physick (see immediately above) and like his two brothers, followed his father in becoming a sculptor. He trained at the RA Schools from 1837.
Memorial: Frant
E Pierce
See Edward Peirce (above).
M W Pierce
Martin Wynn Pierce (b1950) was born in Worcester and trained initially as a furniture maker and carver. In 1973 he moved to Lewes and set up as a woodcarver. His particular love from an early stage has been carving insects and birds, as his lectern at Wartling shows. In 1980 he moved to Los Angeles, where he remains active as a woodcarver, and in addition works in wax. He also designs furniture to order.
(Information from Anne Pierce)
Carved: Ringmer, Lectern; Wartling, lectern
D Pinder
Daniel Pinder (found also as Pindar) (1734/35-1820) was a mason in Blackfriars in 1761 and undertook commissions for several city companies. He was City Mason from 1782 to 1803 and with his partner William Norris prospered. He designed and made only a few memorials.
Memorial: Horsted Keynes
J Piper
John Egerton Christmas Piper (1903-92) was the son of a prosperous solicitor to whom he was initially articled. Only after he died could Piper take up the study of art and study at the Royal College of Art. He had been interested in landscape and topography from an early age, but in the 1930s he took up abstract art under the influence of Picasso and Braque, before reverting to landscapes since he sought ‘nourishment by subject’. In World War II he became famous for his pictures of bombed buildings, but his later work found less critical favour as it remained representational, though highly popular more generally. During this period, he became more closely involved with stained glass making, which he had studied with J E Nuttgens, as well as designing stage sets and ceramics. He also increased the amount of writing he did, especially the Shell Guides, with which he had been involved since meeting John Betjeman in 1936, one of the major literary and artistic figures of his time with whom he was connected. By contrast with his paintings, most of his glass remained abstract. It was generally made in collaboration with P Reyntiens and later D Wasley and is found in many major churches, including Coventry cathedral and St Margaret’s, Westminster.
Lit: DNB; NAL Information file: Obit: The Times, 30 June 1992
Glass: West Firle
W Pistell
William Pistell (1773/78-1845) was a marble cutter in the area around Fitzroy Square, London and in 1841 appears under the name of Pestell, clearly the same man as the district and the occupation are identical. He was associated with J Flaxman and Sir R Westmacott in the transport and exhibition of the Elgin marbles after they reached London in 1816. This seems to have been on the practical side, but he was also a maker of memorials, both simple tablets and more elaborate ones with figures.
Memorial: East Grinstead, - St Swithun
R W Pite
Robert William Pite (1893-1977) was the son of William Alfred Pite (1860-1949), whose pupil he was. In 1919 father and son became partners, together with the father's former assistant, Hubert Moore Fairweather, as Pite, Son and Fairweather. The father retired in 1937, but the practice lasted until about 1950. In 1964 R W Pite was in practice with the successors of Murray, Delves and Atkins (see W H and J D Murray) (ICBS). Though of Scottish ancestry, his family had links with Haslemere.
Extended/repaired: Eastbourne, - All Souls (1963); Linchmere (1957)
J Plowman
John Plowman (1772/73-1843) was an architect of Oxford, who designed mainly churches and parsonages, mostly in the city or nearby. On at least one occasion he collaborated with H J Underwood. In 1840 a commission to rebuild the rectory at Beckley probably led to an abortive plan by himself and J Elliott to rebuild the church as well. It is not known how he knew Elliott.
Designed: Beckley (1840 - design for rebuilding church - not carried out)
R Plumbe
Rowland Plumbe (1838-1919) was a pupil of N J Cottingham and of a practice called Cooper and Beck, whilst studying at the Architectural Association. He then spent two years in the USA before starting a practice in Fitzroy Square, London. He held two District Surveyorships and designed schools, hospitals (including ones at Bexhill and Eastbourne), country houses and churches. Despite his large practice, he was not knighted as has been suggested; there may be confusion with his friend R W Edis. From 1903 to 1908 his partner was Frank M Harvey, his assistant for 21 years, and subsequently C Fleming-Williams and J C S Mummery.
Lit: BAL Biog file; Obits: The Builder 116 p381; RIBAJ 26 pp140-41
Designed: Loxwood (1898-1900)
I Pocklington
Ian Pocklington (b1961) trained at Great Yarmouth College of Art and Design and North Staffordshire Polytechnic before setting up his own business at Reepham, Norfolk in 1984. He produces both conventional stained glass, much of it secular, and glass sculpture, as well as undertaking restoration work.
Glass: Ewhurst Green
T Pockyll
Thomas Pokyll or Puckyll is recorded in 1536 and 1540. He was a mason who contracted to build the tower of Bolney church in 1536 and presumably designed it. He appears again four years later, working on Camber castle near Rye.
Built/designed: Bolney (1536-38)
F W Pomeroy
Frederick William Pomeroy (1856-1924) was the son of a craftsman who produced much architectural carving, even in his later life. Buildings for which he produced sculpture included the city or town halls of Sheffield, Cardiff and Belfast. He studied under the French sculptor Jules Dalou, who taught in London after 1870, and at the RA Schools. Subsequently he went to Paris and Italy. One of the architects for whom he produced architectural sculpture was J D Sedding and he was associated with the so-called New Sculpture, which included late Victorian sculptors like Alfred Gilbert. Some of his church fittings are in the renaissance style, an early instance of the new-found favour of the style in High Church circles. In a number of church monuments, he collaborated with N Hitch, who produced the subsidiary carving whilst Pomeroy was responsible for the effigy. He also produced more academic work and late in life became a Royal Academician; he was also a member of the Art Workers Guild.
Lit: DNB
Fitting: Colgate, reredos
Poole and Son Field, Poole and Sons
This stonemason's firm is first found in Great Smith Street, Westminster as Henry Poole (PD 1839). It remained at this address, though by 1859 it had become Henry Poole and Son (KD/L) and produced both fittings and monuments. In 1876 (ibid) the firm had moved to premises at 43 Johnson Street, Millbank. In the same year Field, Poole and Sons is also listed at this address and this is likely to follow a merger with the long established firm of William Field of Parliament Street, Westminster. This merger had in fact taken place by 1873, when the merged company is stated to have made the reredos at Rotherfield, but there is no later reference to it under this name in directories and by 1878 it had reverted to Poole and Sons, still in Johnson Street. In the following year they proudly announced their ownership of marble quarries at Ipplepen, Devon and in 1883 had moved to 32 Smith Square, though this could have been a showroom. At a later date they had an address in Kennington, though as late as 1894 it was at 70 Millbank. There is no reference in KD/L after 1898.
Fittings: Brighton and Hove - St Leonard, Aldrington, font; Rotherfield, reredos (FP); Sutton, reredos
Memorial: Westbourne
R J Potter
Robert James Potter (1909-2010) was born in Guildford and trained at the Regent Street Polytechnic, before joining the office of W H R Blacking in 1935. After war service in India, he was Blacking’s partner from 1946 to 1955, concentrating increasingly on church restorations, as well as designing new ones. In 1955 he went into partnership with Richard Hare in Salisbury, but in 1967 the renamed Brandt, Potter Hare Partnership transferred to Southampton, though even after this much of their work on churches was in Wiltshire and other western counties. From 1957-85 he was surveyor of Chichester cathedral, where he established the successful Cathedral Works Organisation and oversaw the remarkable artistic innovations associated with Dean Hussey. He was also Surveyor of St Paul's and did extensive work at Oxford on both University buildings and various colleges. He was made an OBE in 1993.
Lit: BAL Biog file; Obit: The Times 11 January 2011; RIBAJ February 2011 p14
Altered: West Itchenor (1964)
T Potter and Co
Described as engineers and smiths, Thomas Potter and Co can be found in directories between 1876 and 1909. They had works at Putney Bridge Wharf and premises at 44 South Molton Street and then Victoria Street from about 1904. Their metalwork for churches included some for G E Street at Bristol cathedral.
Fitting: Hastings, - St Matthew, lectern
C C Powell
Christopher Charles Powell (1876-1955) was the son of another Charles, who was a glassmaker with a firm in Lincoln that also produced murals for churches. It was presumably the one that existed in 1901 under William O Powell (b1851), uncle of Charles Christopher, who was born and first worked in Cambridge. In 1901 Charles senior opened a branch in London, latterly at Archway, which concentrated on stained glass and where he worked with his son from about 1892. They were also associated with other glassmakers, including C E Kempe.
Glass: Horsham, - St Mary; Peasmarsh; Shermanbury
C E Powell
Charles Edward Powell (1850/51-1934) was a pupil of Sir George G Scott and shared offices in Chancery Lane, London with J Medland and R Nevill– also Scott’s pupils – and worked with both. By 1893 he was working primarily in Eastbourne, though he kept a London address at Temple Avenue EC (KD/L) until 1922 and is buried at Arlington. He produced a number of designs for stained glass as well as that below.
Lit: BAL Biog file
Designed: Eastbourne, - St Philip (1903 and 1932 - dem)
Restored: Arlington (1892-94); Mayfield (1899); Rotherfield (1888-93)
Glass: Alfriston
E T Powell
Edward Turner Powell (1859-1937) was articled to Sir A R Stenning and spent three years in his office, before going into independent practice from 1885 in Queen Anne’s Gate, Westminster. Most of his work consisted of houses, including many in Surrey and Mid-Sussex. Much of his work was abroad; on at least one occasion he designed a house in Buenos Aires with Walter Bassett-Smith (see W Bassett-Smith). He died at Seaford.
Lit: BAL Biog file
Extended: Bolney (1906)
H Powell
Hugh Barnaby Powell (1910-1993) was a member of the family that owned J Powell and Sons (see immediately below), but apart from a brief period in his youth, never worked for them, preferring to be independent. He studied at Chelsea Art School and after working with C Edwards in the mid-1950s and then at the Glass House (see Lowndes and Drury), moved to Alton, Hampshire and then Bath. Finally, he lived in Dorset, but died at Southampton.
Glass: Burgess Hill, - St Edward; Eridge Green; Mountfield; Streat
J Powell and Sons
James Powell (1774-1840) in 1834 bought a firm of glassmakers, which had been at Whitefriars, East London since around 1700. After he died it continued in the family, whose later members included Harry James (1853-1922) and James Crofts Powell (1847-1914). Though the firm continued to make domestic glassware, after 1844 they also became a leading maker of stained glass, both the raw and finished product (the former to the specification of Charles Winston). Their glass included some large commissions, but especially in their earlier years they were noted for producing medallions with figures, set in patterned glass. These had the advantage for smaller parishes of costing less. In the 1920s, the company moved to Wealdstone, Middlesex and the financial problems this caused dogged it for the rest of its existence, in combination with wider problems in the economy. The firm ceased manufacturing stained glass in 1973 and changed its name to Whitefriars Glass Ltd, but closed in 1980. Their best known later work was the glass for Liverpool cathedral and the steady income from this was vital. They had designers within the company, notably H Holiday (HH), who succeeded Sir E Burne-Jones, briefly the chief designer, but left in 1891. Others were J W Brown (JWB), E L Armitage (ELA) and G Hutchinson (GH). In the 1930s and 1940s the chief designer and managing director was J H Hogan (JHH) and C J Edwards (CJE) and R Moore (RM) were mainstays in the firm's later years, starting in the 1940s. With resident designers, many more than the above, the company used outside designers during periods of peak demand, e g after both World Wars, and also accepted commissions to make glass for such outsiders. An early instance of the latter was Sir T G Jackson (TGJ), a friend of J C Powell. Others who produced designs included C E Powell (see above, who was not apparently a relative – CEP), E Hogwood (EH), G Parlby (see above - GP), Mary Lowndes (see Lowndes and Drury - ML) before she set up on her own, C Whall (CW) and H E Wooldridge (HEW). At a slightly later date J E Nuttgens (JEN) produced some work. Mainly in the 1960s, P Fourmaintraux (PF) produced abstract glass set in thick concrete, known as dalle de verre. In addition to glass, the company made church fittings of various kinds, especially in mosaic - its most famous achievement was the mosaics in St Paul's.
Glass: Aldingbourne; Alfriston (CEP); Appledram (JHH); Arlington; Battle; Bepton (HH); Berwick; Bexhill, - St Peter; Binsted (HH and TGJ); Bishopstone; Bognor, - St Mary Magdalene, South Bersted; Bolney (formerly); Brighton and Hove, St Andrew, Church Road; - St Martin (HH, HEW and Somers Clarke junior); - St Mary; - Holy Trinity, Ship Street (HH); - St Patrick; Burpham (HH, JWB and others); Burwash Weald; Catsfield; Chailey, - St Mary (HH); - St Peter (HH, ELA and others); Chalvington; Chiddingly; Climping; Cocking; Coleman’s Hatch (RM and others); Compton (HH); Cowfold; Crawley, - St Margaret, Ifield; - St Peter (PF); Crowborough, - All Saints; East Chiltington; East Grinstead, - St Swithun; Eastbourne, - St Michael, Ocklynge; - St Saviour; East Lavant; Edburton; Fairwarp (HH and GP); Felpham; Findon; Fittleworth; Forest Row; Framfield; Frant; Goring; Handcross; Harting; Hastings, - All Saints; - St Clement (HH); Heathfield; Henfield (ML); Herstmonceux; Hunston; Hurstpierpoint; Iford; Kingston by Lewes; Kirdford (HH); Lancing, - St James; Lewes, - All Saints (HH); - St Anne; - St John sub Castro; - Southover (HH); - St Michael (HH); - St Thomas; Linch; Lindfield; Lodsworth (HH); Lower Beeding (GH - attr); Madehurst (fragments); Maresfield; Mid Lavant; Newick (one by JWB); North Chapel; North Mundham; Nuthurst; Nutley; Oving (HH); Peasmarsh; Piddinghoe (HH); Plaistow; Portslade, - St Nicholas; Pulborough; Ringmer; Rodmell; Rotherfield (GP); Rudgwick (EH); Rusper (HH); Rye (JHH); Seaford; Singleton; Slindon (TGJ); Slinfold (ELA?); Sompting (HH); South Malling (HH); Stansted; Staplefield (JEN); Stedham (HH); Stonegate; Streat; Sullington; Tarring Neville; Telscombe; Ticehurst (HH (probably) and CW); Tidebrook (CJE); Twineham; Uckfield (HH); Wadhurst; Waldron; Warninglid (JHH); Wartling (HH); West Dean (W) (ELA); West Dean (E) (HH); West Firle (HH and JWB); West Hoathly; West Itchenor (ELA); West Lavington; Westbourne (HH); Westham; Westhampnett (HH); Wiggonholt; Wivelsfield; Worthing, - St Botolph, Heene (HH)
Fittings: Brighton and Hove, - St Patrick, Hove, mosaics; East Hoathly, mosaics; Felpham, reredos; Hunston, reredos; Roffey, reredos; Withyham, mosaics on reredos
J H Powell
John Hardman Powell (1827-95) was born in Birmingham, the nephew through his mother of John Hardman junior, whose partner he became, and was unconnected with J Powell and Son. He was the first pupil of A W Pugin (see below) in Ramsgate in 1844 and despite considerable difficulties, prospered and married his daughter. He worked closely with Pugin on the design of both glass and fittings for manufacture by J Hardman and Co and only returned to Birmingham after Pugin died in 1852, when he succeeded him as chief designer. He was instrumental in upholding Pugin's influence on the company although in his Recollections, Sir George G Scott criticised the decline in the quality of his designs after Pugin died. He moved to London in the 1880s to run the office there and died at Blackheath. Best known for his glass, he designed other fittings, particularly metalwork.
Lit: DNB for Hardman family
Fitting: Brighton and Hove, - St Paul, lectern
Glass: Brighton and Hove (completed Pugin's glass)
G Pownall
George Pownall (1808-93) was the pupil of an architect named Maddox. He signs the plans for St Clement, Halton, Hastings with F Wigg, his partner from 1839 at the latest (PD) until about 1855. They were builders, surveyors and architects in London; Pownall was born in Islington. When designing St Clement, Halton they described themselves as architects, though T Catley, a local man, was also involved and the responsibilities of each are uncertain. In later life Pownall was architect and surveyor to the Law Fire Office and also surveyor to the Eton College estate, before becoming increasingly involved in arbitration work. He retired in 1884.
Obit: Transactions of the RIBA NS 9 pp 339 and 375
Designed: Hastings, - St Clement, Halton (1839 - dem)
F Preedy
Frederick Preedy (1820-1898) came of a family that included numerous clergy, but his father was a distributor of stamps in Worcestershire. The son trained as an architect and later took up painting, possibly at the instigation of his cousin Henry le Strange, whose best known work is the decoration of the nave roof at Ely cathedral. This new skill led to designing stained glass and his earliest glass from the early 1850s is to be found in Worcester. It was made by George Rogers, a local glassmaker, but after a dispute over a window for Worcester cathedral he learned the craft himself and is the only known Victorian architect who made his own glass, though F Marrable may have painted a window for St Mary Magdalene, Hastings. He was active as an architect in Worcester and despite a move to London in 1859, remained so until he retired to Croydon. He lived and worked in York Place, St Marylebone. As well as his one window in a Sussex parish church, Preedy designed the east one of the chapel at Sackville College, East Grinstead. He made glass for W Butterfield, but they appear to have quarrelled. His liking for Old Testament subjects was unusual in his day.
Lit: G Barnes: Frederick Preedy, Architect and Glass Painter, Gloucester, 1984; H Kerney: The Stained Glass of Frederick Preedy, 2001; BAL Biog file
Glass: Peasmarsh
E J Prest
Edward Jenkins Prest (1857-1934), though born in Cornwall, joined Shrigley and Hunt in Lancaster as a draughtsman in 1883 and in 1891 was a manager. In 1901 he was living in Haverstock Hill, Hampstead and had set himself up as an artist in stained glass, with commercial premises in Craven Street, Charing Cross (KD/L). This may not have been a success, for by 1903 he had given up the premises in Craven Street and though he was listed at Haverstock Hill in KD/L until 1908, in 1907 he was negotiating with Shrigley and Hunt about a return. In the event he seems to have continued in London, though he is missing from directories until 1915, when he is listed care of the London office of J Hall and Co of Bristol, for whom he is known to have worked. This arrangement lasted until 1924, after which Prest again disappears from directories, possibly because he had retired. At Hurst Green he called himself painter and decorator, showing his interests were wider than only glass.
Glass: Amberley
Fitting: Hurst Green, decorative scheme of chancel.
H F Price ---- Grosholz
Hans Fowler Price (1835/36-1912) was born in Bristol and was a pupil of T D Barry. He started to practice in the new resort of Weston-super-Mare, where he married the daughter of the solicitor to the main landowner and developer of the town. In consequence, his buildings there, both public and private and in a variety of styles, have determined much of the appearance of the town down to the present. In addition, he designed nonconformist chapels around Bristol and cemeteries elsewhere. This may explain his restorations of two churches in different areas of Sussex. Grosholz was the first of various partners and is only known in 1875-77. KD/Somerset 1875 and BA 4 (27 Nov 1875) p vii) confirm the unusual name (also found as Gropholz), but he is otherwise unknown. There are references between 1883 and 1897 to a second partner, W H Wooler, and from c1900 Price's partner became William Jane, who took over the practice – by 1914 it was Jane and Fry; Fry was probably P G Fry, who was also active in Weston-super-Mare, where he designed at least one church.
Lit: BAL Biog file for Price
Restored: Brede (1867-68); Cowfold (1876-77)
D H S Prince
Dorian H S Prince is named on the church website as architect of the first extension to St Nicholas, Middleton. Although described as ARIBA, there is no record of him and the extension is ascribed in contemporary parish records to C D Smith, who also had the unusual first name of Dorian. Some confusion or misreading of names seems likely.
Extended: Middleton (1949 - attr)
G E Pritchett
George Edward Pritchett (1824-1912) was the son of an Essex rector and had a practice in Bishops Stortford from 1849 and later also in London. His father had taught at the Charterhouse and sent his son there; Pritchett afterwards became its Architect and Surveyor. In 1861 he was elected ARIBA and then FRIBA within three months. He restored and built many churches in Essex and adjacent counties.
Lit: BAL Biog file; Obit: The Builder 102 p283
Restored: Cocking (1896)
P E V Pritchett
See under J D Clarke and Partners.
C Procaccini
Camillo Procaccini (c1560-1629) was born in Bologna, but as a young man settled in Milan, where his paintings span the period during which mannerism gave way to the baroque. They included both frescoes and easel paintings and are to be found both in the city and other parts of Lombardy.
Painting: Twineham
E A F Prynne
Edward Alfred Fellowes Prynne (1854-1921) was the elder brother of the better known G H F Prynne (see immediately below), with whom he shared a High Anglican upbringing and with whom he sometimes worked. He trained in London and Antwerp, before travelling in Italy and produced portraits and genre paintings in a late Pre-Raphaelite idiom that owes much to Sir E Burne-Jones. He designed stained glass for J Jennings and P Bacon and decorative schemes for churches. In 1901 he was living in Ealing after moving from Worcestershire.
Obit: The Builder 122 pp6, 84
Glass: Pagham
Fittings: Arundel (reredos - attr); Brighton and Hove, - St Peter, reredos (painted panels); East Grinstead, - St Mary, Reredos panels; Hadlow Down, painting
G H F Prynne
George Halford Fellowes Prynne (unlike his descendants he did not hyphenate the last two parts of his name) (1853-1927) was the son of a Tractarian vicar in Devon, who spent some years as a frontiersman in the USA, where he went since his father could not afford the university education necessary to seek ordination, his earliest wish. After a time in Canada, where he worked in an architect's office, he returned to Britain in 1875, where he was able to join the office of G E Street, an acquaintance of his father. He went into practice on his own in 1880 and became a successful designer and restorer of churches, mainly in the more respectable new suburbs and towns of the era. Many of his churches display certain mannerisms, including a weakness for triple arches and a liking for polychromy inside, though this is a feature usually associated with mid-Victorian architects. Few of his major churches were completed, a common situation for church architects of his time. He was also interested in fittings with a liking for polished brass. He was connected with the ICBS and also Oxford Diocesan Architect.
Lit: R Sharville: George Fellowes Prynne (1853-1927): a Dedicated Life, ET 42 (June 2010) pp103-20; www.gfp.sharville.org.uk; BAL Biog file
Designed/rebuilt: Bognor, - St Wilfrid (1908); Hadlow Down (1913)
Restored: Arundel (1893)
Fittings: Brighton and Hove, - St Peter, reredos; East Grinstead, - St Mary, reredos; Flimwell, screen and other fittings (attr); Ticehurst, altar and screen (latter attr)
A W N Pugin
Augustus Welby Northmoor Pugin (1812-52) was the son of A C Pugin, an architect of French descent, and a British mother. He was precociously gifted as a draughtsman and designer. He converted to Roman Catholicism in 1835 after intensive study of mediaeval (i e gothic) architecture. Ironically, this meant that he had little to do with the restoration of such churches (which were all Anglican) and the new ones he built were almost all Catholic. He was a gifted polemicist, whose Contrasts (1834) and True Principles of Pointed or Christian Architecture (1841) were highly influential on the Ecclesiologists, though his work on Sir C Barry’s new Palace of Westminster did not follow his preference for the C14 - he produced much of the detail, but in the Perp style. Pugin became famous and was overwhelmed with work, which contributed to his early death. Other factors were disagreements over the direction to be taken by the emergent Catholic church in England and personal tragedy. He was largely instrumental in reviving the design and making of stained glass in accordance with what he and his contemporaries saw as mediaeval principles. His earliest glass was made variously by W Warrington, W Wailes and T Willement, but he soon moved to J Hardman and Co, for whom he also designed many fittings.
Lit: P Atterbury and C Wainwright (eds): Pugin: A Gothic Passion, 1994; S A Shepherd: The Stained Glass of A W N Pugin, 2009; P Stanton: Pugin, 1971
Fitting: Etchingham, tiles
Glass: Brighton and Hove, - St Paul; Staplefield (gone); West Lavington
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