Edmund Sharpe

Edmund Sharpe
Born	31 October 1809 Knutsford, Cheshire
Died	8 May 1877 Milan
Nationality	English
Occupation(s)	Architect, engineer

Edmund Sharpe (31 October 1809 – 8 May 1877) was an English architect and engineer. He started his career as an architect, initially on his own, then in partnership with Edward Paley, designing mainly churches but also some secular buildings. In 1851 he resigned from his architects' practice and spent the rest of his life as an engineer, being involved mainly with the building of railways.

Early life

He was born in Knutsford, Cheshire, the only son of Francis and Martha Sharpe. He was educated at Greenwich, Sedbergh School and St John's College, Cambridge graduating B.A. in 1833 and M.A. in 1836. He gained a travelling scholarship in 1832 and visited France and Germany studying Romanesque and early Gothic architecture. He settled in Lancaster, Lancashire in 1835 where he practiced as an architect for 15 years. In 1843 he married Elizabeth Fletcher and with her had five children.

Career

One of his students was Edward Graham Paley who joined him as a partner in 1845. Together, as Sharpe and Paley, they designed nearly 40 new churches, including two all-terracotta churches, and some secular buildings which included Capernwray Hall, the remodelling of Hornby Castle and Ince Hall, Cheshire. He took part in civic life in Lancaster, serving as a councillor from 1841 and as mayor in 1848–49. During this time he became involved in sanitation and played an important part in implementing the first Public Health Act in Lancaster.

In 1850 he purchased the Phoenix foundry in Lancaster and the following year ceased work as an architect. He had been involved in the promotion of railways since the 1830s and in 1856 he moved to live near Betws-y-Coed, Caernarvonshire. There he organised the building of the Conway-Llanrwst railway. He was appointed J.P. for Lancashire and for Denbighshire in 1859. From 1863 to 1866 Sharpe lived abroad, where he constructed a horse-drawn tramway in Geneva and the Perpignan-Prades railway in France. He acquired property and iron mines on the continent but moved back to Lancaster in 1867.

During his life Sharpe published a number of works on medieval architecture. He had become a fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1848 and was given their gold medal in 1875. He was also a member of the Archaeological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. While gathering material on the continent for further writings he died in Milan and was buried at Lancaster cemetery. A memorial to his memory is in St Paul's Church, Scotforth, which he designed in 1874, 23 years after retiring from his architectural practice.

Major architectural works

This includes works by Sharpe alone and in partnership with Paley

1830s

Works Location Comments Dates Ref. Listing Feniscowles Parish Church Blackburn, Lancashire 1836 II St Mark's Church Blackburn 1836–38 II Walton Hall Walton, Cheshire For Gilbert Greenall. Elizabethan style country house 1836–38 II St Saviour's Church Cuerdon, Lancashire 1837 II Holy Trinity Church Blackburn Commissioners' Church 1837–49 II Christ Church Chatburn, Lancashire 1838 II St John the Evangelist's Church Dukinfield, Greater Manchester Commissioners' Church 1838–40 II St George's Church Stalybridge, Greater Manchester Commissioners' Church 1838–40 II Holy Trinity Church Bickerton, Cheshire 1839 II Christ Church Walmsley, Bolton, Greater Manchester 1839–40 II St Paul's Church Farington, Lancashire Commissioners' Church 1839–40 II St Catherine's Church Scholes, Wigan Commissioners' Church 1839–41 II 1840s Works Location Comments Dates Ref. Listing St James' Church Burnley, Lancashire 1840 II St John the Evangelist's Church Bretherton, Chorley, Lancashire 1840 II St Peter's Church Mawdesley, Chorley 1840 II St Thomas' Church Lancaster, Lancashire With Edward Paley 1840–41 II Holy Trinity Church Morecambe, Lancashire Rebuilt 1841 II St Bridget's Church Beckermet, Cumbria 1842 II St Stephen's and All Martyrs' Church Bolton, Greater Manchester Terracotta church 1842–45 II* St Mary's Church Knowsley, Merseyside Nave, aisles and west tower. Later additions by Edward Paley, Hubert Austin and Henry Paley 1843–44 II Grand Theatre Lancaster Bought, altered and re-opened as "The Music Hall" 1843 II Capernwray Hall Over Kellet, Lancaster Country house 1844 II* St Michael's Church Kirkham, Lancashire Tower and spire added 1844 II* Holy Trinity Church Rusholme, Manchester Terracotta church 1845–46 II* All Saints Church Wigan With Edward Paley 1845–50 St Mary's Church Conistone North Yorkshire Rebuilding of older church 1846 II St Peter's Church Bishopston, Darlington County Durham Largely rebuilt and north aisle and tower added 1846–47 II St Nicholas' Church St Helens, Merseyside With Edward Paley 1848–49 II Windermere House Lancaster, Lancashire Girls' charity school, now offices 1849 II St Thomas' Church Coventry 1849 II Hornby Castle Hornby, Lancashire With Edward Paley. Southwest front remodelled in Gothic style 1849–52 I 1850s Works Location Comments Dates Ref. Listing St Wilfrid's Church Davenham, Cheshire Tower 1850 II* St Saviour's Church Kearsley, Greater Manchester With Paley 1850–54 II Royal Lancaster Grammar School Lancaster, Lancashire With Paley 1851–55 II St Patrick's Church Preston Patrick, Cumbria On site of earlier church 1852 II St Thomas' Church Lancaster, Lancashire Chancel and steeple added 1852–53 II Christ Church Bacup, Lancashire With Paley 1854 II Dalton Castle Dalton, Cumbria Remodelled 1856 I 1870s Works Location Comments Dates Ref. Listing St Paul's Church Scotforth, Lancaster 1874 II

Feniscowles Parish Church Holy Trinity Church, Blackburn St Bridget's Church, Beckermet Capernwray Hall St Michael's Church, Kirkham St Saviour's Church, Kearsley Royal Lancaster Grammar School

Publications

• Architectural Parallels (1848)

References

Bibliography

• Hartwell, Clare (2004). The Buildings of England: Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 0 300 10583 5. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
• Pevsner, Nikolaus (2002) [1969]. The Buildings of England: North Lancashire. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 0 300 09617 8. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• Pevsner, Nikolaus (2003) [1971]. The Buildings of England: Cheshire. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 0 300 09588 0. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
• Pollard, Richard (2006). The Buildings of England: Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West. New Haven & London: Yale University Press. ISBN 0 300 10910 5. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

See also

• Sharpe, Paley and Austin

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