JAMES PIERS ST AUBYN

'James Piers St Aubyn' (1815 – 1895), often referred to simply as 'J P St Aubyn', was an English architect of the Victorian era, known for his church architecture and confident restorations.

Contents

Early life

Career

List of major works

Works after 1885 designed in partnership with H.J. Wadling

Church restorations

References

Early life

St Aubyn was born at Powick Vicarage, Worcestershire, in the English Midlands, the home of his maternal grandfather, on 6 April 1815. He was the second son of the Rev. Robert Thomas St Aubyn and his wife, Frances Fleming St John, and a cousin of John St Aubyn, 1st Baron St Levan, of St Michael's Mount, Cornwall. He was known to his family and friends by his second Christian name of Piers. He was educated at Penzance Grammar School before beginning his studies in architecture.

Career

He was articled to Thomas Fulljames (1808-1874) in Gloucester and acted as clerk of works for the latter’s Edwards College, South Cerney (Glos) in 1838-39. He was elected to the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1837, on the nomination of George Basevi, Edward Blore and William Railton, and became a Fellow of the Institute in 1856, proposed by Benjamin Ferrey, Giles Gilbert Scott, and F.C. Penrose. He twice served on the Council of the Institute (in 1858-60 and 1870-72). He was Surveyor to the Middle Temple in London from 1851 until 1885, and practised from Lambe Buildings in the Temple for much of his career. From c.1885 onwards, when he seems to have semi-retired, St. Aubyn worked in partnership with Henry John Wadling (d. 1918), who entered his office as a pupil in 1858 and remained as his assistant and managing clerk. St. Aubyn died on 7 May 1895 at Chy-au-Eglos, Marazion (Cornwall), and is buried on St. Michael’s Mount. H.J. Wadling succeeded to his practice, and continued to trade as “St. Aubyn & Wadling”.
St. Aubyn was undoubtedly assisted in developing his career by his family’s prominence in Devon and Cornwall, and particularly in Devonport, where they were the major landowners. He practised chiefly in London and developed a practice which extended all over southern England, but he also kept an office in Devonport for part of his career, and he was employed particularly extensively in Devon and Cornwall. Apart from this local connection, there are clusters of his work in Gloucestershire (no doubt deriving from his years in Fulljames’ office), Kent, Reading, Cambridgeshire and Leicestershire.
He was primarily a church architect, building a considerable number of new churches and undertaking even more restorations. His church work was firmly in the Gothic revival mainstream of his time, rarely departing from the forms and decoration of the Decorated period, and lacks much originality or flair. His churches at All Saints, Reading and St Mary, Tyndalls Park, Bristol, are notably similar. His restorations often amounted to wholesale or partial rebuilding, and were seen by later generations as unnecessarily brutal; Sir John Betjeman was among St Aubyn's 20th century detractors. St. Aubyn also designed a number of country houses, mostly in a rather cheerless early Gothic style. The one whimsical building he is known to have designed is the clock tower in the grounds of Abberley Hall, c. 1883. His greatest professional disappointment was his failure to secure the commission to build Truro Cathedral, which he lost by one vote to John Loughborough Pearson: his designs for the Cathedral were published in ''Building News'', Dec 20 1878. His most notable achievement was the restoration of St Michael's Mount, described by Nigel Nicolson as: "''among the greatest achievements of 19th century architecture''".

List of major works

ILLOGAN (CORNWALL): ST. ILLOGAN’S CHURCH, 1846
SIDDINGTON (GLOS): RECTORY, now Old Rectory, 1847
CERNEY WICK (GLOS): HOLY TRINITY CHURCH, 1847-48
STOKE CANON (DEVON): RECTORY, now Old Rectory, 1848-51
DEVONPORT (DEVON): ST. PAUL’S CHURCH, 1849; destroyed by enemy action, 1941
KEYHAM, DEVONPORT (DEVON): ST. JAMES THE GREAT CHURCH, 1849-51; damaged by enemy action, 1941; demolished 1958
ST MICHAEL’S MOUNT (CORNWALL) addition to S. court for Sir J. St. Aubyn, 1850
DEVONPORT (DEVON): ST. MARY’S CHURCH, 1850
HORSLEY (GLOS): VICARAGE (now Blackberry Hill), 1850-52; altered by A.W. Maberly, 1874
DEVONPORT (DEVON): ST STEPHEN’S CHURCH, 1852
DEVONPORT (DEVON): MARKET HOUSE, 1852
PENPONDS (CORNWALL): HOLY TRINITY CHURCH, 1854
PLYMOUTH (DEVON): ST. JAMES THE LESS CHURCH, CLARENDON PLACE, 1854-61
ENFIELD (MIDDX): ST JOHN’S CHURCH, CLAY HILL, 1857
LATCHINGDON (ESSEX): CHRIST CHURCH, 1857
DELAMORE HOUSE (DEVON), for Admiral George Parker, 1859-60 and 1876
MARAZION (CORNWALL): ALL SAINTS CHURCH, 1861
MIDDLE TEMPLE (LONDON): Goldsmith’s Building, 1861
TEMPLE CHURCH (LONDON), restoration, 1862
THRINGSTONE (LEICS): ST. ANDREW’S CHURCH, 1862
WIDFORD (ESSEX): ST. MARY’S CHURCH, 1862
PENTRE, NEWCHAPEL (PEMBS), remodelling for Col. A.H. Saunders-Davies at a cost of £5,000, 1863; mostly dem.; service wing survives
CROSS-IN-HAND (SUSSEX): ST BARTHOLOMEW’S CHURCH, 1863-64; enlarged 1901
MIDELNEY PLACE (SOMERSET) for E.B. Cely-Trevilian, 1863-66
DEVONPORT (DEVON): HADDINGTON ROAD BIBLE CHRISTIAN CHAPEL, 1864
GILLINGHAM (KENT): ST. MARK’S CHURCH, 1864-66
DITCHEAT (SOMERSET): THE ABBEY, ''attributed'', refronting and internal alterations for Rev. William Lier, 1864-68
REDRUTH (CORNWALL): ST STEPHEN’S CHURCH, TRELEIGH, 1865
SELSEY (SUSSEX): ST PETER’S CHURCH, 1865
TUCK HILL (SALOP): HOLY INNOCENTS CHURCH, 1865
READING (BERKS): ALL SAINTS CHURCH, DOWNSHIRE SQUARE, 1865-74
ST IVES (CORNWALL): ST JOHN THE EVANGELIST CHURCH, HALSE TOWN, 1866
BARKINGSIDE (MIDDX): HOLY TRINITY CHURCH, MOSSFORD GREEN, 1867
KENSINGTON (MIDDX): ST CLEMENT, NOTTING DALE, 1867-69
HARDWICKE (GLOS): GLEBE HOUSE (now Puddleduck Hall), 1870
BRISTOL (GLOS): ST. MARY’S CHURCH, WOODLAND ROAD, TYNDALLS PARK, 1870-81, notably similar to All Saints, Reading
MARISTOW (DEVON), chapel, 1871
GREENHURST (SURREY) for Thomas Lambert, 1871-74
CHALCOT HOUSE, DILTON MARSH (WILTS), alterations and extensions, 1872-76
MERSHAM-LE-HATCH (KENT), loggia, 1872
GALLEYWOOD COMMON (ESSEX): ST. MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS CHURCH, 1873
READING (BERKS): ST. GILES’ CHURCH, SOUTHAMPTON ST., rebuilding, 1873
ST MICHAEL’S MOUNT (CORNWALL) addition of SE wing for Sir J. St. Aubyn, 1874-80; further extended c.1930
BELSIZE PARK (MIDDX): ST. PETER’S CHURCH, addition of chancel and tower, 1875
SOUTHAMPTON (HANTS): ST. LUKE’S CHURCH, ONSLOW ROAD, NEWTOWN, chancel, 1875
MARSTON MONTGOMERY (DERBYS): ST. GILES’ CHURCH, nave, 1875-77
CLARE (SUFFOLK): VICARAGE, 1878
TRURO CATHEDRAL (CORNWALL): surveys of former St. Mary’s church and competition designs (unexecuted), 1878-80
PENTRE, NEWCHAPEL (PEMBS), private chapel as memorial to A.H. Saunders-Davies of Pentre, 1879; dem.; the font and pulpit now at Manordeifi church
WESTMINSTER (MIDDX): 33 ESSEX STREET, 1880, built in imitation of a house of c.1720
NOSS MAYO (DEVON): ST. PETER’S CHURCH, 1880-82, as replacement for Revelstoke church
ELY (CAMBS): THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE (now part of King’s School), 1881
PENCALENICK HOUSE, TRURO (CORNWALL), 1881
AYLESBURY (BUCKS): ST. JOHN’S CHURCH, CAMBRIDGE ST., 1881-83
MIDDLE TEMPLE (LONDON): new chambers on N. side of Brick Court, 1882, Tudor; altered c.1950 after bomb damage
READING (BERKS): ST. LUKE’S CHURCH, 1882
ST. GLUVAIS (CORNWALL): CHURCH, 1882-83
ROSE ASH (DEVON): ST. PETER’S CHURCH, 1882-92 (with Wadling)
ABBERLEY HALL (WORCS), alterations and clock tower for John Joseph Jones, an Oldham cotton magnate, c.1883
SILVERSTONE (NORTHANTS): ST. MICHAEL’S CHURCH, 1884
MIDDLE TEMPLE (LONDON): Garden Court, 1884-85, neo-Jacobean
GAMLINGAY HEATH CHURCH (CAMBS), 1885
GULVAL (CORNWALL): MISSION CHURCH OF ALL SAINTS, TRYTHALL, 1885
ANSTIE HOUSE (CORNWALL), n.d. and not located
DEVONPORT (DEVON): ST BARNABAS CHURCH, n.d.
ROUSHAM HOUSE (OXON), extension and restoration for Clement Upton-Cottrell-Dormer, 1870s

Works after 1885 designed in partnership with H.J. Wadling

TETWORTH (HUNTS): ST. SYLVESTER’S CHURCH, 1886
MUNTHAM, ITCHINGFIELD (SUSSEX), for Marquess of Bath, 1887
ELY (CAMBS): ST. PETER’S CHURCH, BROAD ST., 1890
SHERINGHAM (NORFOLK): ST PETER’S CHURCH, 1895, completed by Henry Wadling after his death

Church restorations

BEDFORDSHIRE: Ampthill, 1877
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE: Weston Turville, 1879; Marsh Gibbon, 1879-80; Maids Moreton, 1882-87; Stone, 1883-90
CAMBRIDGESHIRE: Soham, 1879-80; Gamlingay, 1880-81; Castle Camps, 1882; Little Abington, 1885; Little Gransden, 1885-88; Teversham, 1888-92
CORNWALL: Sennen, 1847; St. Agnes, 1848; Godolphin, 1849-51; Mawgan-in-Meneage, 1855; Kenwyn, 1860-62; Lesnewth, 1862-65; Lanivet, 1865; St. Keyne, 1868-77; Minster, 1869-71; Tintagel, 1870; Hessenford, 1870-71; St. Minver, 1870-75; St. Breock, 1880-82; Perranarworthal, 1884; Ludgvan, 1887-88; Mevagissey, 1887-88; Werrington, 1891; St. Germans, 1891-93; Gulval, 1892; Callington, date unknown; St. Issey, date unknown; Mabe date unknown (after 1866)
DERBYSHIRE: Duffield, 1846; Cubley, 1872-74
DEVON: Stoke Fleming, 1871; Dawlish, 1874; St. Giles-on-the-Heath, 1878
GLOUCESTERSHIRE: Daglingworth, 1845-51; South Cerney, 1861-62; Standish, 1867; Owlpen, 1874-75; Dursley, 1888-89
HAMPSHIRE: Sherborne St. John, 1854, 1866-84
HEREFORDSHIRE: Cusop, date unknown
KENT: Cliffe, 1864; Boughton-under-Blean, 1871; Lympne, 1878-80; Harbledown, 1880; Sheldwich, 1888
LEICESTERSHIRE: Whitwick, 1848-50; Holy Trinity, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, 1866; Ashby Parva, 1866; Appleby Magna, 1870-72; St. Helen, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, 1878-80
LINCOLNSHIRE: Theddlethorpe All Saints, 1885
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE: Maidwell, 1891
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE: Eakring, 1880-81
SUFFOLK: Little Glemham, 1857-58; Woolverstone, 1888-89; Sternfield, date unknown
SURREY: Addington, 1876

References

''The Builder'', 18 May 1895, p.380
''Building News'', 31 Jan 1890, p.186
''RIBA Journal'', vol.2, pp.653-4 (1895)