James Piers St Aubyn

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James Piers St Aubyn, an English architect of the Victorian era who was often referred to simply as J P St Aubyn was born at Powick Vicarage, Worcestershire, the home of his maternal grandfather, on 6 April 1815. St Aubyn was the second son of the Rev. Robert Thomas St Aubyn and his wife, Frances Fleming St John, and a cousin of Sir John St. Aubyn (later 1st Lord St. Levan) of St Michael's Mount. 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. He was articled to Thomas Fulljames (1808-74) 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, G.G. 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 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 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 J.L. Pearson: his designs for the Cathedral were published in Building News, 20 Dec. 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".

[edit] 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

[edit] 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

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

[edit] References

The Builder, 18 May 1895, p.380

Building News, 31 Jan 1890, p.186

RIBA Journal, vol.2, pp.653-4 (1895)