Sir Charles Nicholson, 2nd Baronet

Sir Charles Archibald Nicholson, 2nd Baronet (27 April 1867 – 4 March 1949), was an English church architect.

He was the son of Sir Charles Nicholson, 1st Baronet, and brother of the stained glass artist Archibald Keightley Nicholson and of Sir Sydney Hugo Nicholson, organist at Westminster Abbey and founder of the Royal School of Church Music. He was married to Evelyn Louise Olivier (1866–1927), aunt of the actor Sir Laurence Olivier.^[1]

Nicholson lived in Blackheath until 1912, and then moved to Southend in Essex. He later moved to Headington in Oxford.^[2]

Career

Nicholson trained as an architect under J. D. Sedding until the latter died in 1891. For a short time Nicholson worked for Henry Wilson, but then set up his own practice. Hubert Corlette later joined him and was a partner until 1916. From 1920 Nicholson worked with Theodore Rushton.^[2]

Nicholson's works include 42 new churches, nine new chapels and work on nine cathedrals,^[2] including St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast where he was cathedral architect 1924–48.^[3] Numerous other churches were altered or restored to his designs, and he designed a large amount of church furnishings. Most of his work was in England, but he worked also in Wales, Northern Ireland, Jamaica and South Africa. He was also an accomplished watercolourist who exhibited at the Royal Academy on 32 occasions.^[2]

Nicholson's architectural works include::

• St Andrew's Vicarage, Totteridge, Hertfordshire (1892, Nicholson's first work)^[4]
• Chancel fittings for Christ Church, Chester (1900–10)^[5]
• Remodelling of Burton Manor, Cheshire (1902)^[6]
• Enlargement of Clifton College Chapel, Bristol (1909–10)^[7]
• Major alterations to St Oswald's Church, Guiseley, West Yorkshire (1910 etc.)^[8]
• Chernockehouse, Winchester, Hampshire (1910–12)^[9]
• St Luke's Church, Grimsby, Lincolnshire (1912)^[10]
• St Paul's Church, Halifax, West Yorkshire (1912)^[11]
• Restoration of All Saints' Church, Cadney, Lincolnshire (1912–14)^[12]
• New nave and chancel of St Lawrence's Church, Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire (1913)^[13]
• St John the Divine, Rastrick, West Yorkshire (1913)^[14]
• St Alban's church, Copnor, Hampshire (1914)^[15]
• St Michael's Church, Sutton Ings, East Riding of Yorkshire (1915)^[16]
• War memorial for St John's Church, Coleford, Gloucestershire (1918)^[17]
• North chapel of St Michael's Church, Basingstoke, Hampshire (1920)^[18]
• Chapel of the Resurrection and vestries for St James' Church, Grimsby, Lincolnshire (1920)^[19]
• Restoration of St Giles' Church, Oxford (1920)^[20]
• Enlargement of SS Philip and James' Church, Oxford (1920–21)^[21]
• Hornchurch war memorial, Essex (1921)^[22]
• Memorial Chapel of Rugby School, Warwickshire (1920)^[23]
• Church of St John the Evangelist, Long Eaton, Derbyshire (started 1922)^[24]
• Screen in the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Saffron Walden, Essex (1924)^[25]
• Church of the Ascension, Bitterne Park, Hampshire (1924–26)^[26]
• St Dunstan's Church, Bellingham Estate, Lewisham (1925)^[27]
• Restoration of Shrewsbury Castle, Shropshire (1926)^[28]
• Completion of St Matthew's Church, Southsea, Hampshire (1926, now the Church of the Holy Spirit)^[29]
• Chelmsford Cathedral: new east end (1926) and bishop's throne^[30]
• Chancel screen of St Margaret's Church, Bowers Gifford, Essex (1926)^[31]
• St Mary's church, Bournemouth (1926–34)^[32]
• St Michael and All Angels, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex (started 1926, completed after his death 1957)^[33]
• Chapel and library for St Boniface College, Warminster, Wiltshire (1927)
• Bishop's throne and stalls for Leicester Cathedral (1927)^[34]
• St Michael's Church, Castleford, West Yorkshire (1927–29)^[35]
• Altar and reredos of the Church of St Mary and St Cuthbert, Chester-le-Street, County Durham (1928)^[36]
• St John's Church, Stafford (started 1928, uncompleted)^[37]
• Enlargement of Church of St Laurence, Upminster, Essex (1928)^[38]
• New St Mary's Church, Frinton-on-Sea, Essex (1928–29)^[39]
• Restoration of St Mary's Church, Hamstead Marshall, Berkshire (1929)^[40]
• St Andrew's Church, Bromley (1929)^[41]
• West doors of St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast (1929)^[3]
• Stained glass east window for the Horner Chapel of St Andrew's Church, Mells, Somerset (1930)^[42]
• Seamen's home at Alton, Hampshire (1929–36)^[43]
• Restoration of Christ Church, Gosport, Hampshire (1930s)^[44]
• Lady Chapel of Norwich Cathedral (1930–32)^[45]
• St George's Church, Barkingside, Essex (1931)^[46]
• Rebuilding parts of SS Peter and Paul's Church, Fareham, Hampshire (1931–32)^[47]
• St John's Church, Dudley Wood, Staffordshire (now West Midlands, 1931)^[48]
• St Margaret's Church, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex (1931)^[33]
• St Peter's Church, St Helier, London (1932)^[49]
• Reredos and choir stalls of St Petroc's Church, Bodmin, Cornwall (1932)^[50]
• St Elizabeth's Church, Becontree, Essex (1932)^[51]
• Refurbishment of St Sepulchre-without-Newgate, London, 1932
• Residential block at Malling Abbey, Kent (1935)^[52]
• Screen of the north chapel of St Mary's Church, Droxford, Hampshire (1935)^[53]
• Sheffield Cathedral enlargement (1936)^[54] and bishop's throne (1937)^[55]
• St Thomas's Church, Camelford, Cornwall (1938)^[56]
• Enlargement of Portsmouth Cathedral (1938–39), Hampshire^[57]
• Restoration of Wakefield Cathedral (1939)^[58]
• Reredos in Lady Chapel of the Church of St Saviour-on-the-Cliff, Shanklin (1948)^[59]
• Monument to FH Lindley Meynell in Holy Angels Church, Hoar Cross, Staffordshire (1941)^[60]
• Roof decoration for St Mary's Church, Ketton, Rutland (completed in 1950 after his death)^[61]
• The roof of Alton Abbey, Hampshire^[43]
• Nave altar and railings for Lincoln Cathedral^[62]
• Altar, reredos and communion rails for St Michael's Church, Macclesfield, Cheshire^[63]
• Font cover for St Chad's Church, Stafford^[64]
• Pulpit for St Michael's Church, Stone, Staffordshire^[65]
• Grange Mansions, Totteridge, Hertfordshire^[66]
• Furnishings for the Essex Regiment Chapel at Warley Barracks, Little Warley, Essex^[67]
• The pulpit of St Andrew's Church, West Chelborough, Dorset^[68]
• Southend War Memorial, Essex^[69]
• Mosaic design for the Church of SS Mary and Nicholas, Wilton, Wiltshire^[70]
• Reredos for All Saints' Church, Wolverhampton^[71]

Notes

References and further reading

• Brodie, Antonia; Felstead, Alison; Franklin, Jonathan; Pinfield, Leslie, eds. (2001). Directory of British Architects 1834–1914. L–Z. London & New York: Continuum. ISBN 082645514X. 
• Bundock, Edwin (2013). Sir Charles Nicholson (1867–1949) Architect of Noble Simplicity. Jewel Tree Publications. 
• Lloyd, David W.; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2006). The Isle of Wight. The Buildings of England. London: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-10733-3. 
• Nairn, Ian; Pevsner, Nikolaus; Cherry, Bridget (revision) (1971) [1962]. Surrey. The Buildings of England (2nd ed.). Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-071021-3. 
• Newman, John (1969). North East and East Kent. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-071039-6. 
• Newman, John; Pevsner, Nikolaus (1972). Dorset. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-071044-2. 
• Pevsner, Nikolaus (1952). London. The Buildings of England. 2 Except the Cities of London and Westminster. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-071006-X. 
• Pevsner, Nikolaus (1958). Shropshire. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. 
• Pevsner, Nikolaus (1958). North Somerset and Bristol. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. 
• Pevsner, Nikolaus (1962). North-East Norfolk and Norwich. The Buildings of England. 1. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. 
• Pevsner, Nikolaus (1966). Berkshire. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. 
• Pevsner, Nikolaus (1972). Yorkshire: York & the East Riding. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-0710-43-4. 
• Pevsner, Nikolaus (1974). Staffordshire. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-071046-9. 
• Pevsner, Nikolaus; Cherry, Bridget (revision) (1975) [1963]. Wiltshire. The Buildings of England (2nd ed.). Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-0710-26-4. 
• Pevsner, Nikolaus; Cherry, Bridget (revision) (1977) [1953]. Hertfordshire. The Buildings of England (2nd ed.). Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-071007-8. 
• Pevsner, Nikolaus; Harris, John (1964). Lincolnshire. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. 
• Pevsner, Nikolaus; Hubbard, Edward (1971). Cheshire. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-071042-6. 
• Pevsner, Nikolaus; Lloyd, David (1967). Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. 
• Pevsner, Nikolaus; Radcliffe, Enid (revision) (1965) [1954]. Essex. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-0710-11-6. 
• Pevsner, Nikolaus; Radcliffe, Enid (revision) (1967) [1959]. Yorkshire the West Riding. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-071017-5. 
• Pevsner, Nikolaus; Radcliffe, Enid (revision) (1970) [1951]. Cornwall. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-071001-9. 
• Pevsner, Nikolaus; Wedgwood, Alexandra (1966). Warwickshire. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. 
• Pevsner, Nikolaus; Williamson, Elizabeth (revision) (1978) [1953]. Derbyshire. The Buildings of England (2nd ed.). Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-071008-6. 
• Pevsner, Nikolaus; Williamson, Elizabeth (revision) (1983) [1953]. County Durham. The Buildings of England (2nd ed.). Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-071009-4. 
• Pevsner, Nikolaus; Cherry, Bridget; O'Brien, Charles (2005). London 5: East. The Buildings of England. 5. London: Yale University Press. 
• Sherwood, Jennifer; Pevsner, Nikolaus (1974). Oxfordshire. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-071045-0. 
• Verey, David (1970). Gloucestershire: The Vale and the Forest of Dean. The Buildings of England. 2. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books.