List of new ecclesiastical buildings by J. L. Pearson facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

John Loughborough Pearson (1817–1897) was a famous English architect. He mostly designed churches. Pearson was born in Brussels, which was then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. He grew up in Durham, England.

Pearson started learning about architecture with Ignatius Bonomi in Durham. He became Bonomi's main helper. In 1841, he moved to London and lived there for the rest of his life. He worked for other architects like Anthony Salvin and Philip Hardwick. His first church design was a small one in Ellerker, East Riding of Yorkshire. This helped him start his own architecture business.

What Kind of Buildings Did He Design?
Where Did He Work?
His Design Style
His Legacy
Understanding Building Grades
Some of His Important Buildings
See also

What Kind of Buildings Did He Design?

Pearson designed many new churches, from small country churches to big city ones. One of his most famous works is St Augustine's Church in Kilburn, London. It's often called his "masterpiece."

Towards the end of his life, he designed two new cathedrals: Truro Cathedral in Cornwall, England, and Brisbane Cathedral in Australia. The Brisbane Cathedral was built after he died, and his son, Frank, oversaw the work.

Pearson also worked on existing churches. He added new parts, changed old ones, or helped restore them. He worked on many cathedrals, including Lincoln, Peterborough, Bristol, Rochester, Leicester, and Gloucester.

He didn't just design churches! Pearson also created other types of buildings. These included schools, houses for vicars (church leaders), small homes, and even large country houses like Quarwood in Gloucestershire. He designed Two Temple Place in London as an office for a wealthy person named William Waldorf Astor. Pearson also designed buildings for Sidney Sussex College and Emmanuel College at Cambridge University.

Where Did He Work?

Most of Pearson's buildings are in England. He worked on at least 210 church buildings there! But he also worked in other places. For example, he designed Treberfydd, a country house in Wales, and Holy Trinity Church in Ayr, Scotland.

Further away, besides Brisbane Cathedral in Australia, he designed a chapel for a cemetery in Malta.

His Design Style

Pearson almost always used the Gothic Revival style. This style brings back the look of medieval Gothic churches with their pointed arches and tall spires. However, he sometimes used other styles. For example, he used Tudor Revival at Two Temple Place and Jacobean at Lechlade Manor in Gloucestershire. For the cemetery chapel in Malta, he mixed Romanesque Revival and Gothic Revival styles.

His Legacy

Pearson received the Royal Gold Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1880. This is a very important award for architects.

His son, Frank Loughborough Pearson, worked with him and finished some of his projects after his death. Frank then continued his own architecture career. John Loughborough Pearson died at his home in London and was buried in Westminster Abbey, a very famous church. He left behind a large sum of money, showing how successful he was.

This list shows some of Pearson's most important new church designs. Many of them are listed as important historical buildings in England.

Understanding Building Grades

Buildings in England are given special "grades" to show how important they are historically or architecturally.

Grade I: These are buildings of amazing interest, sometimes known around the world.
Grade II*: These are very important buildings, more special than just "special interest."
Grade II: These are buildings important to the country and have special interest.

In Scotland, buildings are given "categories":

Category A: These are buildings of national or international importance, either for their architecture or history, or they are great examples of a certain time, style, or building type.

Some of His Important Buildings

Name	Location	Photograph	Date	Notes	Grade
St Anne	Ellerker, East Riding of Yorkshire	St Anne's Church, Ellerker	1843–44	A simple church with a nave (main part), chancel (area around the altar), and a west bellcote (small bell tower).	II
Wauldby Chapel	Welton, East Riding of Yorkshire	Wauldby Chapel	1844	A chapel behind Wauldby Manor Farm in Gothic Revival style.	II
All Saints	North Ferriby, East Riding of Yorkshire	All Saints Church, North Ferriby	1845–48	A limestone church with a west tower topped by a broach spire (a spire rising from a square tower without a break).	II
St Mary	Ellerton, East Riding of Yorkshire	St Mary's Church, Ellerton	1846–48	A stone church with a nave, south porch, chancel with a north vestry (room for clergy), and a west bellcote.	II
St James	Weybridge, Surrey	St James's Church, Weybridge	1848	An additional south aisle (side part of a church) was added in 1864.	II*
St Matthew	Landscove, Devon	St Matthew's Church, Landscove	1849–50	A stone church in Decorated style. It has a tower at the east end of the south aisle with a broach spire.	II*
St Gastyn	Llangasty Tal-y-llyn, Llangors, Powys, Wales	St Gastyn's Church, Llangasty Tal-y-llyn	1850	Rebuilt an older church on the same spot. It's in Early English style with a west tower.	II*
St Mary	Broomfleet, East Riding of Yorkshire	St Mary's Church, Broomfleet	1857–61	A limestone church with a north tower.	II
St Peter's, Vauxhall	Lambeth, Greater London	St Peter's Church, Vauxhall	1863–64	Built with different colored bricks and stone, it has an apsidal chancel (a rounded end to the chancel).	II*
Christ Church	Appleton-le-Moors, North Yorkshire	Christ Church, Appleton-le-Moors	1863–65	A limestone church with a southeast tower topped by a pyramid-shaped spire.	I
St Joan and St Petroc	Devoran, Cornwall	St Joan and St Petroc, Devoran	1865	Built with slatestone and granite, the church has a very steep southwest steeple.	II
St Bartholomew	Eastoft, North Lincolnshire	St Bartholomew, Eastoft	1855	A sandstone church with a nave, aisles, a south porch, a chancel with a north vestry, and a tall triple bellcote.	II
St Mary	Catherston Leweston, Dorset	St Mary's Church, Catherston Leweston	1857–58	A small church made of chert (a type of stone) and stone, with a nave, chancel, north vestry, and a bellcote on the west gable (the triangular part of a wall).	II*
St Leonard	Scorborough, East Riding of Yorkshire	St Leonard's Church, Scorborough	1857–59	Built for Lord Hotham.	I
St Mary	South Dalton, East Riding of Yorkshire	St Mary's Church, South Dalton	1858–61	Built for the 3rd Lord Hotham.	I
St Peter	Daylesford, Gloucestershire	St Peter's Church, Daylesford	1860	Rebuilt an older church, using some of its original parts. It has a cruciform (cross-shaped) plan with a central tower.	I
St John the Evangelist	Rhydymwyn, Flintshire, Wales	St John the Evangelist, Rhydymwyn	1860–63	Built with different colored stones and a west bellcote.	II*
St James	Titsey, Surrey	St James's Church, Titsey	1861	A stone church with a southeast tower topped by a shingled spire.	II*
St John the Evangelist	Sutton Veny, Wiltshire	St John the Evangelist, Sutton Veny	1866–68	A new church to replace a ruined one nearby. It's a large cross-shaped church with a steeple at the crossing (where the nave and transepts meet).	I
St Helen	Hemsworth, West Yorkshire	St Helen's Church, Hemsworth	1867	Almost completely rebuilt an older church, keeping some medieval parts. It's made of sandstone and has a west tower.	II
St Mary	Freeland, Oxfordshire	St Mary's Church, Freeland	1869	A limestone church with an apsidal chancel and a north tower.	II*
All Saints	Mudeford, Dorset	All Saints Parish Church, Mudeford	1869	A small church made of red brick with stone details. It has an east bellcote. The church was badly damaged by fire in 2022.	II
St Augustine	Kilburn, Greater London	St Augustine's Church, Kilburn	1870–77	A red brick church with stone details. It has a northwest steeple with pinnacles (small pointed towers).	I
Christ Church	Crowton, Cheshire	Christ Church, Crowton	1871	A sandstone church with a red tiled roof and a double bellcote on the west gable.	II
All Saints	Speke, Liverpool, Merseyside	All Saints Church, Speke	1872–75	A simple stone church with a southwest steeple and a broach spire.	II
Holy Trinity	Wentworth, South Yorkshire	Holy Trinity Church, Wentworth	1872–76	A new church replacing a ruined one nearby. It has a cross-shaped plan with a central steeple.	II*
St Mary	Chute Forest, Wiltshire	St Mary's Church, Chute Forest	1875	A church made of flint with brick details and tiled roofs. On the south side is a tower with a tall pyramid-shaped spire.	II*
All Saints	Haywood, Moss, South Yorkshire	All Saints Church, Haywood	1875	A limestone church with red tiled roofs and a west steeple.	II
St Theodore	Port Talbot, West Glamorgan, Wales	St Theodore's Church, Port Talbot	1895–97	This church replaced an earlier small chapel. It's made of sandstone with Bath stone details and has a Sanctus bellcote; a planned tower was never built.	II*
Kirk Braddan	Braddan, Isle of Man	Kirk Braddan, Isle of Man	1871-73	A new church built to replace an older one nearby. It's made of brick, covered with local stone, and has an apsidal chancel and a south tower. The original wooden spire blew down twice!	—
St Nicholas	Porton, Wiltshire	St Nicholas Parish Church, Porton	1876–77	A flint church with brick details and tiled roofs. On the west gable is a bellcote.	II
St Nicholas	Upper Chute, Wiltshire	St Nicholas Church, Upper Chute	1876–79	A new church made of flint with brick details and slate roofs. It has a southwest tower with a broach spire.	II
St Margaret	Horsforth, Leeds, West Yorkshire	St Margaret's Parish Church, Horsforth	1877–83	The spire was finished later in 1902 by J. B. Frazer.	II
St John	Norley, Cheshire	St John the Evangelist's Church, Norley	1878–79	A sandstone church with a north transept (a part of a cross-shaped church that sticks out) and a central tower.	II*
St Mary	Dartington, Devon	St Mary's Church, Dartington	1878–80	A new church that reused parts from an older medieval church, with a west tower.	II*
St John the Evangelist	Upper Norwood, London	St John the Evangelist, Upper Norwood	1878–87	A red brick church with stone details in Early English style. It has two square towers with pyramid roofs at the west end.	II*
St Hugh	Sturton by Stow, Lincolnshire	St Hugh's Church, Sturton by Stow	1879	A brick church with an apsidal chancel and a bellcote at the east end of the nave.	II
St Alban the Martyr	Highgate, Birmingham	St Alban the Martyr, Birmingham	1879–81	A red brick church with a cross-shaped plan, an apsidal chancel, and a southwest tower.	II*
St George	Newbold Pacey, Warwickshire	St George the Martyr, Newbold Pacey	1880–82	Rebuilt a church that was destroyed by fire.	II*
St Michael and All Angels	Croydon Greater London	St Michael and All Angels, Croydon	1880–85	A red brick church with stone details. It has an apsidal chancel, two small turrets with spires near the east end, and another short spire over the crossing.	I
Truro Cathedral	Truro, Cornwall	Truro Cathedral	1880–1910	Building continued throughout Pearson's life and was finished by his son F. L. Pearson.	I
St Stephen	Bournemouth, Dorset	St Stephen's Church, Bournemouth	1881–97	The nave was built first, then the chancel, and the northwest tower was added later by Frank Pearson. It's a large stone church with transepts, a Lady chapel, a flèche (a slender spire) over the crossing, and small twin towers at the east end.	I
St Barnabas	Hove, East Sussex	St Barnabas' Church, Hove	1882–83	A cross-shaped church with an apsidal chancel and a flèche.	II*
St George	Cullercoats, North Tyneside	St George's Church, Cullercoats	1882–84	Built for the 6th Duke of Northumberland. A sandstone church with transepts and a tower on the south transept.	I
St Agnes	Liverpool, Merseyside	St Agnes and St Pancras, Toxteth Park	1883–85	A red brick church with stone details. The nave has two pairs of transepts, the chancel has an apse with an ambulatory (a walkway around the apse) and is flanked by turrets. Over the east crossing is a lead-covered flèche.	I
St Bartholomew	Thurstaston, Merseyside	St Bartholomew's Church, Thurstaston	1883–86	A sandstone church with tiled roofs in early Decorated style.	II*
All Saints	Torquay, Devon	All Saints Church, Torquay	1883–89	A church made of limestone with Bath stone details, in Decorated style.	II
St Matthew	Silverhill, Hastings, East Sussex	St Matthew's Church, Silverhill	1884	A new church, replacing one built in 1860.	II*
St Michael	Headingley, Leeds, West Yorkshire	St Michael and All Angels Church, Headingley	1884–85	A Gothic Revival church with a tall west steeple.	II*
St Peter	Hersham, Surrey	St Peter's Church, Hersham	1887	A cross-shaped church; the tower with its broach spire is at the northwest corner.	II
All Saints	Hove, East Sussex	All Saints Church, Hove	1889–91	A church made of sandstone. The east end was finished in 1901, and the base of the tower and the narthex (entrance hall) in 1924.	I
Fitzrovia Chapel	Westminster, Greater London	Fitzrovia Chapel	1891	It has a richly decorated Italian Gothic interior and a plainer German Gothic exterior. His son Frank finished it after his death. This used to be the chapel of the Middlesex Hospital.	II*
St John the Evangelist	Whetstone, Barnet, Greater London	St John the Evangelist, Whetstone	c. 1891	A church with transepts and flying buttresses (arches that support the walls) to the nave.	II*
Catholic Apostolic Church	Maida Avenue, Westminster, Greater London	Catholic Apostolic Church, Maida Avenue	1891–93	A church and caretaker's house made of brick and stone with tiled roofs. It has a cross-shaped plan and a separate tower at the southwest corner.	I
St Paul	Walsall, West Midlands	St Paul's Church, Walsall	1892–93	A sandstone church with tiled roofs.	II
St Paul	Daybrook, Gedling borough, Nottinghamshire	St Paul's Church, Daybrook	1892–96	The church was paid for by Sir Charles Seely, and has a southwest tower.	II*
Chapel, Ta' Braxia Cemetery	Gwardamanġa, Pietà, Malta	Ta' Braxia Cemetery Chapel	1893	A round chapel with a central dome, mixing Romanesque and Gothic features.	—
St Tydfil	Merthyr Tydfil, Wales	St Tydfil's Church, Merthyr Tydfil	1895–1901	A complete rebuilding of an older church on the site where St Tydfil was martyred in the 5th century. It's in Neo-Romanesque style with an apsidal chancel and a tall west tower.	II
St Mary	Freefolk, Hampshire	St Mary's Church, Freefolk	1896	A church made of flint with Bath stone details. It has a steeple on the south side that includes a chapel.	II
All Souls	South Ascot, Berkshire	All Souls, South Ascot	1896–97	A brick church with limestone details. It has a cross-shaped plan with a tower at the crossing.	II*
St Luke	Winnington, Cheshire	St Luke's Church, Winnington	1896–97	A brick church designed in the style of the 13th century.	—
St Mark	Barnet Vale, Barnet, Greater London	St Mark, Barnet Vale	1897–98	He designed the nave, north and south aisles, and the south porch in Perpendicular style. Other parts were added later by a different architect.	II
Holy Trinity	Ayr, Scotland	—	1897–1900	A new Episcopalian church built to replace an older one. It's made of cream stone and has narrow lancet windows (tall, narrow windows with pointed tops).	A
Chapel St Peter's Convent	Woking, Surrey	—	1898–1900	Designed with his son F. L. Pearson, and finished after his death. It's a building with eight bays (sections) and an apsidal east end.	II*
Brisbane Cathedral	Brisbane, Australia	St John's Cathedral, Brisbane	1906–2009	Designed in 1888, but building started after Pearson died. His son F. L. Pearson oversaw the work. It's in Gothic Revival style and has the only stone-vaulted roof in Australia.	—