Edmund Sharpe
Edmund Sharpe was an influential English architect, architectural historian, and railway engineer, whose innovative designs and civic contributions left a lasting mark on 19th-century England. Born in Knutsford, Cheshire, he received a comprehensive education before graduating from Cambridge University, which led to a scholarship that allowed him to study architecture in Germany and southern France. In 1835, he established an architectural practice in Lancaster, where he became known for his pioneering use of terracotta in church construction, exemplified by his design of St Stephen and All Martyrs' Church in Lever Bridge. His partnership with Edward Paley in 1845 further solidified his reputation, as they worked on various ecclesiastical and secular projects, including schools and residential buildings. In addition to his architectural endeavors, Sharpe played a significant role in railway engineering, contributing to the development of railways in north-west England and beyond. After resigning from his architectural practice in 1851, he focused on railway projects in North Wales, Switzerland, and southern France, before returning to England in 1866. Beyond his professional achievements, Sharpe was actively involved in local governance, serving as a town councillor and mayor of Lancaster, where he advocated for improved sanitation and water supply. His multifaceted talents extended to music and sports, reflecting his engagement with the cultural and civic life of his community. Sharpe's legacy endures through his architectural innovations and his commitment to public service.
Famous Quotes
View all 4 quotes“It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then the dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she just began to move in,”
“A true natural aristocracy is not a separate interest in the state, or separable from it. It is an essential integrant part of any large body rightly constituted. It is formed out of a class of legitimate presumptions, which taken as generalities, must be admitted for actual truths. To be bred in a place of estimation; to see nothing low and sordid from one’s infancy; to be taught to respect one’s self; to be habituated to the censorial inspection of the public eye; to look early to public opinion; to stand upon such elevated ground as to be enabled to take a large view of the wide-spread and infinitely diversified combinations of men and affairs in a large society; to have leisure to read, to reflect, to converse; to be enabled to draw the court and attention of the wise and learned wherever they are to be found;”
“The French have such an attractive civilization, dedicated to calm pleasures and general tolerance, and their taste in every domain is so sharp, so sure, that the foreigner (especially someone from chaotic, confused America) is quickly seduced into believing that if he can only become a Parisian he will at last master the art of living.””
