The Transmission of Designs in 19th-century church architecture in Canada
Many aspects of the transmission of designs from British and Irish sources to what is now Canada are well understood. Architects like Frank Wills (1822-57), William Hay (1822-88) and Joseph Connolly (1840-1904) brought their expertise with them when they settled in the New World. Yet, work remains to be done on the nature of ongoing connections with the architecture of the old countries. This paper examines novel elements in the ‘Roman Renaissance’ Roman Catholic Churches of Joseph Connolly in Ontario as opposed to his Gothic revival works that depended strongly on the works of his mentor, James Joseph McCarthy (1817-82). What are the ongoing connections between Frank Wills (1822-57) and his mentor, John Hayward, and what of his knowledge of 13th-century French Gothic architecture? How dependent are the Anglican churches of Gordon W. Lloyd (1832-1904) in Ontario on those of his teacher, Ewan Christian (1814-95)? And, what do the Anglican churches of Henry Langley owe to the designs of George Gilbert Scott? Some thoughts will be offered on these questions.
