John Talbot, 16th Earl of Shrewsbury (1791 – 1852), campaigned hard for the rights of Catholics both in Britain and Ireland. He objected to laws, such as the Test Act, that required holders of public office to swear oaths renouncing Catholic doctrine.
Writing in 1828, he lamented that ‘The Catholic Peer is defrauded of his hereditary rights; the Catholic commoner, of the opportunities which wealth or talent might afford him to serve his country, in situations of honour and of trust.’
John Talbot was a generous benefactor of the Church. In 1851 he offered to pay for the building of a cathedral for the new Shrewsbury Diocese and commissioned Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (1812 – 1852), a convert to the faith and his favourite architect, to design it.
Initial drawings were made for the Cathedral, but then tragedy struck. Pugin died on 14th September 1852; followed shortly after by the Earl on the 9th November.
The Earl’s heir, his cousin Bertram Talbot (1832 – 1856), then only 20 years old; decided to carry on with the project and so became the founder of the Cathedral. He gave the commission to Pugin’s 18-year old son. Edward Welby Pugin (1834 – 1875).
It is hard for us to imagine someone so young taking on such a project, however Edward Pugin had started work in his father’s office at the age of seven and was already a competent designer and architect: fully acquainted with his father’s style and high standard of craftsmanship.
As one of Edward’s first solo projects, Shrewsbury Cathedral was an important step in his career. He had not yet developed his own personal style that he was to achieve a few years later. The style remains that of AW Pugin.
The Cathedral site, however, presented unexpected challenges which formed Edward to make substantial modifications.
The ground would not support so large a building or so high a spire (detailed in the original watercolour by Edward Pugin, opposite) A smaller footprint was designed and the spire, replaced by a bell-cote (a feature Pugin used on many churches subsequently).
Shrewsbury Cathedral opened with a Mass on 29th November 1856; celebrated by Bishop James Brown and a sermon preached by Cardinal Wiseman.
Others present were Archbishop Everington, the Bishops of Birmingham, Salford and Nottingham, clergy from the Diocese; as well as the Mayor of Shrewsbury and other dignitaries.
Lighting was provided by a series of gas mantles.
(picture is from the 1956 Centenary celebrations)
A number of additions have been made to the interior since the Cathedral opened in 1856. The Sacred Heart Chapel by J A Pippet (Hardman & Co, Birmingham), was erected in 1885, as one of the Diocesan memorials to Bishop Brown and fitted throughout by offerings of the congregation.
An inscription: ‘To the beloved memory of Rt. Rev James Brown, 1st Bishop of this See 1851-1881. His ever grateful children the Pastor and flock of his Cathedral Church’.
In 1901 Edmund Kirkby‘s St. Winefride’s (one of the Patron Saints of Shrewsbury) Chapel was added. In 1906, he built a new Central Porch to commemorate the opening of the Cathedral.
The Cathedral remained largely untouched up until the 1950’s, when F. X. Verlade, well known for Cathedral Church architecture, and the brother of Rev. Raphael Verde, a one-time curate at the Cathedral, was appointed to carry out the alterations: namely completely repainting the Cathedral and the moving forward of the altar rail.
Shrewsbury Cathedral is famous for its stained glass by the acclaimed artist, Margaret Rope (1882-1953). Rope was born in Shrewsbury and studied stained glass at Birmingham School of Art in 1900.
Her first commission from the Cathedral was for the Great West Window, unveiled in February 1910, which depicts some of the English martyrs.
The Baptistery Window, Soldier Window, The Seminary Martyrs Window (including a red bus!), St. Laurence Window, Visitation Window and St. Ambrose Window, located in the vestry, were subsequently commissioned.
Of immense character, Margret was a cheroot-smoking, motorcyclist; but in 1923, her direction changed and she became a Camelite Nun, based in East Anglia. She continued, as a prolific stained glass artist, for churches both in England and in other parts of the world.
Her creative talent, coupled with a deep knowledge of the Catholic faith, ensured symbolism and moving descriptives of the courage and faith of the saints were brilliantly and accurately captured.
Rope always incorporated elements of the local area, such as the hills, flowers and birds. Some of the faces on her works, are based on people she knew.
The seven windows by Margaret Rope in the Cathedral, are considered to be some of her best works.
The majority of changes were made as a result of the reordering of the Cathedral, which followed the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965).
Reordering took place in many Catholic Churches across the country, for what were felt at the time to be good reasons.
Looking back, some of the lost decoration is regrettable and unnecessary. The majority of the fine fixtures and fittings of the Cathedral remain.
Notable changes included:
The walls of the Sacred Heart Chapel, the chancel arch and sanctuary – once highly decorated with hand-painted designs in the Pugin manner, were whitewashed prior in 1956.
The sanctuary ceiling decoration was retained. The altar rails, made by Hardman & Co to a design by A W Pugin were removed. The font was removed to the back of the Cathedral to replace the pulpit; which, in turn, was replaced by a plainer model.
The high altar was reduced and a new freestanding one installed. This required some changes to the floor, and so the tiles and marble steps were carpeted over. The bishops throne was reduced and the tabernacle from the high altar was also removed and placed on a new stone plinth in the St. Winefride Chapel. The statues of Mary & Joseph were relocated to the rear of the nave and all the oak pews were replaced with wooden chairs.
(Picture shows the 1980’s reordering of Shrewsbury Cathedral)
In 2019, it was decided by Bishop Mark Davies that the Cathedral’s interior would be restored to its original state. The resulting programme of conservation work in the Cathedral found a series of 19th century wall paintings by Joseph Aloysius Pippet.
The paintings had been hidden under two layers of paint from previous refurbishments in the 1950’s, described by Sophie Andreae, of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, as “unsympathetic”. It is hoped that the paintings can be restored to their former glory, as well as the altar rails and pews to be reinstalled in-situ. The works are currently ongoing and updates are posted, periodically, onto the Cathedral’s Facebook page
