Henry John Paull

• Birth date            13 March 1831 at Worcester
• Baptism                7 December 1831 at Angel Street Congregational Church Worcester
• Marriage              1857 to Eleanor Bywater the only daughter of James Sargeant, of Leicester
• Died                       Oct-Dec 1888 at London

In 1848 Henry John Paull was articled to Hamilton and Medland, of Gloucester, and at the termination of articles he acted as clerk of works during the erection a temperance hall and hotel at Leicester, thereby gaining much valuable practical experience. In 1854 he became chief assistant to Samuel Sanders Teulon, and in January, 1856, commenced practice on his own account in London, removing in the following November to Cardiff. Here he remained for three years, rapidly establishing a thriving practice an entering into numerous competitions, in many of which he was successful, one of the early works being Rawdon Theological College, near Bradford. However, H J Paull was never easy. He rarely remained in one place for more than a few years and entered into a succession of relatively short-lived partnerships.

In 1860 H J Paull left Cardiff for Burnley, Lancashire, where he entered into partnership with Oliver Ayliffe. Paull and Ayliffe moved to Manchester in 1862, the partnership and Ayliffe’s career ending in July 1866. Next in 1867 H J Paull took as a partner George Thomas (Metz) Robinson (c.1827 -1897) of Wolverhampton, Manchester and London. Like Paull, Robinson had been a pupil of Hamilton and Medland in Gloucester. Together they carried out a very large number of churches, chapels, schools, and cemetery chapels. Two of the principal clients of the firm were Sir John Crossley, for whom the Crossley Orphanage was built, and Hugh Mason. Other important works of this kind were the Union Bank, Huddersfield; Albion Chapel and Schools and Oxford Works, Ashton-under-Lyne; Congregational Chapels at Stratford-on-Avon, Tenby, and the Shewell Memorial Chapel, Plymouth. This partnership effectively ended when the editor of the Manchester Guardian promoted G T Robinson from art critic to war correspondent to report the siege of Metz although it was not was formally dissolved until 1872.

in May 1873 G T Robinson was succeeded by Alfred Bickerdike, who maintained a branch office in London. Paull remained in Manchester until 1876 when he too moved to London. One of the principal works of this period was Christ Church, Westminster Bridge Road, erected for the Rev.  Newman Hall's congregation. The partnership with Alfred Bickerdike was dissolved in 1877, and two years later H J Paull was joined by Alfred Augustus Bonella. Their works together included Romsey Abbey Congregational Church; the High School for Boys, Plymouth, still under construction at the time of Paull’s death; Islington Congregational Chapel, Baptist Chapels at Woodberry Down, South Norwood, and Highgate; and the reconstruction of South Lodge, Regent's Park, for Mr C. J, Waller. During his career H J. Paull carried out numerous Nonconformist churches, chapels, and schools, all being in English or French  phases of Fourteenth Century Gothic ; but in his later works he adopted a Late Tudor treatment for domestic work. An accomplished draughtsman, his chief forte lay, perhaps, in his skilful planning,

He was elected a Fellow of the RIBA on 28 January 1867, proposed by E. Salomons, J. P. Seddon & G. T. Robinson. However, he rarely took part in its proceedings or in meetings, precluded by his affliction of deafness.

Paull Died in late 1888 after an illness of sixteen months. It was an event perhaps hastened by his financial difficulties and the bankruptcy proceeding commenced in the August of that year. He had married in 1857 Eleanor Bywater the only daughter of James Sargeant, of Leicester, who survived him, and by whom he left two daughters Eleanor Kate and Ethel, and one son, Alan Paull FSI by whom the practice was continued in conjunction with  AA Bonella, as Bonella and Paull.

Address
1848    Gloucester
1853    Leicester
1854    London (S S Teulon)
1856    10 Adam Street, Adelphi London (The Royal Academy Exhibitors)
1856    H J Paull 72 Crockherbtown Cardiff (Bristol Mercury 6 December 1856)
1858    H. J. Paull, 3, St. Mary Street, Cardiff
1861    Henry John, Paull architect. 5 Market Street Burnley
1863    Paull & Ayliffe India Buildings Cross Street, Manchester
1865    Paull & Ayliffe India Buildings 20 Cross Street
1868    Paull & Robinson, 1, St Peter's Square (Slater)
1873    Paull & Bickerdike   24, Cecil Street, London and St Peters Square Manchester (Royal Academy Exhibitors)
1875    Paull & Bickerdike 10 Adam Street, Strand (Royal Academy Exhibitors)
1875    Henry J Paull FRIBA MSA 1 St Peter's Square Manchester (Slater)
1876    Henry J Paull FRIBA MSA 1 St Peter's Square Manchester (Slater)
1877    Henry John Paull, 9 Montague Street, Russell Square, London and Manchester
1879    Paull & Bonella 9 Montague Street, Russel Square London
1881    Paull & Bonella 9 Montague Street,
1883    Paull & Bonella. Chancery Lane, London and St Peters Square Manchester (Manchester Guardian 31 October 1883 Page 6 Col 4.)
1888    Paull & Bonella Architects 6 Quality Court, Chancery Lane London  (London Gazette)

Residence
1851    Henry John Paull, Worcester Street, Gloucester (census)
1865    Henry John Paull, architect (Paull & Ayliffe) 2 Thornfield Grove Oxford Street
1868    Henry John Paull architect.  2 Thornfield Grove Oxford Street Chorlton on Medlock
1871    Henry John Paull FRIBA  Residence. "Glenbrook", Wilsmlow
1876    Henry John Paull FRIBA  Residence. “Glenbrooke” Fulshaw Wilmslow
1881    Henry John Paull FRIBA9 Montague Street London
1886    Henry J Paull, 89 Burghley Road Kentish Town (London Gazette)
1888    Henry J Paull, 89 Burghley Road Kentish Town (London Gazette)