Christchurch, Waterloo, near Liverpool (Architectural Competition)

A limited competition was held to select the architect, won by Birkett and Langham, but they were not appointed. Instead the commission being given to the Lancaster firm of Paley, Austin and Paley. No explanation has been found for this decision.

CHRISTCHURCH, WATERLOO, NEAR LIVERPOOL - ThIs design was submitted in a limited competition by Mr I R E Birkett, and Mr. John Langham, of Manchester, jointly, and was originally awarded the first place by the sub- committee appointed to make the selection. Ultimately none of the competing architects were appointed to carry out the work. The church was planned with a spacious narthex at the west end, with a gallery over, and was to seat 1,000 people, and to cost £8,000, exclusive of tower and spire. A special feature of the competition was the fact that a large quantity of the old material in the existing church was to be reused in the new work. This included some stained-glass lancet lights which the authors of this design proposed to reuse in the great east and west windows, which were so designed that three lancets could be used in each with scarcely any alteration. [Building News 3 April 1891 page 466]

The  winning competition entry for proposed church was exhibited at the Royal Academy (no 1929).

It is assumed that John Langham provided the presentation drawings for the competition, and that no formal partnership existed between the two men