page_title: James Paty the Elder
section_title: Works
hierarchical_section_title: James Paty the Elder / Works
caption_attribution_description: English: Bristol City Library, King Street, in 1876
context_page_description: James Paty the Elder was an English mason, builder and architect. He was the first in a succession of members of the Paty family prominent in the building of 18th century Bristol. He is thought to have been the architect of Bristol's Old Library on King Street.
context_section_description: James Paty the Elder carved the wooden quarter jacks for Christ Church, Bristol, which were transferred later to the tower of the new church when it was rebuilt by William Paty as Christ Church with St Ewen. He was brought in by Thomas Paty to work as a stone carver on the Exchange where he carved at least one of the capitals. There are also about a dozen monuments he is known to have carved.
  Some other buildings are attributed to him, though not with certainty, as builder or architect: houses on Unity Street and College Green, and the Old Library on King Street. For the library he is known to have been at least the mason and stone carver, and is thought to have been the architect too. Unfortunately, most of the library's ornamentation has been lost over time and as a result of repairs: in particular, a fine Bristol coat of arms on the pediment and figures of putti depicted reading books above the first floor windows.
caption: The Old Library in 1876.
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