page_title: Gilbert R. Blount
hierarchical_section_title: Gilbert R. Blount
caption_attribution_description: English: Photograph of Gilbert Blount (1819-76), Catholic English Architect
context_page_description: Gilbert Robert Blount was born at Mapledurham, near Reading, on 2 March 1819, the second child and son of Michael Joseph Blount and his wife Catherine. Blount was educated at Downside in Somerset, and he began his professional training as a civil engineer with Isambard Kingdom Brunel, working on the construction of the Thames Tunnel. He was the Superintendent of Construction in 1841 and, during one of the many floods, narrowly escaped drowning.
  He then decided that civil engineering was not for him and so, in 1842, he became apprenticed to architect Anthony Salvin in November 1842, whose office at the time was situated at 32 Somerset Street, London. Many biographical dictionaries state that Blount trained in the office of Sidney Smirke but this is not the case. By 1849, Blount had moved to 1 Montague Place where he worked independently for relatives and Catholic friends - including engagement as architect to Cardinal Wiseman, the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster.
  With a resurgence of Catholic church building in England, he worked on new churches throughout England and was greatly influenced by Pugin.
context_section_description: Gilbert Robert Blount (1819–1876) was born at Mapledurham, near Reading, on 2 March 1819, the second child and son of Michael Joseph Blount and his wife Catherine (nee Wright).  Blount was educated at Downside in Somerset, (from September 1834 until December 1836), and he began his professional training as a civil engineer with Isambard Kingdom Brunel, working on the construction of the Thames Tunnel (Rotherhythe to Wapping). He was the Superintendent of Construction in 1841 and, during one of the many floods, narrowly escaped drowning. 
  He then decided that civil engineering was not for him and so, in 1842, he became apprenticed to architect Anthony Salvin (1799-1881) in November 1842 , whose office at the time was situated at 32 Somerset Street, London.  Many biographical dictionaries state that Blount trained in the office of Sidney Smirke (drawing on Blount's RIBA obituary) but this is not the case. By 1849, Blount had moved to 1 Montague Place where he worked independently for relatives and Catholic friends - including engagement as architect to Cardinal Wiseman, the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster.
  With a resurgence of Catholic church building in England, he worked on new churches throughout England and was greatly influenced by Pugin.
  St Peter's Church, Gloucester is one Blount’s most notable churches and dates from the middle part of his career. Built on the site of a 1790 chapel dedicated to St Peter ad Vincula, Blount designed it in the Decorated Gothic style. Construction started in 1860. In 1867, the tower, spire, and baptistery were added; also designed by Blount. The church was consecrated on 8 October 1868.
caption: Gilbert Robert Blount
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