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Antiquaries in the Age of Romanticism: 1789-1851 - Queen Mary ...

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dist<strong>in</strong>ction <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> universities, Willis represented <strong>the</strong> future for architectural history and<br />

<strong>the</strong> nemesis <strong>of</strong> romantic antiquarianism.<br />

Edward Willson (1771-1854)<br />

A Catholic and <strong>the</strong> son <strong>of</strong> a L<strong>in</strong>coln builder, Willson became an architect and<br />

restorer, with a special sympathy for Gothic architecture. For many years he was<br />

L<strong>in</strong>colnshire County Surveyor and he was a sensitive restorer <strong>of</strong> build<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />

L<strong>in</strong>coln Castle, L<strong>in</strong>coln Ca<strong>the</strong>dral and several local churches. His writ<strong>in</strong>gs, for <strong>the</strong><br />

publications <strong>of</strong> Britton and A C Pug<strong>in</strong> reveal him to have been deeply read and a subtle<br />

propagandist for <strong>the</strong> Gothic and its Catholic and mystic mean<strong>in</strong>gs. Although he did<br />

produce several pamphlets on his own account he was <strong>in</strong>cl<strong>in</strong>ed to procrast<strong>in</strong>ate and<br />

became somewhat estranged from A C Pug<strong>in</strong>’s son, A W N Pug<strong>in</strong> who was exasperated<br />

by his slowness as a collaborator. Never<strong>the</strong>less Willson had been a formative <strong>in</strong>fluence<br />

on <strong>the</strong> young Pug<strong>in</strong>’s th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g. Willson’s papers survive –some <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> archives <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Society <strong>of</strong> <strong>Antiquaries</strong> and o<strong>the</strong>rs <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> L<strong>in</strong>colnshire Archives. With his collections <strong>of</strong><br />

antiquarian fragments, his endless notes and unf<strong>in</strong>ished treatise on bells he is,<br />

<strong>in</strong>tellectually, <strong>the</strong> very type <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Waverley antiquary, digg<strong>in</strong>g up Roman rema<strong>in</strong>s and<br />

open<strong>in</strong>g tombs, though <strong>in</strong> person Willson was neat and well-organised. He was also<br />

happily married to <strong>Mary</strong> (née Mould) with whom he had two surviv<strong>in</strong>g sons.<br />

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