The architect's career progression is impressive.
He was made an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1840 and a Fellow in 1850 at the age of 36.
The RIBA, a prestigious national body of architects, had been formed in 1834 for the advancement of the profession and its members.
Christian was elected Vice-President of the Institute in 1880 and reached the height of his career when he served as President of the RIBA from 1884 to 1886 and was awarded the Institute's Royal Gold Medal in 1887.
During his long career Christian was a very busy and productive architect producing over 2,000 works, much of it for the Church of England.
He carried out about 1,300 restorations and additions to churches throughout England and Wales and built some 90 complete new churches, as well as building, restoring and adding to many vicarages, deaneries, canonries and bishops palaces.
Much of his church work, particularly his 880 chancel restorations, was carried out in his capacity as Architect to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, a very influential post to which he was appointed in 1851 and which he held until his death in 1895.
As such, this gave him considerable control over the construction and restoration of many buildings for the Established Church across the country at a crucial time of church expansion and development in Victorian Britain.
On his appointment Christian moved his practice into the Commissioners premises in Whitehall Place, Westminster, later converting nearby stables into his offices when the Commissioners needed more space.
Here Christian was to remain for the rest of his life and during this time, in addition to his building and restoration work, produced thousands of reports on designs for Church of England buildings that were submitted to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for approval, completed surveys on the fabric of ancient churches including 14 cathedrals and assessed many architectural competitions, work which continued to within four days of his death at the age of 80.
The architect's career progression is impressive. He was made an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1840 and a Fellow in 1850 at the age of 36. The RIBA, a prestigious national body of architects, had been formed in 1834 for the advancement of the profession and its members. Christian was elected Vice-President of the Institute in 1880 and reached the height of his career when he served as President of the RIBA from 1884 to 1886 and was awarded the Institute's Royal Gold Medal in 1887. During his long career Christian was a very busy and productive architect producing over 2,000 works, much of it for the Church of England. He carried out about 1,300 restorations and additions to churches throughout England and Wales and built some 90 complete new churches, as well as building, restoring and adding to many vicarages, deaneries, canonries and bishops palaces. Much of his church work, particularly his 880 chancel restorations, was carried out in his capacity as Architect to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, a very influential post to which he was appointed in 1851 and which he held until his death in 1895. As such, this gave him considerable control over the construction and restoration of many buildings for the Established Church across the country at a crucial time of church expansion and development in Victorian Britain. On his appointment Christian moved his practice into the Commissioners premises in Whitehall Place, Westminster, later converting nearby stables into his offices when the Commissioners needed more space. Here Christian was to remain for the rest of his life and during this time, in addition to his building and restoration work, produced thousands of reports on designs for Church of England buildings that were submitted to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for approval, completed surveys on the fabric of ancient churches including 14 cathedrals and assessed many architectural competitions, work which continued to within four days of his death at the age of 80.
Ewan Christian