June 11th Edmund Sedding (Death)
     

Devon – born Edmund Sedding (1836 – 1868) was a musician and Church architect and was the younger brother of another Church architect, John Dando Sedding.   Trained in gothic architecture under the architect George Edmund Street (famous for designing the buildings of The Royal Courts of Justice), he worked as an architect in Bristol and moved to Penzance in 1862.

In Cornwall, he was responsible for the restoration of the churches of Gwithian, Wendron, Altarnun, North Hill, Ruan Major (which he modified during restoration), Newlyn, and St. Stephens by Launceston.  With a nationwide reputation, he designed a new church and rectory at Marple, restored Bigbury Church in Cheshire and designed Downes House in Hayle for the Rawlings family.

A talented Church organist, Sedding played at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Soho and was precentor (a lay canon in charge of music) of St. Raphael the Archangel, Bristol.  A prolific hymn writer he published ‘A Collection of Nine Antient Christmas Carols for Four Voices’ (1860), ‘Seven Ancient Carols for four voices’ (1864), ‘Five Hymns of ye Holy Eastern Church’ (1864). He illustrated F.G.Lee's ‘Directorium Anglicanum’ (1865) and published many single hymns.

Sedding died on this day in 1868 leaving his wife, Jessie Proctor and four young children one of whom was the architect E. H. Sedding.
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