Robert Mawer (Nidderdale 1807 - Leeds 10 November 1854) was an architectural sculptor, based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. He specialised in the Gothic Revival and Neoclassical styles. He created the Neoclassical keystone heads on St George's Hall, Bradford and on Moorland's House, Leeds, and was working on the keystone heads at Leeds Town Hall when he died. He was a founding member of the Mawer Group of Leeds architectural sculptors, which included his wife, Catherine Mawer, his son Charles Mawer, and his apprentices William Ingle, Matthew Taylor and Benjamin Payler, who all became sculptors with their own careers. Many of the buildings enhanced with sculpture by Robert Mawer are now listed by Historic England.
Background
Robert Mawer was born around 1807 in Nidderdale. He was baptised at Middlesmoor in 1808, the son of William Mawer of Haden Carr which is now under Scar House Reservoir. The 1841 Census finds him living in New Huddersfield, Leeds. He is listed as a stonemason, and his name is misspelt "Mower". With him is his wife Catherine; both their ages are wrongly listed as 30 years. Also with him is their son Charles, aged 2 years, and Catherine's mother Elizabeth Scriven, aged 70 years. In the 1851 Census, Robert is aged 43 and living at 6a Oxford Place, Leeds, with his wife Catherine and son Charles. He describes himself as a master stone cutter employing four men.
Career
If Mawer's apprenticeship as a stone carver was served between the ages of fourteen and twenty-one years as per tradition, then he would have been qualified to work as a top sculptor from about 1828. It is not known where he served his apprenticeship, but since he was born in Nidderdale and married in Ripley, it is possible that he was apprenticed to a master stone carver at Ripon Cathedral where he could have gained the skills and knowledge that he used in all his works and taught to his apprentices. No documentary attributions for work have been found until 1837, so he was possibly working for another sculptor between 1828 and 1837. He was active as an architectural sculptor in the Gothic Revival and Neoclassical styles from at least 1837 until his death. However he does not appear in trade directories until 1848. From an unknown date until 1842, Mawer was a partner in Collitt & Co, stonemasons of Leeds, with Hugh Collitt and George Hope. The Leeds Times described him in his obituary as follows: "One who was extensively known and much respected in this town. Mr Robert Mawer was a man eminent in his department as an architectural sculptor. The manner in which he acquitted himself in connection with the rebuilding of our beautiful Parish Church gave promise of his capabilities. As a "medieval sculptor" specimens of his work are to be seen in the numerous church screens, fonts and other forms of ecclesiastical decoration which he has executed in various parts of the kingdom. During the last few years of his life he devoted himself more to classic architecture, and his excellence in this department is evident in such buildings as St George's Hall, Bradford; The Leeds and Yorkshire Assurance Company's offices in Leeds; and the Unitarian Chapel, Leeds."
Leeds Civic Trust arranged to unveil a blue plaque At the Henry Moore Institute on 11 July 2019, commemorating the work of Robert Mawer, Catherine Mawer and William Ingle. This plaque was to be affixed to Moorlands House, Albion Street, Leeds, at a later date.
Death
He died on 10 November 1854, of chronic bronchitis, aged 47 years, at Oxford Place. His nephew William Ingle, who was then living at 1 Oxford Row, Leeds, was in attendance. He is buried with his wife Catherine in the churchyard of St Mark, Woodhouse, Leeds, where he is commemorated with a memorial carved by Catherine.
Works
The other top sculptors in his stone yard, who contributed to work attributed to Robert, were his wife Catherine Mawer and his nephew William Ingle, who both continued to run the stone yard after Robert died. His young apprentices were his son Charles Mawer, and Charles' contemporaries Matthew Taylor and Benjamin Payler; all three later formed their own careers as top sculptors. His final works on buildings which were formally opened after his death, for example Leeds Town Hall, were attributed to his wife Catherine, who completed those works. The following list of works from 1837 until his death in 1854, is limited to those attributed to him by name, in contemporary newspapers and other documents, such as the attribution for work at St Paul, Manningham.