User:Ruskinmonkey/Edward John Carlos

'Edward John Carlos (1798-1851) was an English writer on architecture.

Life
Carlos was born 12 February 1798, the son of William Carlos and his wife Ann, of Newington, Surrey. His was descended from a Colonel Careless or Carlis who helped save the life of Charles II after the Battle of Worcester and later changed his name to "Carlos" at the King's wish.

He was educated at  Mr Colecraf'ts school in Newington. He was then articled to a Mr Reynell of the Lord Mayor's Court Office, and  became a barrister, while continuing to manage Reynell's business, He had by this time developed an interest in architecture, especially church architecture. He gathered a large collection of prints. drawings and notes on architectural subjects, and was one of the first people to make a collection of brass rubbings.

He wrote on architecture for the Gentleman's Magazine, including, between 1824 and 1832, a series on the new churches then being built in and around London. The magazine's obituary said that "in days of less  taste than the present, he traced the footsteps of innovation or inconsistency with a fearless and unsparing hand". He also reviewed books on architecture, and architectural designs exhibited at the Royal Academy, continuing to write for the magazine until 1848.

In 1832 he was on the committee for the restoration of Crosby Hall, and he campaigned for the preservation of [Southwark Cathedral|[St Mary Overy]], Southwark (now Southwark Cathedral). He took a special interest in Old London Bridge, which he wished to see preserved, and published, jointly with the assistant architect to the bridge,  an account of it "with observations on its architecture, during its demolition". In 1843, he made a revised edition of Skelton's Oxonia Restaurata.

In 1848 he suffered what his obituary called "a total paralysis of the brain, which totally incapacitated him from mental or bodily labour".He died at York Place, Walworth on 20 January 1851.