Stalls and Bishop's throne, Chichester Cathedral, 1866-1868
The choir renovation was started in around 1859 by William Slater, a pupil of R.C.Carpenter, after Carpenter, who had been working at Chichester since 1848, died aged 42 in 1855
However, when the spire at Chichester completely collapsed in 1861, Sir George Gilbert Scott was employed to oversee the construction of a new tower and complete the renovation of the Cathedral. Scott graciously did not blame Slater ( as it would appear most others did) and Slater remained involved at Chichester including designing the new reredos ( with Carpenter's son R.H.Carpenter ) in the late 1870's, carved by James Forsyth
Newspaper reports seem to suggest that Forsyth started the work on the choir stalls before the spire collapsed but the quote shown below shows the amount of work still being done in 1867
31.08.1867
The Chichester Express reports “ It is now definitively arranged that the new choir of the Cathedral shall be publicly opened on the 7th of next November, and, that there be no disappointment, every branch of the work is being pushed on as rapidly as possible. No less than 60 men are engaged at the establishments of Mr. Forsyth, Lambeth, in carving the more elaborate parts of the work “
However, when the spire at Chichester completely collapsed in 1861, Sir George Gilbert Scott was employed to oversee the construction of a new tower and complete the renovation of the Cathedral. Scott graciously did not blame Slater ( as it would appear most others did) and Slater remained involved at Chichester including designing the new reredos ( with Carpenter's son R.H.Carpenter ) in the late 1870's, carved by James Forsyth
Newspaper reports seem to suggest that Forsyth started the work on the choir stalls before the spire collapsed but the quote shown below shows the amount of work still being done in 1867
31.08.1867
The Chichester Express reports “ It is now definitively arranged that the new choir of the Cathedral shall be publicly opened on the 7th of next November, and, that there be no disappointment, every branch of the work is being pushed on as rapidly as possible. No less than 60 men are engaged at the establishments of Mr. Forsyth, Lambeth, in carving the more elaborate parts of the work “
