Monday, February 11, 2019

William Ashdown Audsley - Architect - 1838-1925 - Edward the Confessor Church - St. Joan of Arc School Harrowgate


Former Edward The Confessor R.C. church - N8th and York Sts.




Former St. Joan of Arc Grammar School, Frankford Ave. and Venango St. Harrowgate



There was a wooden church on the same site, an Episcopalian church of the same name Edward the Confessor that was sold to the R.C. AD of Phila. A civil action followed by the Episcopal diocese against the R.C.AD for use of the name. Could never find a resolution to this in the newspapers so I presumed the matter settled out of court because the R.C.s kept the name.

Audsley sought out of retirement by Father Edward Hawks, founder of St. Joan of Arc Parish, Harrowgate. Hawks had a colorful life. Convert from being an Episcopalian priest and changing brand to R.C. Hawks was a curate at the new St. Edward the Confessor Church as a curate and knew and offered Audsley his last commission. Audsley already in his eighties and retired and living with his son in Yonkers, NY.

Father Hawks, a spy for the Vatican, traveling in Spain under his British passport (born in Wales) in its civil war to take secret photos of Guernica in order to dispute so-called facts about its supposed destruction as reported in the Times of London. Which is why he later received the Order of Queen Isabella from General Franco.





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