Webster Paulson (11 December 1837 – 16 August 1887) was an English civil engineer who is known for his work in

Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...

in the late 19th century.

Life and career

Born in

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...

, he attended the Grammar School in

Grantham Grantham () is a market town and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, situated on the banks of the River Witham and bounded to the west by the A1 road (Great Britain), A1 road. It lies south of Lincoln, England ...

before mastering the trade of a builder at

Thomas Cubitt Thomas Cubitt (25 February 1788 – 20 December 1855) was a British master builder, notable for his employment in developing many of the historic streets and squares of London, especially in Belgravia, Pimlico and Bloomsbury. Background The s ...

's firm in London. In 1861, he was sent to Malta to supervise the construction of the

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...

Valletta Valletta ( ; , ) is the capital city of Malta and one of its 68 Local councils of Malta, council areas. Located between the Grand Harbour to the east and Marsamxett Harbour to the west, its population as of 2021 was 5,157. As Malta’s capital ...

, which was designed by

Edward Middleton Barry Edward Middleton Barry RA (7 June 1830 – 27 January 1880) was an English architect of the 19th century. Biography Edward Barry was the third son of Sir Charles Barry, born in his father's house, 27 Foley Place, London. In infancy he was ...

. In 1865, he was commissioned as a contractor in the construction of the Holy Trinity Church in

Sliema Sliema ( ) is a town located on the northeast coast of Malta in the Districts of Malta#Northern Harbour District, Northern Harbour District. It is a major residential and commercial area and a centre for shopping, bars, dining, and café life. ...

, which was built to designs of Gordon MacDonald Hills (1826–1895). Paulson decided to remain in Malta, and he was therefore appointed Temporary Clerk of Works, receiving an annual wage of £60. He continued to hold several positions in the public works sector throughout his career. In 1873, he lost all of his possessions when the Royal Opera House burnt down, since he had been living there after being appointed Temporary Guardian of the New Opera House. After the fire, Paulson redesigned the theatre's interior along with

Emanuele Luigi Galizia Emanuele Luigi Galizia (7 November 1830 – 6 May 1907) was a Crown Colony of Malta, Maltese architect and civil engineer, who designed many public buildings and several churches. He is regarded as "the principal Maltese architect throughout the ...

. In 1876, he became an Associate of the British Institute of Civil Engineers, later becoming an Associate Member. He was transferred to the Public Works department after the latter's establishment in 1880, and he was involved in numerous projects around Malta. Apart from public works, Paulson also practiced with private clients. His work includes the Camenzuli Chapel in the Addolorata Cemetery (1875), the now-demolished Sliema Verandah Police Station (1879), the

Jewish Cemetery A Jewish cemetery ( ''beit almin'' or ''beit kvarot'') is a cemetery where Jews are buried in keeping with Halakha, Jewish tradition. Cemeteries are referred to in several different ways in Hebrew, including ''beit kevarot'' (house of s ...

in Marsa (1879) and his masterpiece, the eclectic Casino Notabile in

Mdina Mdina ( ; ), also known by its Italian epithets ("Old City") and ("Notable City"), is a fortifications of Mdina, fortified city in the Western Region, Malta, Western Region of Malta which served as the island's former capital, from antiquity ...

(1887–88). He also supervised the construction of the Vincenzo Bugeja Conservatory in

Santa Venera Santa Venera is a town in the Southern Region, Malta, Southern Region of Malta, with a population of 8,834 (2021). It is located between the towns of Birkirkara and Ħamrun, and also borders Qormi and Msida. History The Old Church of Santa Ven ...

(1880) and the

Methodist Church Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

Floriana Floriana ( or ''Il-Floriana''), also known by its title Borgo Vilhena, is a Floriana Lines, fortified town in the Port Region, Malta, Port Region area of Malta, just outside the capital city Valletta. It has a population of 2,205 as of March 2014 ...

(1881). He was involved in the construction of the St. Vincent de Paul Hospital in

Luqa Luqa ( , ) is a town located in the Southern Region of Malta, 4.3 km away from the capital Valletta. With a population of 5,945 as of March 2014, it is a small but densely populated settlement which is typical of Malta's older towns and vi ...

, which was eventually completed in 1892. Paulson was a

Freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

, and in 1885 he became the master of United Brethren Lodge No. 1923. He was married to Fanny Paulson. Paulson contracted

cholera Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...

during an outbreak in August 1887. He died on 16 August after a painful illness which lasted six days. His burial place is unknown, but it was likely at the

Birgu Birgu ( , ), also known by its title Città Vittoriosa ('Victorious City'), is an old Fortifications of Birgu, fortified city on the south side of the Grand Harbour in the Port Region, Malta, Port Region of Malta. The city occupies a promontory ...

cemetery, the Lazzaretto cemetery or the Cholera Cemetery in

. The burials in these cemeteries were exhumed after extensive damage due to aerial bombardment in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paulson, Webster 1837 births 1887 deaths English civil engineers 19th-century English architects Architects from Lincolnshire Freemasons of the United Grand Lodge of England Deaths from cholera Infectious disease deaths in Malta 19th-century Maltese architects