 Sharpe 's earliest commissions were for churches , the first being St Mark , Witton ( 1836 – 38 ) , quickly followed by St Saviour 's Church , Cuerden ( 1836 – 37 ) . He then designed two small chapels , Holy Trinity , Howgill , and St John , Cowgill ( both 1837 – 38 ) , in what is now Cumbria . Larger and grander churches followed , including Christ Church , Walmsley ( 1839 – 40 ) , and his largest church , Holy Trinity , Blackburn ( 1837 – 48 ) . The latter was a Commissioners ' church , so @-@ called because it was partly financed by a grant from the Church Building Commissioners . In all , Sharpe designed six Commissioner 's churches , including St George , Stalybridge ( 1838 – 40 ) . In the early 1840s Sharpe gained a commission from the trustees of the Weaver Navigation to build three ( or four ) churches along its route for their employees . By 1842 he was designing his 31st church , including a long hoped for commission from the 13th Earl of Derby to design St Mary , Knowsley ( 1843 – 44 ) . 
