 Sharpe , Paley and Austin are the surnames of architects who practised in Lancaster , Lancashire , England , between 1835 and 1946 , working either alone or in partnership . The full names of the principals in their practice , which went under various names during its life , are Edmund Sharpe ( 1809 – 77 ) ; Edward Graham Paley ( 1823 – 97 ) , who practised as E. G. Paley ; Hubert James Austin ( 1841 – 1915 ) ; Henry Anderson Paley ( 1859 – 1946 ) , son of Edward , usually known as Harry Paley ; and , for a very brief period , Geoffrey Langshaw Austin ( 1884 – 1971 ) , son of Hubert . The firm 's commissions were mainly for buildings in Lancashire and what is now Cumbria , but also in Yorkshire , Cheshire , the West Midlands , North Wales , and Hertfordshire . 
