Practical Architecture: Brickwork, Mortars and Limes

Pasley's work was first written in 1826 as a course of architecture for his students at the Royal Engineer's School in Chatham. The original title of the book, "Outline of a Course of Practical Architecture" is therefore a little misleading to the modern reader as the course was primarily concerned with building construction, concentrating on all aspects of brickwork. Major General Sir C.W. Pasley, K.C.B wanted his students to be in a position to construct, maintain and extend all different types of ordinary brick buildings such as barracks, hospitals and store-houses. But whilst his interest was primarily military structures, the construction techniques were also equally applicable to civil buildings. This book, therefore, provides interesting and useful information on how buildings were being constructed a hundred and fifty years ago, and the type of limes and cements that were used. In addition to the material on mortars and cements, it examines in detail the bonds in brickwork and provides full coverage of different types of arches and how they are formed. It also explains the specific aspects relating to the construction of hollow or double walls; copings; chimneys and chimney breasts; gateways; and, brick ornamentation and so on. "Practical Architecture" will be of interest to architects, surveyors and structural engineers and all those involved in the repair and conservation of brick structures.

PASLEY, Charles William (1780-1861), general, royal engineers, was born on 8 September 1780 at Eskdalemuir, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, the son of a London merchant. He was educated in the school of Andrew Little of Langholm and later at Selkirk. Pasley entered the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich in 1796 and graduated the next year, receiving a commission in the royal artillery. In 1798 he was transferred to the corps of royal engineers and posted to Portsmouth. During the period 1799 to 1809, Pasley served on the east coast of England as well as in Minorca, Malta, Naples, Sicily and various European theatres of the Napoleonic Wars. He was severely wounded at the siege of Flushing during the Walcheren expedition and this incapacitated him for further combat duty. Thereafter, Pasley's career in the corps was to focus on the education of military engineers and building technology research.

Pasley was made a KCB in 1846. He became colonelcommandant of the royal engineers in 1853 and a general in the army in 1860. Pasley died on 19 April 1861 at his home, 12 Norfolk Crescent, Hyde Park, London, from an ailment of the lungs. A portrait of Pasley, by Eddis, hangs in the Royal Engineers Headquarters Officers Mess at Brompton Barracks, Chatham.