Editing Augustus Pugin (section)

===Conversion to Catholicism===
In 1834, Pugin converted to [[Catholicism]]<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin  |encyclopedia=Catholic Encyclopedia |via=newadvent.org |url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12558b.htm |access-date=29 March 2018}}</ref> and was received into it the following year.<ref>{{cite web |title=Parliament's Pugin plaque in Salisbury |date=24 July 2012 |website=Clifton Diocese |url=http://www.cliftondiocese.com/386 |access-date=28 April 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 July 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120724052849/http://www.cliftondiocese.com/386}}</ref>

British society at the start of the 19th century often discriminated against dissenters from the [[Church of England]], although things began to change during Pugin's lifetime, helping to make Pugin's eventual conversion to Catholicism more socially acceptable. For example, dissenters could not take degrees at the established universities of Oxford and Cambridge until 1871, but the [[University College London|University of London]] (later renamed University College London) was founded near Pugin's birthplace in 1826 with the express purpose of educating dissenters to degree standard (although it would not be able to confer degrees until 1836). Dissenters were also unable to serve on parish or city councils, be a member of Parliament, serve in the armed forces or be on a jury. A number of reforms across the 19th century relieved these restrictions, one of which was the [[Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829]], which allowed Catholics to become members of Parliament.

Pugin's conversion acquainted him with new patrons and employers. In 1832 he made the acquaintance of [[John Talbot, 16th Earl of Shrewsbury]], a Catholic sympathetic to his aesthetic theory and who employed him in alterations and additions to his residence of [[History of Alton Towers|Alton Towers]], which subsequently led to many more commissions.<ref>{{harvp|Eastlake|1872|p=150}}</ref> Shrewsbury commissioned him to build [[St Giles' Catholic Church, Cheadle|St Giles Catholic Church]], [[Cheadle, Staffordshire]], which was completed in 1846, and Pugin was also responsible for designing the oldest Catholic Church in [[Shropshire]], [[St Peter and Paul Church, Newport]].