In "The Present State of Ecclesiastical Architecture in England," Pugin gives minutely detailed accounts with illustrations of his churches up to the year 1842. But his most revealing autobiographical writing is to be found in "Some Remarks," published in 1850, which can be seen as essential for understanding the man and his collapse.

The "Gentleman's magazine" section is a digest of selections from the weekly press; the "(Trader's) monthly intelligencer" section consists of news (foreign and domestic), vital statistics, a register of the month's new publications, and a calendar of forthcoming trade fairs.