Joseph Aloysius Hansom, Architect, Inventor and Pubilsher

Paul Waddington reviews the architectural output of one of the most prolific Catholic architects of the nineteenth century

Joseph Aloysius Hansom was born in 1803 into a Catholic family living at York. His father was a builder, and the young Joseph joined the family business at the age of 13 as an apprentice joiner. However, Joseph’s ambitions lay elsewhere, and he persuaded his reluctant father that he should train to be an architect. An apprenticeship was arranged with Matthew Philips who had an architectural practice in York at the time. On completing his apprenticeship, Joseph found employment with John Oates, a Halifax architect, where he spent three years gaining valuable experience.

Joseph Aloysius Hansom: he believed every architect should also be a competent joiner, mason and surveyor

Not content to be a mere employee, at the age of 25 Joseph formed a partnership with Edward Welsh, who was also working for Oates. The two of them set up in practice back in York, finding work in and around the city, as well as in Welsh’s native North Wales. However, Hansom, who was the driving force behind the partnership, hankered after more prestigious commissions, and in 1831 submitted an entry for a competition to design the new Town Hall at Birmingham. There were 67 entries, including some from the most distinguished architects of the time, so it came as a great surprise that the winner was the unknown J. A. Hansom.

Hansom’s proposal was inspired by the Temple of Castor and Pollux in the Roman Forum, and met with great acclaim. It was a huge project for a relatively inexperienced architect to take on, and, unfortunately for Hansom, he mismanaged the financial side of the undertaking. The procurement and transport of the massive blocks of stone required for the external columns, proved particularly difficult, resulting in delays and additional costs that Hansom had to bear. The result was the bankruptcy of both the contractor and Hansom, his dismissal from the job and the dissolution of the partnership. Although the project was within an ace of completion, Hansom was denied all credit for what became Birmingham’s premier building.

With his architectural career in tatters, Hansom found temporary employment as the Agent to Dempster Hemming, the owner of a 12,000 acre estate centred on Caldecote Hall near Hinckley in Leicestershire. In his spare time, he took on some minor architectural jobs, but his most notable achievement in this period was his invention of the “Hansom Cab”. First seen in the streets of Hinckley in 1834, it later became ubiquitous, particularly in London, where thousands were employed. Without the capital to develop his invention, Hansom sold the patent for £10,000, but never got paid. For the second time, he had come up with a world class design but failed to receive any financial reward.

Whilst living in Hinckley, Hansom made some friendships which enabled him to regain some independence and to restore his architectural career. He met Ambrose Phillippe de Lisle of Grace Dieu, the wealthy convert to Catholicism and friend of Augustus Welby Pugin. He was also introduced to Bishop Ullathorne, then Vicar Apostolic for the Central District. With these contacts, he picked up a number of commissions, including no less than three convents not far from his home. These were the Dominican Convent of the Rosary at Atherstone, a Benedictine Convent at Colwich in Staffordshire, and the much larger St Mary’s Priory (also Benedictine) at Princethorpe. He was also invited to design the Church of Our Lady of the Angels in Nuneaton.

By 1840, Hansom had built up enough confidence to move his practice to London, and in 1841 took over the offices of Charles Barry, who was moving to be closer to the Palace of Westminster, which he was designing. During his eight years in London, Hansom indulged himself in two projects that were a distraction from his main career. In 1843, he founded, and was the first editor of, The Builder, a weekly architectural magazine. Although this flourished, and survives to this day under the name, Building, it was another disaster for Hansom. Due to having insufficient capital, he was forced to sell the title for very little money.

One might think that, by now, Hansom would have learnt his lesson, but he pursued another idea of his, which was to open a Building College. Nowadays, we would call it a School of Architecture, except that Hansom wished to teach not only the principles of architecture, but also all the trades associated with the building industry. Hansom believed that every architect should also be a competent joiner, mason, surveyor etc. Not surprisingly, the building college never materialised, but Hansom persisted with the idea until all his funds were exhausted.

The Church of the Holy Name in Manchester was built for the Jesuits between 1869 and 1871

Hansom moved to Leicester in 1849 and whilst there his commissions included Ratcliffe College, which he designed for the Rosminians. His brother Charles, fourteen years his junior, was involved in various aspects, as was A. W. Pugin, but Joseph played the major role.

Joseph Hansom’s greatest works and his most prolific years were yet to come. In the years from 1845 to 1858 he built 20 churches, two cathedrals, six schools or convents and about 20 other projects. In this period, he had a close association with the Jesuits. He designed for them Mount St Mary’s School at Spinkhill in Derbyshire, the Church of the Immaculate Conception (also at Spinkhill) and St Beuno’s Theological College near St Asaph in Wales. With these successes, it is not surprising that the Jesuits selected him to design their new church in Preston. The Church of St Walburge has been described in an earlier article in this series. Hansom moved to Preston in 1847 to work on this project, which also included two schools and a presbytery.

The Cathedral of St Mary and St Boniface in Plymouth was built between 1856 and 1858. The slender spire resembles that at St Walburge’s, although is not as tall. At this time, Joseph was in partnership with his brother, Charles, so they collaborated on the work.

The Church of Our Lady and St Philip Neri at Arundel in Sussex was built between 1867 and 1873 at the expense of the Duke of Norfolk. This is the only one of Hansom’s churches that was not built to a budget, and contains all the ornamentation that one might expect in a mediaeval cathedral. Even so, the spire was never built. Now dedicated to Our Lady and St Philip Howard, it serves as the Cathedral Church for the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton.

The Duke of Norfolk paid for the Church of Our Lady and St Philip Neri at Arundel in Sussex

The Church of the Holy Name in Manchester was built for the Jesuits between 1869 and 1871 to serve what was then a working-class area of the city. Of all Joseph Hansom’s churches, it is probably the one where he allowed his imagination the most freedom. The shape is unconventional and the interior is particularly impressive. A central tower was planned, but was not built because it was thought that the ground conditions would not bear the weight. This omission was corrected in 1923 when Adrian Gilbert Scott successfully added a very light structure.

Another well-known church Hansom built for the Jesuits is that of St Ignatius Gongoza in Oxford, which opened in 1878. The apsidal sanctuary includes an impressive array of 52 statues of saints, beneath a well-designed ceiling. Now served by the Congregation of the Oratory, many of its original features are being restored.

Joseph Hansom returned to London in 1862, and in 1869 took his son Joseph Stanislaus into partnership. Joseph Aloysius died in 1882, leaving Stanislaus in charge of the business. Although Stanislaus lacked the flair and ambition of his father, his input was significant. The Cathedral of St John the Evangelist at Portsmouth and the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows in Bognor Regis were his work.

The Architectural legacy of Joseph Aloysius Hansom is huge, amounting to about 200 buildings, most of which are churches, schools, convents or presbyteries. Their imaginative and varied designs are a fitting tribute to a very great architect.

The Cathedral of St Mary and St Boniface in Plymouth was completed in 1858