The latter half of the 19th century was a time of growth for Halifax and Calderdale. Alongside industrial development; municipal buildings, schools, housing for the working classes and almshouses were constructed. Industrialists also built ornate churches and mansions to showcase their wealth.
In 1863 Jones’s trade directory lists fifteen architects in Halifax alone. Two of them, William Swinden Barber and James Mallinson were especially prolific through the mid to late 19th century. They were in partnership for a number of years but also worked on their own and with other architects. You can see examples of their work throughout Calderdale.
William Swinden Barber was born in 1832 to John Barber and Sally Barber (nee Swinden). He was baptised at St Anne in the Grove, Southowram on 29th March 1832.
On the 1851 census he is living with his parents at Lark Field in Brighouse. He is 19 years old and is listed as an apprentice architect.
Census return of England and Wales. Accessed via ancestry.com 03/07/2023
Between 1857 and 1859 he was working in partnership with John Philpot Jones, based in London.
He became an associate of the Royal British Institute of Architects in 1860 and a Fellow in 1873. He appeared to move between London and Halifax for much of his working life. In fact he alternates between the two on the census records;
In 1861 he is living at St Martin in the Fields, London and is listed as an architect. He is lodging with several other men
By 1871 Barber has moved back to Halifax and is living at Stoney Royd in Southowram
In 1877 he married Anne Byrne of Slead Hall, Brighouse.
In 1881 he is in London, 10 Clarges Street, St Georges Hanover. He and Anne are boarders.
In 1891 he is back living in Halifax at Farfield House, Skircoat. He designed Farfield house for himself to live in.
Image of Farfield House. Photograph from the Thomas Collection, Calderdale Libraries
What first piqued my interest in Barber was this fabulous photograph of him. It is a really early example of an artistic portrait photograph.
In the 1860s Barber was a member of the Artist’s Rifles, which was a volunteer regiment formed in 1859 by a group of painters, architects, poets, musicians and other artists. They were concerned about a French invasion. During this time Barber was photographed in medieval costume by fellow artist and regiment member David Wilkie Wynfield.
©Royal Academy of Arts, London/Prudence Cuming Associates Limited
Some of the buildings Barber designed include Abbott’s Ladies Homes at Skircoat, St Matthew’s Lightcliffe (new church) and St Jude’s, Savile Park as well as the Victoria Cross at Akroydon.
Much of Barber’s most notable work in Calderdale was done in partnership with James Mallinson of Brighouse and Halifax, who he worked with between 1862 – 1871. These include Spring Hall, Brighouse Civic Hall and Causey Hall. Many of the designs were in the gothic revivalist style.
Causey Hall, Halifax. Photograph by Sarah Rose, Calderdale Libraries
Mallinson and Barber designed several houses at Akroydon as part of Edward Akroyd’s model village (the first designs were drawn up by another local architect W.H. Crossland of Elland who was a pupil of George Gilbert Scott) However Crossland appears to have handed over responsibility to Mallinson and Barber when he moved to London.
Plan of Houses at Akroydon 1869. West Yorkshire Archive Service CMT1/HBI/A:161
Halifax Guardian 27th February 1869
They also designed a fever ward for the workhouse
West Yorkshire Archive Service Fever Ward Halifax Union Workhouse 1870 PL:34
Mallinson and Barber worked together until 1871 when their partnership was dissolved by mutual consent. Barber went on to design many more grand buildings in Calderdale and beyond
By 1901 William Swinden Barber and Anne had moved to Southsea. On the census he is described as living on own means, so presumably has retired. He died on 26th November 1908 at Southsea. His wife Anne died just a few months later whilst in Paris. He left the substantial sum of £36,231 (the equivalent of several million today). In his will he grants many works of art to friends and family. The substantial sum mall went to his surviving executor Richard Cyril Byrne Haking, who was Anne Byrne’s nephew.
James Mallinson was also an influential and prolific architect. He was born in 1818 to Hugh and Ann and baptised at St Anne in the Grove, Southowram
On 10th May 1845 he married Mary Waddington at Brighouse St Martins. Both their fathers are listed as Inn Keepers. James is an architect. He appears to have stayed in Brighouse and Halifax most of his life. In 1861 he is living at Lydgate/ Hipperholme and in 1871 is at Balmoral Place in Halifax where he stayed.
He initially worked independently with his most impressive design being Holy Trinity at Queenshead/ Queensbury (at the time being part of Northowram but now in Bradford) He then went into partnership with Thomas Healey as Mallinson & Healey. They had offices in Bradford and Halifax, with Mallinson based in Halifax. Some of the buildings they designed include the new church at Heptonstall (St Thomas the Apostle), Christ Church, Barkisland and St Michael’s Mytholmroyd.
St Thomas, Heptonstall. Photo by Sarah Rose Calderdale Libraries
West Yorkshire Archive Service hold diaries from the firm, which make interesting reading, as they give a good overview of the work involved including site visits, production of drawings and plans as well as expenses. An example reads:
13/04/1854
“By 9:30am to Sowerby Bridge – Inspected at Barkisland. Met W Baxter there. Afterwards inspected Copley Parsonage. I called at Halifax – returned by 5:10 train. Expenses 4/6.”
It is clear from the diaries that Mallinson and Healey knew and consulted William Swinden Barber. There are several references of Mallinson meeting with him to look at designs, sometimes over dinner. When Thomas Healey died in 1862, Mallinson went into partnership with Barber.
After their partnership was dissolved in 1871; Mallinson appears to have semi retired. There are a few buildings attributed to him in the 1870s and early 1880s but they are much more modest, such as ‘two houses at Dyson Street, Brighouse’ and the Manager’s house for Elland cum Greetland gas company.
Mallinson died in April 1884 after a period of ill health. His obituary describes him as being of a genial and kindly disposition. It also states that the first public building he erected was the school at Southowram in 1839.
Mallinson Obituary. Halifax Guardian 05/04/1884
At least 15 buildings that Barber designed or renovated are grade 2 listed (on his own or with Mallinson), as are at least 10 that Mallinson designed on his own or with Healey.
Both Mallinson and Barber designed buildings outside Calderdale, mainly around Yorkshire. Some examples of listed buildings outside of Calderdale are Christ Church, South Ossett (Mallinson & Healy) and Church of Emmanuel, Shelley (Mallinson & Barber)
When Barber was working on his own; as well as designing new buildings; he seems to have been the go to architect for church restoration and rebuilds in and around Calderdale. Some of the churches he worked on are Church of St Matthew in Rastrick, St Andrew’s, Stainland, Church of St Oswald, Filey.
Mallinson and Barber’s influence on the Calderdale architectural landscape can be see form a simple listing of the buildings they designed. This list is by no means exhaustive and does not include alterations.
Calderdale Buildings designed by Mallinson alone
Elland National School
Southowram National School
Halifax Causeway warehouses
Holy Trinity, Queensbury (it was classed as Northowram not Bradford when built!)
Calderdale Buildings Designed by Mallinson & Healey
Barkisland, Christ Church
Brighouse National Schools
Copley Cottages & Parsonage
Halifax – Charlestown St Thomas Church and National School
Halifax – Haley Hill / Akroydon– All Souls Cemetery Chapel
Heptonstall – St Thomas the Apostle
Lightcliffe Parsonage
Mount Pellon, Christ Church and parsonage
Mount Pellon – National School and teacher’s house
Mytholmroyd – St Michael’s
Rastrick – Bridge End Independent
Salterhebble – All Saints
Shelf – St Michel and All Angels
Shelf Parsonage
Calderdale Buildings Designed by Mallinson & Barber
Akroydon – several of the houses in Akroydon built for Col Akroyd as part of his model village.
Akroydon – All Soul’s Vicarage
Barkisland- School
Brighouse – Civic Hall
Brighouse – St James
Halifax – Causey Hall (Also known as Halifax Parish Church Day School)
Halifax St Mary’s (corner of Rhodes St & Lister Lane)
Halifax – Spring Hall (complete re-build of 17th century house)
Halifax – Workhouse Fever Ward
Barber only
Akroydon – Victoria Cross
Brighouse – Holroyd Buildings
Brighouse – Infant School at Thornhills Lane
Brighouse – St James Infant School, Clifton Road
Halifax – All Saints Vicarage/ Stafford Hall – Skircoat Green
Halifax – Abbott’s Ladies Homes (almshouses) Skircoat Green
Halifax – Farfield House (Huddersfield Road)
Halifax – Infant School at Chapel Lane
Halifax – Methodist Church of St John
Halifax – Mission Church, Lock Street, Caddy Fields (St Barnabas)
Halifax – Church of St John, Savile Park
Halifax – 14 houses at Simmonds Lane
Halifax – Shroggs Park Lodge
Halifax – St Judes, Skircoat
Halifax, Southowram Bank – St Michael’s
Lightcliffe – plans of seven houses
Lightcliffe – St Matthew (new Church)
Southowram – plan for a club, Southgate
Sowerby – St Mary’s Parsonage
Thorpe (Triangle) – St John The Divine
Warley – St John the Evangelist
Research sources
West Yorkshire Archives
West Yorkshire Archive Service hold a vast number of building/ architect plans which can be viewed on request. A quick search of their catalogue shows many listings for Mallinson and Barber, which gives an overview of the buildings they designed/ renovated. They also hold the diaries of Mallinson and Healey which can be viewed. These have also been indexed by C.P Canfield, providing a really helpful resource.
https://www.wyjs.org.uk/archive-service/
British Newspaper Archive
A search of British Newspaper Archives for the architect’s names revealed several articles, particularly in relation to commissions for buildings. British Newspaper Archives can be accessed for free in Calderdale Libraries
Newspapers on Microfilm/ Historic Newspaper Indexes
I was able to find several references to the opening/ laying on foundation stones for churches by looking through the Halifax Courier Indexes and then viewing on microfilm. The indexes can be found here:
https://new.calderdale.gov.uk/leisure/local-history/local-studies/historical-newspaper-index
Historic Maps
Some of the catalogue entries/ references just said things like ‘Mission Church, Lock Street’ By looking at historic maps, I was able to identify the names of several churches. We have a large collection of maps at Central Library and some at larger branches. You can view map listings here, as well as where some of them are available online:
https://new.calderdale.gov.uk/leisure/local-history/local-studies/maps
Trade Directories
I used Trade directories to identify the different architects practicing in Calderdale, and where their premises were. You can view a list of Trade Directories available in Central Library here
https://new.calderdale.gov.uk/leisure/local-history/local-studies/trade-directories
Ancestry and Find My Past
I used both Ancestry and Find My Past to find out information about where the architects were born, married and lived at various times. Both these resources are free to use in Calderdale Libraries.
Wills
I was interested to see W S Barber’s will. His wife died before probate was granted and everything was left to one of his executors so I wanted to see what his will said. You can order copies of probate and wills for someone who has died after 1857. It costs £1.50
https://www.gov.uk/search-will-probate
Prior to 1858 most wills for this area are held by the Borthwick Archives in York
https://borthcat.york.ac.uk/index.php/are-you-looking-for-a-will
It is also always worth giving West Yorkshire Archives catalogue a search as they hold copies of some wills, usually as part of a larger collection. For example the have a copy of James Mallinson’s will as part of a large collection of records deposited by Barstow, Midgley & Lord Solicitors.
West Yorkshire Archive Service HAS/C:4/42a
Photographs
Calderdale Libraries have a large photographic collection. Local Studies at Central Library hold the main collection which covers all of Calderdale but other branches also have photographs related to their local area.
If you want to find out more about Mallinson and Barber or other architects and architecture in Calderdale then pop into Local Studies at Central Library and we’ll see what we can help you search/ use our resources..
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