Joseph Aloysius Hansom (1803–82): His Yorkshire Works, Patronage and Contribution to the Catholic Revival

Abstract

The York origins of the Roman Catholic architect Joseph Aloysius Hansom have largely been overlooked. Here, their significance is presented in a fresh perspective. Hansom was born in Micklegate, York, at the heart of a thriving Catholic community, and through his grandmother’s home parish of Everingham gained access to influential Catholic families. His immediate family comprised several generations of builders, while the period into which he was born — which saw the aftermath of the French revolution, an influx of Irish immigrants, and rapid industrial and urban growth, together with the Gothic Revival and the Catholic Revival — gave every opportunity for a talented and entrepreneurial architect to make his mark. To these are added Hansom’s flair for generating and maintaining personal contacts, the foundation upon which his success was based. A summary of his main work across the county shows how his career developed and highlights the rich diversity of his work.

Keywords:

• Birmingham Town Hall
• Catholic architecture
• Gothic revival
• Hansom
• patronage
• Yorkshire

Grateful thanks are given to Emeritus Professor Edward Royle, who was kind enough to enhance my understanding of York history; to Fr Dominique Minskip who kindly drew my attention to Tate and Slater correspondence; and finally to Dr Peter Shapeley who encouraged me to reduce my article to a more manageable size.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Penelope Harris

Penny Harris is a retired Fellow of the Institute of Administrative Management whose research interests are medical history and Joseph Hansom. She has rewritten her MA dissertation on seventeenth-century apothecaries for Coventry County Heritage and is currently investigating Hansom’s political phase in Birmingham, his patronage, and contribution to the Catholic and Gothic Revivals.

Email: [email protected]