Matthew Ellison Hadfield (8 September 1812 – 9 March 1885) was an English architect of the

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...

Gothic revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

. He is chiefly known for his work on Roman Catholic churches, including the

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

churches of

Salford Salford ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Greater Manchester, England, on the western bank of the River Irwell which forms its boundary with Manchester city centre. Landmarks include the former Salford Town Hall, town hall, ...

and

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...

Training

Hadfield was born at Lees Hall in

Glossop Glossop is a market town in the borough of High Peak (borough), High Peak, Derbyshire, England, east of Manchester, north-west of Sheffield and north of Matlock, Derbyshire, Matlock. Near Derbyshire's borders with Cheshire, Greater Mancheste ...

, Derbyshire, the son of Joseph Hadfield and Mary Hadfield (née Ellison). He attended Woolton Grove Academy in

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

, and subsequently, between 1827 and 1831, he worked for his uncle Michael Ellison (his mother's brother), agent of the estates of the

Dukes of Norfolk Duke of Norfolk is a title in the peerage of England. The premier non-royal peer, the Duke of Norfolk is additionally the premier duke and earl in the English peerage. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the t ...

in Sheffield. From 1831 he was articled to the architectural firm of Woodhead and Hurst of Doncaster, and then to P. F. Robinson of

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. He married Sarah Frith of

at around this time.

Career

Practising as an architect in Sheffield from 1834, Hadfield's first commission was the design of the Cholera Monument in Sheffield, a memorial to the 402 victims of the cholera epidemic of 1832 in the city. In 1838 Hadfield entered a partnership in Sheffield with

John Grey Weightman John Grey Weightman (29 March 1809 – 9 December 1872) was an English architect based in Sheffield. Career He was born on 29 March 1809 in Bawtry, West Riding of Yorkshire, the son of Robert Weightman and Mary Gray. He trained in the offices ...

, which lasted until 1858. In 1850 they were joined by their former pupil George Goldie, and the partnership between Hadfield and Goldie lasted until 1860. During that time, they worked on several commissions in and around Manchester such as St Paul's Church in Hyde (1853-4) and St Mary's Church in

Dukinfield Dukinfield is a town in Tameside, Greater Manchester, England, on the south bank of the River Tame, Greater Manchester, River Tame opposite Ashton-under-Lyne, east of Manchester. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census, the built up ar ...

(1856). From 1864 or 1865 Hadfield was in partnership with his son Charles Hadfield (1840–1916). After Hadfield's death in 1885, his son continued the practice, and was later joined in partnership by Hadfield's grandson Charles Matthew Ellison Hadfield (1867–1949). As an architect, Hadfield was an early follower of the Gothic revival movement led by A.W.N. Pugin. Hadfield designed numerous Catholic churches, including All Saints, Glossop, St. Bede's, Rotherham, St Hilda's,

Whitby Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It is on the Yorkshire Coast at the mouth of the River Esk, North Yorkshire, River Esk and has a maritime, mineral and tourist economy. From the Middle Ages, Whitby ...

, St Catherine's Church, Littlehampton and St Chad’s. His largest and most significant work was St John's Church in

(1844–1848) which in 1850 was elevated to cathedral status upon the restoration of the Catholic hierarchy in England and Wales. St John's was in the decorated style, as was St Marie's Church in

(1847–1850; elevated to cathedral status in 1980). A further cathedral commission, in the form of the Cathedral of the Annunciation and St. Nathy,

Ballaghaderreen Ballaghaderreen () is a town in County Roscommon, Ireland. It was part of County Mayo prior to 1898. It is in the north-west of the county, near the borders with counties Mayo and Sligo, just off the N5 road. The population was 2,387 in the 2 ...

, in the diocese of

Achonry Achonry (; ) is a village in County Sligo, Ireland. The old name is Achad Cain Conairi. St. Nath Í ua hEadhra (O'Hara) founded a monastery here. The foundation gave the later diocese its name. The monastery was founded on land granted by the ...

, Ireland, came in 1855 (completed 1860). Hadfield also designed railway stations, including that at

, and those of the

East Lincolnshire Railway The East Lincolnshire Railway was a main line railway linking the towns of Boston, Lincolnshire, Boston, Alford, Lincolnshire, Alford, Louth, Lincolnshire, Louth and Grimsby in Lincolnshire, England. It opened in 1848. The ELR ''Company'' had l ...

together with Sheffield's

Wicker Arches Wicker Arches form a long railway viaduct across the Don Valley in the City of Sheffield, England. They take their name from the thoroughfare Wicker, which passes through the main arch of the viaduct and was, until the completion of the Sheff ...

viaduct, in the neo-classical style, in 1848.

Other buildings by Hadfield & Son

St Mary's Church, Worksop St Mary's Church is a Roman Catholic parish church in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England. It was built from 1838 to 1840 by Weightman and Hadfield in the Gothic Revival style. It is located on Park Street to the south of the town centre. It was pai ...

(Weightman and Hadfield) in 1838. *

Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Bamford Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Bamford is a Roman Catholic church in the village of Bamford, Derbyshire. The church dates back to the mid-19th century and is a Grade II listed building. It was designed by M. E. Hadfield and built for Henry Fitzalan- ...

Sacred Heart Church, Hillsborough Sacred Heart Church is located in Forbes Road in the Hillsborough district of the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England at . It is a Roman Catholic church in the Diocese of Hallam and is a Grade II listed building. The church is situated ...

(C.M.Hadfield) *

Glossop Town Hall Glossop Town Hall, Market Hall, and Municipal Buildings is a complex in the centre of Glossop, Derbyshire, providing offices for High Peak Borough Council, a retail arcade, and covered market. The Town Hall was constructed in 1838 and significa ...

St Mary's Church, Grimsby St Mary's Church or its full name St Mary on the Sea Church is a Roman Catholic Parish Church in Grimsby, Lincolnshire. It was built from 1880 to 1883. It is situated on the corner of Heneage Road and Wellington Street in the town centre. It was d ...

St Mary's Church, Llanfair-yng-Nghornwy St Mary's Church, Llanfair-yng-Nghornwy is a medieval parish church in the north-west of Anglesey, north Wales. The date of foundation of the church, which is in the village of Llanfair-yng-Nghornwy, is unknown, but the oldest parts date from the ...

(restoration 1847, Weightman and Hadfield) *

Kenmure Castle Kenmure Castle is a fortified house or castle in The Glenkens, south of the town of New Galloway in Kirkcudbrightshire, Galloway, south-west Scotland. The site was occupied from the Middle Ages, and the house incorporates part of a 17th-century ...

, New Galloway, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland. 1879, additions and remodellin

* Monastery of The Holy Spirit, Sheffield *Chapel at

St Michael's Cemetery, Sheffield St Michael's Cemetery is a Catholic Church, Catholic burial ground in the Rivelin Valley area of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The cemetery stands on a steep hillside on the south side of Rivelin Valley Road at its junction with Rivelin R ...

St Vincent's Church, Sheffield St Vincent's Church is a redundant Roman Catholic church situated on Solly Street at its junction with Hollis Croft in the centre of the City of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The church fell into a worsening state of disrepair since clo ...

(Chapel-school) * Sheffield United Gas Light Company Offices *

Thornbury Thornbury may refer to: Places ;Australia *Thornbury, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne **Thornbury railway station, Melbourne ;Canada * Thornbury, Ontario ;England *Thornbury, Devon * Thornbury, Herefordshire *Thornbury, Gloucestershire **Thornbury ...

, Sheffield * St Joseph's Church, Stockport

References

Sources

*Roderick O'Donnell, 'Matthew Ellison Hadfield', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Hadfield, Matthew Ellison 19th-century English architects Gothic Revival architects English Roman Catholics English ecclesiastical architects 1812 births 1885 deaths People from Glossop Architects of cathedrals Architects from Derbyshire Architects of Roman Catholic churches