Archibald Matthias Dunn
Encyclopedia
Archibald Matthias Dunn FRIBA
, JP
, (1832 – 17 January 1917) born in Wylam
in Northumberland
, was with his partner Edward Joseph Hansom
, among the foremost Catholic
architect
s in North East England
during the Victorian era
.
, a Mining Engineer and Manager and one of the first Government Inspectors of Mines for the North East of England. Archibald Dunn was educated at Ushaw College
and Stonyhurst College
. He then went to Bristol
to be apprenticed to architect Charles Francis Hansom
, the younger brother of Joseph Aloysius Hansom
, the inventor of the Hansom cab
and founder of The Builder
. It was here that Dunn met his future partner Edward Joseph Hansom
, the son of his employer, Charles Francis Hansom
.
Their principal works in North East England
include the tower and spire of St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Cathedral
in Newcastle upon Tyne
, and the church of St. Michael in Elswick, Tyne and Wear
. Dunn was also a prominent local landowner. Across the valley from Prudhoe
is Castle Hill House (1878-9), which he designed and built as his own home in Wylam
, where he had been born. Previously he had lived in Gateshead
, where he was an Alderman
, Mayor
and a Justice of the Peace
for County Durham. In 1870 was Dunn was President of the Northern Architectural Association.
In 1862 Dunn married Sara Armstrong, an authoress. They both enjoyed travel, and in 1886 Dunn published a book entitled ‘Notes and Sketches of an Architect', which was a collection of sketches made in France
, Germany
, Spain
and England
.
Dunn retired between 1883 – 87, with his architectural firm later becoming Dunn, Hansom & Fenwicke. In 1901 the Dunns moved to Wood House, Branksome Park
, in Bournemouth
, where he died on 17th January 1917 aged 85.
1858 National School, Blythe
1858 St. Andrew’s Cemetery, Hexham
1858 St. Joseph’s RC Church, Gateshead
1860 St Anthony of Padua RC Church, Walker, Newcastle
1858 Our Lady and St Wilfrid RC Church, Blythe
1869 St George’s RC Church, Bells Close, Lemington
1873 Saint Dominic’s RC Church, Newcastle
18?? St. Nicholas’ Cemetery, Newcastle.
1868 Prudhoe Hall, Prudhoe
1868 Mining Institute/Wood Memorial Hall, Newcastle
1878 Castle Hill House, Wylam.
1882 Alterations to Pugin’s Chapel, Ushaw
1876 Saint Matthew’s School (mainly Hansom), South Road, Prudhoe
1887 Medical School, Northumberland Road, Newcastle
1887-1937 Durham University College of Medicine; housed the Dental School of the University of Durham 1945-78; and from 1978, housed the Law School of the University of Northumbria
1891 St Michael’s RC Church, Westmorland Rd, Newcastle
1891 Our Lady and St Cuthbert RC Church, Prudhoe
1893 St Joseph’s RC Church, Hartlepool.
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
, JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
, (1832 – 17 January 1917) born in Wylam
Wylam
Wylam is a small village about west of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is located in the county of Northumberland.It is famous for the being the birthplace of George Stephenson, one of the early rail pioneers. George Stephenson's Birthplace is his cottage that can be found on the north bank of the...
in Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, was with his partner Edward Joseph Hansom
Edward Joseph Hansom
Edward Joseph Hansom was an English Victorian architect who specialised in ecclesiastical buildings in Gothic Revival style, including many Roman Catholic churches....
, among the foremost Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
s in North East England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
during the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
.
Biography
His father was Matthias DunnMatthias Dunn
Matthias Dunn was an Inspector of Mines in the North-east of England, United Kingdom during the 19th century. He lived at Stella Hall, Newcastle-on-Tyne, and owned a quarter share in the Stargate Pit which was the site of the Stargate Pit Explosion of 1826.In 1830 he sunk a new shaft, the "Great...
, a Mining Engineer and Manager and one of the first Government Inspectors of Mines for the North East of England. Archibald Dunn was educated at Ushaw College
Ushaw College
Ushaw College was a Roman Catholic seminary near Durham, England that closed in 2011. Ushaw was the principal seminary in the north of England for the training of Catholic priests.-History:...
and Stonyhurst College
Stonyhurst College
Stonyhurst College is a Roman Catholic independent school, adhering to the Jesuit tradition. It is located on the Stonyhurst Estate near the village of Hurst Green in the Ribble Valley area of Lancashire, England, and occupies a Grade I listed building...
. He then went to Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
to be apprenticed to architect Charles Francis Hansom
Charles Francis Hansom
Charles Francis Hansom was a prominent Roman Catholic Victorian architect who primarily designed in the Gothic Revival style.-Career:...
, the younger brother of Joseph Aloysius Hansom
Joseph Hansom
Joseph Aloysius Hansom was a prolific English architect working principally in the Gothic Revival style, who invented the Hansom cab and was one of the founders of the eminent architectural journal, The Builder, in 1843....
, the inventor of the Hansom cab
Hansom cab
The hansom cab is a kind of horse-drawn cart designed and patented in 1834 by Joseph Hansom, an architect from York. The vehicle was developed and tested by Hansom in Hinckley, Leicestershire, England. Originally called the Hansom safety cab, it was designed to combine speed with safety, with a low...
and founder of The Builder
Building (magazine)
Building is one of the United Kingdom’s oldest business-to-business magazines, launched as The Builder in 1843 by Joseph Aloysius Hansom – architect of Birmingham Town Hall and designer of the Hansom Cab. The journal was renamed Building in 1966 as it is still known today. Building is the only UK...
. It was here that Dunn met his future partner Edward Joseph Hansom
Edward Joseph Hansom
Edward Joseph Hansom was an English Victorian architect who specialised in ecclesiastical buildings in Gothic Revival style, including many Roman Catholic churches....
, the son of his employer, Charles Francis Hansom
Charles Francis Hansom
Charles Francis Hansom was a prominent Roman Catholic Victorian architect who primarily designed in the Gothic Revival style.-Career:...
.
Their principal works in North East England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
include the tower and spire of St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Cathedral
St Mary's Cathedral, Newcastle upon Tyne
The Cathedral Church of St Mary is a Catholic cathedral in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, the mother church of the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle and seat of the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle. The Cathedral, situated on Clayton Street, was designed by Augustus Welby Pugin and built between 1842...
in Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, and the church of St. Michael in Elswick, Tyne and Wear
Elswick, Tyne and Wear
Elswick is a ward of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, in the western part of the city, bordering the river Tyne. One of the earliest references to the coal mining industry of the north east occurs in 1330, when it was recorded that the Prior of Tynemouth let a colliery, called Heygrove, at...
. Dunn was also a prominent local landowner. Across the valley from Prudhoe
Prudhoe
Prudhoe is a medium sized town just south of the River Tyne, in the southern part of the county of Northumberland, England about west of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne. The town is sited on a steep, north-facing hill in the Tyne valley and nearby settlements include Ovingham, Ovington, Wylam,...
is Castle Hill House (1878-9), which he designed and built as his own home in Wylam
Wylam
Wylam is a small village about west of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is located in the county of Northumberland.It is famous for the being the birthplace of George Stephenson, one of the early rail pioneers. George Stephenson's Birthplace is his cottage that can be found on the north bank of the...
, where he had been born. Previously he had lived in Gateshead
Gateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
, where he was an Alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
, Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
and a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for County Durham. In 1870 was Dunn was President of the Northern Architectural Association.
In 1862 Dunn married Sara Armstrong, an authoress. They both enjoyed travel, and in 1886 Dunn published a book entitled ‘Notes and Sketches of an Architect', which was a collection of sketches made in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Dunn retired between 1883 – 87, with his architectural firm later becoming Dunn, Hansom & Fenwicke. In 1901 the Dunns moved to Wood House, Branksome Park
Branksome Park
Branksome Park is a suburb of Poole in Dorset, which adjoins Branksome, Dorset. The area covers approximately , mostly occupied by housing, and includes Branksome Chine which leads to the award-winning blue-flagged beaches of Poole.-Description:...
, in Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
, where he died on 17th January 1917 aged 85.
Buildings designed by Dunn
1854 Saint Mary’s RC Church, Blackhill1858 National School, Blythe
1858 St. Andrew’s Cemetery, Hexham
1858 St. Joseph’s RC Church, Gateshead
1860 St Anthony of Padua RC Church, Walker, Newcastle
1858 Our Lady and St Wilfrid RC Church, Blythe
1869 St George’s RC Church, Bells Close, Lemington
1873 Saint Dominic’s RC Church, Newcastle
18?? St. Nicholas’ Cemetery, Newcastle.
1868 Prudhoe Hall, Prudhoe
1868 Mining Institute/Wood Memorial Hall, Newcastle
1878 Castle Hill House, Wylam.
Dunn & Hansom
1860 Spire of Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Newcastle.1882 Alterations to Pugin’s Chapel, Ushaw
1876 Saint Matthew’s School (mainly Hansom), South Road, Prudhoe
Dunn, Hansom & Dunn
1885 Church of Our Lady and the English Martyrs, Cambridge1887 Medical School, Northumberland Road, Newcastle
1887-1937 Durham University College of Medicine; housed the Dental School of the University of Durham 1945-78; and from 1978, housed the Law School of the University of Northumbria
1891 St Michael’s RC Church, Westmorland Rd, Newcastle
1891 Our Lady and St Cuthbert RC Church, Prudhoe
1893 St Joseph’s RC Church, Hartlepool.