Manchester Town Hall

Manchester Town Hall is a building in Manchester, England that houses the city's government and administrative functions. Completed by architect Alfred Waterhouse in 1877, it is a fine example of Victorian Gothic revival, featuring imposing murals by Ford Madox Brown. Download high resolution version (600x800, 94 KB)Manchester Town Hall (old building). ... Download high resolution version (600x800, 94 KB)Manchester Town Hall (old building). ... Jump to: navigation, search Manchester Town Hall is an example of the Victorian architecture found in Manchester and is the home of Manchester City Council Manchester is a large conurbation in the North West of England and is home to 2. ... Jump to: navigation, search Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population - Total (mid-2004) - Density Ranked 1st UK... Architect at his drawing board, 1893 An architect, also known as a building designer, is a person involved in the planning, designing and oversight of a buildings construction, whose role is to guide decisions affecting those building aspects that are of aesthetic, cultural or social concern. ... The Natural History Museum in South Kensington, London, has an ornate terracotta facade typical of high Victorian architecture. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1877 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search Queen Victoria (shown here on the morning of her Accession to the Throne, 20 June 1837) gave her name to the historic era The Victorian era of Great Britain is considered the height of the British industrial revolution and the apex of the British Empire. ... Victoria Tower at the Palace of Westminster, London: Gothic details provided by A.W.N. Pugin The Gothic revival was a European architectural movement with origins in mid-18th century England. ... Jump to: navigation, search A mural by brightens the walls of this air-raid shelters in south London. ... The Last of England, 1855 Ford Madox Brown (April 16, 1821 - October 6, 1893) was an English painter of moral and historical subjects, notable for his distinctively graphic and often Hogarthian version of the Pre-Raphaelite style. ...

As filming is forbidden in the Palace of Westminster, Manchester Town Hall is frequently used as its "body double" in British political dramatisations. The Palace of Westminster, known also as the Houses of Parliament, is where the two Houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (the House of Lords and the House of Commons) conduct their sittings. ...

The Town Hall was listed as a Grade I listed building on February 25, 1952. [1] Buckingham Palace, a Grade I listed building. ... February 25 is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1952 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Old Town Hall

Original Manchester Town Hall

Manchester's original civic administration was housed in the Police Office in King Street. It was replaced by the first Town Hall, to accommodate the growing local government and its civic assembly rooms. The Town Hall, also located in King Street at the corner of Cross Street, was designed by Francis Goodwin and constructed during 1822-1825, much of it by David Bellhouse. The building was designed in the Grecian style and Goodwin was strongly influenced by his patron John Soane. As the size and wealth of the city grew, largely as a result of the textile industry, its administration outstripped the existing facilities and a new building was proposed. The King Street building was subsequently occupied by a lending library and then Lloyds Bank. The facade was removed to Heaton Park in 1912 when the current Lloyds TSB building was erected on the site (No 53 King Street). T. Allen, Lancashire Illustrated, from original drawings, by S. Austin, J. Harwood, and G. & C. Pine &c. ... T. Allen, Lancashire Illustrated, from original drawings, by S. Austin, J. Harwood, and G. & C. Pine &c. ... King Street, Manchester, England is one of the citys most important throroughfairs. ... Francis Goodwin (May 23, 1784 - August 30, 1835) was an English architect, best known for his many provincial churches in the Gothic revival style and for his aggressive business methods. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1822 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1825 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... David Bellhouse (1764 - 1840) was an English builder who did much to shape Victorian era Manchester, both physically and socially. ... Sir John Soane (10 September 1753 - 20 January 1837) was a British architect who specialised in the Neo-Classical tradition. ... With the establishment of overseas colonies, the British Empire at the end of the 17th century/beginning of the 18th century had a vast source of raw materials and a vast market for goods. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... 1912 was a leap year starting on Monday. ... Lloyds TSB Group plc is a group of financial services companies, based in the United Kingdom, which was created in 1995 following the merger of the TSB Group and the Lloyds Bank Group. ...

Design and construction of the new building

The site chosen for a new town hall was an oddly shaped triangle and, of the 136 entries in open competition for the design, Waterhouse's expoiled the constraints in the most practical and imaginative way. Despite its medieval styling, the building was designed to support the practical bureaucratic technologies of the 19th century. There was even a warm-air heating system. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The building exemplifies the Victorian Gothic revival style of architecture, using themes and elements from 13th century early English. The choice was influenced by the wish for a spiritual acknowledgement to Manchester's heritage in the textile trade of the Hanseatic league and also an affirmation of modernity, the fashionable gothic style being preferred over the classical architecture favoured in neighbouring Liverpool. The exterior, of spinkwell stone, is decorated with carvings of important figures in Manchester's history. The interior is made of multi-coloured terracotta produced by the famous Gibbs And Canning Limited of Tamworth. (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... The Hanseatic League (German: die Hanse) was an alliance of trading cities that established and maintained a trade monopoly over most of Northern Europe and the Baltic for a time in the later Middle Ages and the Early Modern period (ie between the 13th and 17th century). ... From the point of view of modern times, the ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean sometimes seem to blend smoothly into one melange we call the Classical. ... Jump to: navigation, search Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough on Merseyside in north west England, on the north side of the Mersey estuary. ...

Construction started in 1868, at a cost of GBP one million, comprising fourteen million bricks. 1868 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The pound sterling, which strictly speaking refers to basic currency unit of sterling, now the pound, is the currency of the United Kingdom (UK). ...

The new building had been championed by radical mayor Abel Heywood and his notoriety entailed Queen Victoria's refusal to attend the opening. Radical is derived from the Latin word radix, which means root. In various fields of endeavor, it can mean: Sciences in chemistry, either an atom or molecule with at least one unpaired electron, or a group of atoms, charged or uncharged, that act as a single entity in reaction. ... Abel Heywood (February 25, 1810 _ August 19, 1893) was an English publisher, radical and sometime mayor of Manchester. ... Victoria Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria) (24 May 1819–22 January 1901) was a Queen of the United Kingdom, reigning from 20 June 1837 until her death. ...

Entrance

The entrance overlooks Albert Square and features statues of: Albert Square is a public plaza in Manchester, England. ...

• Gnaeus Julius Agricola, founder of the Roman fort of Mamuciam in year 79;
• Henry III of England;
• Elizabeth I of England; and
• Saint George.

In the entrance hall are statues of: Gnaeus Julius Agricola (July 13, 40 - August 23, 93) was a Roman general responsible for much of the Roman conquest of Britain. ... Jump to: navigation, search Ancient Rome was a civilization that existed in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East between 753 BC and its downfall in AD 476. ... AD79 Events June 23 - Titus succeeds his father Vespasian as Roman emperor. ... Henry III (October 1, 1207 – November 16, 1272) is one of the least-known British monarchs, considering the great length of his reign. ... Jump to: navigation, search Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603) was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. ... Saint George (ca 275/280–April 23, 303) was a soldier of the Roman Empire and later Christian martyr. ...

• James Prescott Joule, by Alfred Gilbert; and
• John Dalton, by Francis Legatt Chantrey.

James Prescott Joule (December 24, 1818–October 11, 1889) was an English physicist, born in Salford, near Manchester. ... Sir Alfred Gilbert (August 12, 1854 _ November 4, 1934) was an English sculptor and goldsmith who enthusiastically experimented with metallurgical innovations. ... Jump to: navigation, search John Dalton John Dalton (September 6, 1766 – July 27, 1844) was a British chemist and physicist, born at Eaglesfield, near Cockermouth in Cumberland. ... Sir Francis Legatt Chantrey (April 7, 1782 - November 25, 1841), was an English sculptor of the Georgian era. ...

The Great Hall

The hall features an organ by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll and a sequence of twelve murals by Ford Madox Brown. The murals reflect the outstanding themes of Victorian Manchester: Christianity, commerce and the textile industry. They are not true frescos but employ the Gambier Parry process. The murals are: The Casavant pipe organ at Notre-Dame de Montréal Basilica, Montreal The organ is one of the oldest musical instruments in the western musical tradition, with a rich history connected with the Christian religion and civic ceremony. ... Aristide Cavaillé-Coll (February 4, 1811–October 13, 1899) was a French pipe organ builder. ... Jump to: navigation, search Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament writings of his early followers. ... A XIV Century fresco featuring Saint Sebastian Note: Fresco is the NATO reporting name of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17. ... The Gambier Parry process is a development of the classical technique of fresco for painting murals, named for Thomas Gambier Parry. ...

1. The Romans Building a Fort at Mancenion: The building of the fort, to be found now in Manchester's Castlefield, by British slaves under Agricola.
2. The Baptism of Edwin: Baptism of Edwin of Northumbria at York, watched by his wife Ethelberga and family.
3. The Expulsion of the Danes from Manchester: A colourful depiction of the evacuation of the Danes from the town
4. The Establishment of Flemish Weavers in Manchester A.D. 1363: Queen Philippa of Hainault greets Flemish weavers who were invited to England under Edward III of England’s act of 1337.
5. The Trial of Wycliffe A.D. 1377: Perhaps the most impressive of the twelve murals, John Wycliffe is depicted on trial, defended by his patron, John of Gaunt. Geoffrey Chaucer, another protegé of Gaunt's, acts as recorder.
6. The Proclamation regarding Weights and Measures A.D. 1556: The Burgess and others of the Town of Manchester shall send in all manner of Weights and Measures to be tried by their Majesties standard.
7. Crabtree watching the Transit of Venus A.D. 1639: William Crabtree, a draper who lived at Broughton, was asked by a curate friend, Jeremiah Horrocks, to observe the Transit of Venus, on November 24. Crabtree's diligence and rigour enabled him to correct Horrocks' faulty calculations and to observe the transit on December 4.
8. Chetham’s Life’s Dream A.D. 1640: Humphrey Chetham dreams of the school, Chetham's School of Music, to be established by his legacy.
9. Bradshaw's Defence of Manchester A.D. 1642: During the English Civil War, Manchester was laid under siege by Royalists. It was in fact John Rosworm, not Bradshaw, who defended the town.
10. John Kay, Inventor of the Fly Shuttle A.D. 1753: Depicts luddites destroying the shuttle mechanism while Kay is being smuggled to safety.
11. The Opening of the Bridgewater Canal A.D. 1761: The 3rd Earl of Bridgewater owned coal mines in Swinton, and collaborated with engineer James Brindley to build a canal to carry coal into the heart of Manchester.
12. Dalton collecting Marsh-Fire Gas: The seminal studies that led John Dalton to his atomic theory.

Castlefield Castlefield in Manchester, UK was a site where the Roman Empire established a fort. ... Jump to: navigation, search Baptism is a water purification ritual practiced in certain religions such as Christianity, Mandaeanism, Sikhism, and has its origins with the Jewish ritual of tahara. ... Saint Edwin (alternately Eadwine or Æduini) ( 584–October 12, 632/633) was the King of Northumbria from about 616 until his death. ... York is a city in northern England, at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss. ... Centuries: 13th century - 14th century - 15th century Decades: 1310s 1320s 1330s 1340s 1350s - 1360s - 1370s 1380s 1390s 1400s 1410s Years: 1358 1359 1360 1361 1362 - 1363 - 1364 1365 1366 1367 1368 See also: 1363 state leaders Events Magnus II, King of Sweden, is deposed by Albert of Mecklenburg. ... Philippa of Hainault Philippa of Hainault (~1314 - August 15, 1369) was the Queen consort of Edward III of England. ... Flemish (in Dutch, Vlaams) can either refer to Anything belonging to Flanders (the Flemish nation) or to its inhabitants, the Flemings. ... Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377) was one of the most successful English kings of medieval times. ... Events March 17 - Edward, the Black Prince is created Duke of Cornwall, becoming the first English Duke Beginning of the Hundred Years War between France and England Bisham Priory founded Births Louis II, Duke of Bourbon (died 1410) Jean Froissart, historian and courtier from Hainaut. ... Events January 17 – Gregory XI enters Rome. ... Jump to: navigation, search John Wycliffe (also Wyclif, Wycliff, or Wickliffe) (c. ... John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster (June 24, 1340 - February 3, 1399), the third surviving son of King Edward III of England, gained his name because he was born at Ghent in 1340. ... Jump to: navigation, search Chaucer: Illustration from Cassells History of England, circa 1902 Geoffrey Chaucer (c. ... Weights and measures is a term used by legal authorities in English speaking countries such as the United Kingdom for a function related to units of measurement in trade. ... Events January 16 - Abdication of Emperor Charles V. His son, Philip II becomes King of Spain, while his brother Ferdinand becomes Holy Roman Emperor January 23 - The Shaanxi earthquake, the deadliest earthquake in history, occurs with its epicenter in Shaanxi province, China. ... Events January 14 - Connecticuts first constitution, the Fundamental Orders, is adopted. ... Jump to: navigation, search William Crabtree (1610–1644?), English astronomer, mathematician and merchant. ... Jeremiah Horrocks (c. ... (*min temperature refers to cloud tops only) Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 9. ... Jump to: navigation, search November 24 is the 328th day (329th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search December 4 is the 338th day (339th on leap years) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Events December 1 - Portugal regains its independence from Spain and João IV of Portugal becomes king. ... Humphrey Chetham was a merchant responsible for the creation of Chethams Library and Chethams School of Music. ... Chethams School of Music, familiarly known as Chets, is a specialist music school in Manchester. ... John Bradshaw (1602-October 31, 1659) was one of the judges to preside over the trial and subsequent death sentence of Charles I of England. ... Events January 4 - Charles I attempts to arrest five leading members of the Long Parliament, but they escape. ... Jump to: navigation, search The term English Civil War (or Wars) refers to the series of armed conflicts and political machinations which took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1651. ... Jump to: navigation, search John Rosworm or Rosworme ( 1630 - 1660) was a Dutch or German soldier and military engineer who served the Parliamentarian cause during the English Civil War. ... A number of people have been called John Kay: John Kay (1704–1780), English inventor of textile machinery, notably the flying shuttle John Kay (17??–17??), English developer of textile machinery, notably the spinning frame John Kay (1742–1826), Scottish caricaturist Sir John Kay (1943–2004), British High Court judge... The flying shuttle was developed by John Kay in 1733, and was one of the key developments in weaving that helped fuel the Industrial Revolution. ... 1753 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Luddites were a social movement of English workers in the early 1800s who protested – often by destroying textile machines – against the changes produced by the Industrial Revolution that they felt threatened their jobs. ... The Bridgewater Canal is a canal in North West England, near Manchester. ... 1761 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater (May 21, 1736–March 8, 1803) (also the 6th Earl of Bridgewater) was a British nobleman. ... Swinton is a town in the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford in Greater Manchester, England, though not traditionaly part of Salford. ... Jump to: navigation, search Look up engineer on Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... James Brindley. ... The Canal du Midi in Toulouse, France Canals are man-made waterways, usually connecting existing lakes, rivers, or oceans. ... Coal is a fossil fuel extracted from the ground by deep mining, coal mining (open-pit mining or strip mining). ... Jump to: navigation, search John Dalton John Dalton (September 6, 1766 – July 27, 1844) was a British chemist and physicist, born at Eaglesfield, near Cockermouth in Cumberland. ... Jump to: navigation, search Properties For alternative meanings see atom (disambiguation). ...

The bell tower

There is a 280 foot (85 metre) bell tower, housing a carillon of 23 bells manufactured by John Taylor Bellfounders. The clock bell, Great Abel is named for Heywood. It is inscribed with the initials AH and the Tennyson line Ring out the false, ring in the true. The clock is by Gillett and Bland (predecessor of Gillett and Johnston) and its face bears the inscription Teach us to number our Days. A foot (plural: feet) is a non-SI unit of distance or length, measuring around a third of a metre. ... The metre, or meter (symbol: m) is the SI base unit of length. ... The rooftop carillon of Roermond City Hall A carillon is a musical instrument composed of at least 23 cup-shaped bells played from a keyboard using fists and feet. ... The bells of St Savas A bell is a simple sound-making device. ... John Taylor Bellfounders is, as of 2004, the worlds largest bell foundry, based in Loughborough, England. ... Lord Tennyson, Poet Laureate Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (August 6, 1809 - October 6, 1892) is generally regarded as one of the greatest English poets. ...

Extension

Work started on an extension on 1934 and was completed in 1938. The achitect was E. Vincent Harris, who had recently completed the adjacent Manchester Central Library, and it is considered by many to be his finest work. The building features stained glass windows by George Kruger Gray. Jump to: navigation, search 1934 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1938 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Emanuel Vincent Harris (June 26, 1876 - August 1, 1971) was an English architect who was most famously responsible for the design of several important public buildings. ... Manchester Central library ( Alternative view) Manchester Central Library is an impressive circular building next to the extended Town Hall in Manchester, England. ... Strictly speaking, stained glass is glass that has been painted with silver stain and then fired. ... George Edward Kruger Gray (December 25, 1880 - May 2, 1943) was an English artist, best remembered for his designs of coinage and stained glass windows. ...

External links

• Ground-floor plan of the town hall
• Town hall bells
• Town hall organ