Jesse Horsfall

• Birth date            29 January 1859  at Todmorden, West Yorkshire 
• Marriage              19 September 1883 to Ada Blacka daughter of James Blacka at Todmorden
• Death date          26 March 1910 at Burnlea, Todmorden, aged 51
• Interment           Parish Church Todmorden Tuesday 29 March 1910 at 12 noon

Jesse Horsfall was born at Todmorden, in 1859, the younger son of Henry Horsfall, architect and builder (1861 census), and his wife, Betty. He was educated privately at Vale Academy, Todmorden and Arnold House, Blackpool. On leaving school he was articled with G. H. Goldsmith, architect, of Faulkner Street, Manchester from 1875 to 1879 remaining as an assistant. During this period, he also attended science and arts classes in Manchester. In 1880 he commenced independent practice at Todmorden, his first major commission being obtained from John Fielden, Esq., J.P., D.L., of Dobroyd Castle, Todmorden, for a coffee tavern and temperance hotel in the centre of the town,

In 1883 he was in Rochdale for a time as temporary architectural assistant to the borough engineer and surveyor (Mr S S Platt) and there designed the Free Library and Art Gallery building on the Esplanade, which was opened on 30 October 1884. In 1901 he was asked to submit plans for the new Art Gallery on the Esplanade. These were adopted by the council, and the building, which cost £6,550, was opened on 3 April 1903. In the course of his career, he designed numerous chapels, schools, clubs, residences and commercial buildings; his designs being accepted in competition by the Rochdale Libraries Committee for the Crompton and Castleton Moor Free Libraries (1904-1907). He prepared the designs for a number of buildings in the Todmorden district including the new Post Office buildings, the Union Offices and Firemen’s’ Cottages, and exhibited a drawing of his own house at the Royal Academy in 1898. From 1891 he acted as agent for the Stansfield Hall Estates, and subsequently  took over the management of the estates at Lambutts, Knowl, and Dobroyd for different members of the Fielden family. For fifteen years from 1895 until his death, he acted as architect to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank Limited, and during that period carried out a number of works for that company. One of his last commissions was in connection with the proposed new Secondary School at Stile, the construction of which has only just been commenced at the time of his death. This was completed by his nephew James Edward Stott(qv)

He was a member of the Manchester Architectural Association for twelve years prior to its incorporation with the Manchester Society of Architects and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects on 13 March 1893, proposed by R K Freeman, L Booth, and J Holden. About 1900 he opened an office at 4 Chapel Walks, Manchester which he retained until his death.

Jesse Horsfall died at his residence, Burnlea, Todmorden, on Saturday 26 March 1910 after a painful illness of some five months duration. He was fifty-one years of age, and left Ada his widow; their only child, Mabel Alice had died in 1895, aged ten.

Address
1880    Bridge Street, Todmorden
1883    Bank Chambers, Todmorden, West Yorkshire,
Rochdale CHECK DATES
1897    Burnlea, Burnley Road, Todmorden (also residence)
1903    80 Bindloss Chambers, 4 Chapel Walk Manchester and Todmorden
1909    80 Bindloss Chambers, 4 Chapel Walks Manchester and Todmorden

Residence
1871-1883    15 York Place, Todmorden
1891        7 Garden Street, Stansfield, Todmorden (census)
1897-1910    “Burnlea,” Burnley Road, Todmorden

Obituary        Builder 16 April 1910 page 444
Obituary        Building News 1 April 1910 page 443
Obituary        Todmorden and District News 1 April 1910 page 4 a useful career
Obituary        Todmorden Advertiser and Hebden Bridge Newsletter 1 April 1910 page 6
Obituary        Burnley Express 2 April 1910 page 8
Death notice    Manchester Guardian 28 March 1910 - deaths
Reference    Pike Manchester page 212
Reference    Manchester Guardian 23 April 1910 page 4 - legal notices