Joseph Hansom
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Joseph Aloysius Hansom (October 26, 1803 - June 29, 1882) was an English architect who also invented the Hansom cab.
Hansom was born at No. 114 Micklegate, York (now the Brigantes pub) and baptised as Josephus Aloysius Handsom(e), to a Roman Catholic family. He became an apprentice as a joiner following his father. He married Hannah Glover in 1825 at St. Michael le Belfrey in York.
Showing an aptitude for designing and construction, he was taken from his father's joinery shop and apprenticed to an architect in York, and by 1831 his designs, in partnership with Edward Welch, for the Birmingham Town Hall were accepted and followed - to his financial undoing, as he had become bond for the builders. He designed around 200 buildings altogether, including St George's RC Church in York, Mount St Mary College near Sheffield, St Walburge's Church in Preston and in 1871,The Holy Name Church Manchester.
Afterwards he moved to manage an estate at Caldecote Hall. On December 23, 1834 he registered the design of a Patent Safety Cab, on the suggestion of his employer, and subsequently sold the patent to a company for £10,000, which, however, owing to the company's financial difficulties, was never paid. The first Hansom Cab travelled down Hinckley's Coventry Road in 1835. The cab was exported worldwide.
