| AdminHistory | Hadfield Cawkwell Davidson continue a practice that began in 1838 when John Grey Weightman (1801 - 1872) and Matthew Ellison Hadfield (1812 - 1885) formed an architectural partnership, with offices at the Corn Exchange, Sheffield.
Both men served their articles with the Doncaster architects John Woodhead and William Hurst. Weightman then worked in the offices of Charles Barry and C R Cockerell in London, before setting up in practice as an architect in Sheffield in 1832. Matthew Hadfield had worked in the office of his uncle, Michael Ellison, the Agent for the Duke of Norfolk in Sheffield, before training as an architect c1831 - 1834. In 1835 he gained experience in the office of P F Robinson in London, spending some of his time on Robinson's competition scheme for the rebuilding of the Houses of Parliament, before returning to Sheffield. After working both independently and together informally, Weightman and Hadfield began their formal partnership in 1838. In 1850 they took George Goldie (1828 - 1887), who had been their pupil, into partnership, the practice becoming Weightman, Hadfield and Goldie.
By 1858, when Weightman left the firm, they were one of the leading practices in the Sheffield area, acting as architects for the Duke of Norfolk's northern estates and obtaining commissions from other Roman Catholic clients. In 1860 Goldie also withdrew to work independently, leaving M E Hadfield to practice alone until 1864 when his son Charles Hadfield (1840 - 1916) joined him. They worked together as M E Hadfield and Son until M E Hadfield's death in 1885. In 1890 Arthur Garland became a partner, the style of the firm then being Hadfield, Son and Garland. Charles' son, Charles Matthew Ellison Hadfield (1867 - 1949) joined in 1897, and after Garland left in 1899 father and son worked together as C and C M Hadfield until 1916.
After his father's death C M Hadfield ran an independent practice until Robert Cawkwell (1894 - 1968) became a partner in 1924. Although C M Hadfield retired in 1937 the style of the firm remained Hadfield and Cawkwell until 1946, when John William Davidson (1911 -) joined Robert Cawkwell. The firm practised as Hadfield Cawkwell and Davidson until 1963, when it became Hadfield Cawkwell Davidson and Partners. John W Davidson retired in 1974.
The changes in name of the partnership have been matched by a variety of office addresses in Sheffield. For fifty years, until the practice lost the appointment as architects to the Norfolk estates in 1889, it was at the Corn Exchange, moving then to Old Club Chambers, Norfolk Street. From 1903 to 1940 it was at 19 St James' Street, and since 1956 has been at 17 Broomgrove Road.
Over the years two other practices have been associated with the Hadfields' practice. The first was that of William Wilkinson Wardell of 44 Parliament Street, Westminster, London, which was taken over in 1858. George Goldie ran the practice's London office at that address until 1860, when he left the partnership. The second practice was that of Arthur Nunweek of Mazda Buildings, Campo Lane, Sheffield, which was absorbed into the main practice about 1957.
Over the years the practice has undertaken a wide range of commissions, not only in Sheffield but in the north of England and further afield, including public buildings, churches, schools, houses, hospitals, shops and offices, railway stations and factories. From the 1960s the practice extended into civil and structural engineering, and developed its work in the fields of building conservation and planning. The Hadfields were Roman Catholics and designed a significant number of Catholic churches, schools and convents. Charles Hadfield was a lifelong friend of John Francis Bentley (1839 - 1902), the architect of Westminster Cathedral. |
| Description | Architectural plans covering Sheffield, Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire.
Additional plans and logbook 1931-1972 [1979/12]
Plans of St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, Handsworth [1979/42, HCD 142/9/1-29];
(Acc. 1982/79)
18 portfolios of architectural drawings.
(Acc. 1983/77)
Ten plans of the Edgar Allen Library, Sheffield University.
(Acc. 1985/16)
Plans of St Vincent's Church and Schools, Solly Street, Sheffield.
(Acc. 1985/38)
Survey drawings of Shrewsbury Almshouses (Shrewsbury Hospital) Norfolk Road, Sheffield.
(Acc. 1986/11)
Correspondence files relating to architectural jobs c 1944-1965.
(Acc. 1982/59, HCD 128)
Grand Hotel, Leopold Street, Sheffield, additional plans c 1956
(Acc. 1989/63)
Additional plans
File of correspondence and papers re St Mary's Church, Wombwell 1897-1914; J W Davidson's Testimony of Study 1930s - 11 drawings [1990/94];
Brook House, Fulwood, Sheffield, 4 drawings by J Amory Teather: alterations and additions 1937 [1991/42];
(1) Library catalogue accession list c 1950s-1982 (1 vol).
(2) Index of [Arthur] Nunweek's jobs n.d. [c 1950] (1 file).
(3) "Index of Ordnance Sheets" - list of public houses etc. n.d. [c 1960?] (1 file).
(4) "Ashington and Dunston Index" and 2 lists of plans (3 files).
(5) Plans and elevations of coastguard cottages etc. 1945 (1 sheet) by G R Adams [1992/12];
Plans and drawings (7 portfolios) [1992/51];
Additional drawings [1982/127].
(Acc 1986/11) Correspondence files about architectural jobs.
(Acc 1989/11) Architectural plans and drawings:
Worksop College, 1900-1930 (c 44 items);
St Vincent's Presbytery [Sheffield], 1876 (8 items);
Later alterations to St Vincent's Church, Solly Street, Sheffield (c 60 items);
St. Vincent's Church Hall etc., Sheffield.
(Acc. 1989/20)
One drawing, Wortley Developments Limited, Sheffield [Livesey Street premises].
(Acc. 1989/63)
Additional records
(Acc. 1990/94)
File of correspondence and papers re St Mary's Church, Wombwell, 1897 - 1914
J W Davidson's testimony of study, 1930s (11 drawings)
(Acc. 1991/42)
Architectural drawings - Brook House, Fulwood, Sheffield by J Amory Teather, alterations and additions, 1937.
(Acc.2008/133)
Architectural drawings, cash books and photographs of completed architectural jobs, 1950s - 1970s. Detailed box list:
Box 1-12: photographs
Box 10 Photographs (unlisted); Two cash books, Hadfield Cawkwell Davidson
(Acc.2014/26)
Watercolour of Pawson and Brailsford's offices [Hadfield Cawkwell Davidson?], 19th cent.
(HCD unlisted Ref. 723/194) Plans of Goodwin Athletics Centre/Social Seminar, Sheffield, 1974. |