William Swinden Barber

William Swinden Barber
Barber in 1864 in medieval costume by David Wilkie Wynfield
Born	(1832-03-29)29 March 1832 Southowram, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Died	26 November 1908(1908-11-26) (aged 76) Portsmouth, Hampshire, England
Occupation	Architect
Practice	Jones & Barber, 1857–59 W.S. Barber 1859–68 Mallinson & Barber, 1868–71 W.S. Barber 1871–98
Buildings	Selected listed buildings Civic Hall Brighouse 1866 Causey Hall Halifax 1867 Emmanuel Shelley 1869 St Thos Thurstonland 1870 Victoria Cross Ackr. 1875 St Matthew Lightcliffe 1875 St Paul Drighlington 1876 Abbott's Ladies Homes 1876 All Saints N'thong 1877 St John Warley 1877 St James New Mills 1880 St Paul Mirfield 1881 St Michael East Ardsley 1884 St John Cleckheaton 1886 St Jude Savile Park 1888 St M and AA Beckwithshaw

William Swinden Barber FRIBA (29 March 1832 – 26 November 1908), also W. S. Barber or W. Swinden Barber, was an English Gothic Revival and Arts and Crafts architect, specialising in modest but finely furnished Anglican churches. The Barber churches often had crenellated bell-towers. He was based in Brighouse and Halifax in the West Riding of Yorkshire. At least 15 surviving examples of his work are Grade II listed buildings including his 1875 design for the Victoria Cross at Akroydon. An 1864 portrait by David Wilkie Wynfield depicts him in Romantic garb, holding a flower. He served in the Artists Rifles regiment in the 1860s alongside Wynfield and other contemporary artists.

Barber's great-great-grandfather was Joshua Barber. Joshua was the ancestor of three main branches of the Barber family: at Southowram, Brighouse and Rastrick. William Swinden Barber was descended from the Southowram branch, and he produced work at Brighouse and Rastrick.

Joshua's second child, baptised at Cleckheaton Independent Chapel, was John (1727–1810) who was William Swinden Barber's great-grandfather. John married Sarah Schofield and their seventh child was William.

Barber's grandfather was William Barber (1768–1844), baptised at Cleckheaton Independent Chapel. He arrived at Halifax from Mirfield around 1797 when he married Ann Charlton of Dewsbury. They had eight children, of whom John was the third. They moved to Barker Royde at Southowram and lived in an eighteenth century farmhouse called Barker Royde Farm; it incorporates a stone on which is carved "WB 1849." Close to the farmhouse, William built a four-storey mill called Barker Royde Mill, to make carding equipment and belting for the mechanised woollen industry. This mill was constructed during William Swinden Barber's childhood, when he would have witnessed and possibly been inspired by the works. The 1841 census finds William Barber at Barker Royde Farm, aged 75 with his wife Mary aged 70 and his daughter Sarah aged 30. William and his wife are described as being of independent means. They have two employees with them: an agricultural labourer and a servant.