Name

Hill Sandy and Norris

Designation
Architectural practice
Formation
1920
Dissolved
1946

  • H T Sandy : 1920-1922 - Sandy died 7 January 1922
  • Ernest Bower Norris  - 1920-1946 -partnership dissolved 20 September 1946
  • F M Reynolds  - 1930s? -1946 partnership dissolved 20 September 1946

In 1918, the Stafford architect H T Sandy acquired the offices and whatever remained of the architectural practice of Henry Oswald Hill, of Manchester, killed in action in October 1917.  Initially H T Sandy was in partnership with Herbert Cecil Powell under the style “Hill, Sandy and Powell,” but this was dissolved by mutual consent on 14 October 1919.  Henry Sandy then made an unsuccessful attempt to form a partnership with J H or W C Mangan of Preston, although the practice was listed as “Hill, Sandy and Mangan”  in the 1920 edition of the Manchester Street Directory. In 1920 Ernest Bower Norris, ARIBA, was taken into partnership but this too proved short-lived, ended by Henry Sandy’s unexpected death in January 1922 at the age of 53.   Now practising alone, E B Norris continued the Stafford office under the style of “Sandy and Norris,” and the Manchester office as “Hill Sandy and Norris.”

Known works would suggest that the Diocese of Salford provided most of the commissions undertaken by the Manchester office, which E B Norris appears to have run as a completely separate firm. In the early 1930's he took Francis Maurice Reynolds into the “Hill Sandy Norris” partnership, the latter being responsible for the running of Manchester office. This partnership was dissolved on 20 September 1946, at which time FM Reynolds set up his own practice in partnership with William Scott. Reynolds continued to occupy the same offices at 9 Albert Square, Manchester but now under the style of “Reynolds and Scott.” Meanwhile, E B Norris continued to practice under the style of Sandy and Norris at Stafford. Both Norris and Reynolds continued to specialise in Roman Catholic churches, generally in Romanesque or Byzantine styles, well into the 1960's.

Between March 1920 and March 1921 Sandy and Norris employed Norval Rowallan Paxton as their chief draughtsman. Possibly with an over-inflated sense of his own importance, he later described his role in Sandy and Norris's office as "manager and chief," claiming to have been entirely responsible in this brief period for the "design and execution of many churches, war memorials, convents and schools, the most important being the Church of the English Martyrs at Sparkhill, Birmingham and the Church of St John, Rochdale, Lancashire," two of the most important Roman Catholic churches of the 1920s both of which were not, in fact, completed until some years later. He also claimed to have been offered a partnership by Sandy & Norris but had declined because of poor health.

The various names and styles have led to some considerable confusion, their work being variously ascribed to Sandy and Norris/Hill Sandy and Norris/E B Norris of Stafford/Norris and Reynolds, etc, in both the contemporary press and subsequent architectural guides.

Address
1919        Henry Oswald Hill, AMSA Scottish Provident Buildings, 9, Albert Square and “The Nook,” Oughrington, Lymm
1920        Hill Sandy and Mangan* 4-5 Third Floor. 9 Albert Square
1921        Hill, Sandy & Norris, 9 Albert Square, Manchester
1929        Hill, Sandy & Norris, 9 Albert Square, Manchester
1942        F M Reynolds BA ARIBA MSA, architect (Hill Sandy and Norris) 9 Albert Square
1946        Hill, Sandy & Norris, 9 Albert Square, Manchester
1948        Reynolds and Scott, architects 9 Albert Square
1954        Reynolds and Scott, architects 9 Albert Square

 

Buildings and Designs

Building Name District Town/City County Country
Church of St John the Baptist (RC) Dowling Street Rochdale Rochdale GMCA England
Tower to complete Church of English Martyrs Alexandra Road South Whalley Range Manchester GMCA England
Motor Garage and Showroom. Palatine Road and Danesmoor Road. Withington Withington Manchester GMCA England
Church of St Cecilia Green Lane Tuebrook Liverpool Tuebrook Liverpool Merseyside England
School in connection with Corpus Christi Miles Platting Miles Platting Manchester GMCA England
Loreto Convent High School Upper Moss Lane Hulme - Assembly Hall and new wing Hulme Manchester GMCA England
Holy Infant and St Anthony (RC) Schools Baxendale Street Astley Bridge Bolton Astley Bridge Bolton GMCA England
RC School for 200 children. St Lukes Swinton Park Road Irlam o’th’ Height Irlams o'th' Height Salford GMCA England
New Church (RC). Brownley Green Wythenshawe Brownley Green Wythenshawe GMCA England
R C Church of SS John and Thomas (St John Fisher and St Thomas More) Benchill Wythenshawe Benchill Wythenshawe GMCA England
Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour (RC) Bulwell Nottingham Nottinghamshire England
Church of St Alphonsus (RC) Ayres Road/Alphonsus Street Old Trafford Old Trafford Manchester GMCA England
Additions to Schools St Mary Heaton Norris Heaton Norris Stockport GMCA England
Additions to Elementary Schools, Roseneath Road and Flixton Road, Urmston Urmston Manchester GMCA England
St Richards RC Church, Sutcliffe Avenue, Crowcroft Park, Longsight Longsight Manchester GMCA England
SS John and Thomas (RC) Junior School Wythenshawe Wythenshawe Manchester GMCA England
Catholic Senior School Greenwood Road Wythenshawe Wythenshawe GMCA England
(RC) Church School Rockhouse Lane Wythenshawe Wythenshawe GMCA England
Church of St Dunstan (RC) Moston Road and Worsley Avenue Moston Moston Manchester GMCA England
Church of St Charles Borromeo (RC) . St Charles Road and Station Road Rishton Rishton Lancashire England
Church of St Willibrord (RC) North Road Clayton Manchester Clayton Manchester GMCA England
Church of St Bernardette (RC) Heath Road/Mather Avenue Allerton Liverpool Allerton Liverpool Mersyside England
Memorial Church Hall Church of Our Lady and the Apostles, Shaw Heath, Stockport Shaw Heath Stockport GMCA England
Restoration of Tower and Spire of St Johns Cathedral, Chapel Street, Salford Salford GMCA England
Church of St Edward the Confessor (RC) 145 London Road Macclesfield Macclesfield Cheshire England
Catholic Senior School for 480 scholars Fairfield Road Higher Openshaw Higher Openshaw Manchester GMCA England
Church of St Kentigern. Wilbraham Road/ Hart Road Fallowfield Fallowfield Manchester GMCA England
RC School Yew Tree Road Rusholme Rusholme Manchester GMCA England
RC Senior School Brunshaw Road Burnley Burnley Lancashire England
Proposed R C School, Victoria Park, Manchester Victoria Park Manchester GMCA England
Our Lady and St John (RC) Boundary Road Heswall Cheshire Heswall GMCA England
Church of St Charles Borromeo Woolley Bridge Road Hadfield Glossop Hadfield Glossop Derbyshire England
Church of St Peter, St Paul, and St Philomena, Atherton Street, New Brighton New Brighton Wirral Cheshire England
“Beechwood,” Bay View Road, Port Erin, Isle of Man Port Erin Isle of Man
Proposed Church of St Columba, (RC) Castletown Road Port Erin Port Erin Isle of Man