Matthew Edward Habershon

Matthew Edward Habershon (18 July 1826 – 18 August 1900), known as Edward Habershon, was an architect practising in London and south-east England. He specialised in neo-gothic buildings, especially churches and chapels. With his brother W.G. Habershon he designed St John the Baptist's Church, Hove, now a Grade II building. With E.P.L. Brock he designed a number of churches including St Leonards-on-Sea Congregational Church, also listed at Grade II. He designed St Andrew's Church in Hastings, The elder son was William Gillbee Habershon (24 February 1819 – 24 August 1892). and the younger was Edward (born Hampstead 18 July 1826; died Leatherhead 18 August 1900)

Edward married the widow Frances Elizabeth Williams née Heathcote (1822–1901) in Kensington in 1857. They had two children: Edward Neston Williams Habershon (1859–1933), and Alice Maud Habershon (born 1863). Around 1863 Edward and his family moved to Speldhurst and Lee in Kent; by 1881 they had moved permanently to Charlwood Park, Surrey; being self-supporting he could call himself a gentleman.

Career On 9 February 1852, Edward was made ARIBA and on 5 November 1860 he was made FRIBA.

Designed

Llanarth Court, Monmouthshire

A large reconstruction of an ancient house, undertaken in 1849-1851. The result was described by the architectural historian John Newman as a "Neo-classical monster".

Holy Trinity Church, Blendworth This church was built in 1851–52 to serve the Hampshire villages of Blendworth and Horndean. It is Decorated Gothic Revival in style with a tall spire.

St John the Baptist's Church, Hove

This church was built between 1852 and 1854. It has a three-stage tower (with ashlar spire that was added later) and is dressed with knapped flint and stone. The interior has carved corbels In the 1850s Robert William Edis was apprenticed to the brothers.

All Saints' Church, Belvedere The Habershons built this church as a proprietary chapel for Sir Culling Eardley, 3rd Baronet. Work took place between 1853 and 1861. It is now a Church of England parish church and has Grade II listed status.

Belvedere railway station (demolished) The original Belvedere railway station was built at the same time as All Saints' Church. It was demolished and replaced in 1968 and again in 2000.

Duncrub House and chapel

The foundation stone for this house in Dunning, Perthshire, was laid in 1861, and construction took place 1861–1863. It was designed as a gothic mansion and offices for the 10th Lord Rollo (1835–1916). and is described thus: "Early pointed, bull-faced coursed rubble with ashlar dressings. East apse, south aisle, north-west tower with slated spike spire. Modern doorway in west gable." It has been a shed and sports hall, and as of 2013 was a holiday home.

76 to 90 Kensington Park Road (even numbers on east side) These London properties were constructed by Philip Rainey in 1859.

78 to 94 Ladbroke Grove (even numbers on east side) These London properties were built in 1861 and thought to have been designed by Edward Habershon.

Holy Trinity, Ebernoe

Holy Trinity, the Church of England parish church at Ebernoe, West Sussex, was built at a cost of £1200 of polychrome local brick with an open belfry and steep boarded roof between 1865 and 1867.

Temperance Hotel, now Eskdale Hotel Constructed for Major Malcolm of Burnfoot between 1865 and 1867, this is a B-listed building in High Street, Langholm.

St Andrew's, Hastings

The foundation stone of St Andrew's Church, Queens Road, Hastings, was laid in November 1869. whose fee was £3,235. It held a congregation of 2,000, and was consecrated on 30 November 1870 by Richard Durnford (1802–1895), Bishop of Chichester. The building survived until 1970 when it was declared unsafe and demolished between August and September of that year. One panel of Tressell's mural was saved, and is now in Hastings Museum. The mural is the Islamic-style decorative work covering the walls around the windows at the east end (see image, right).

St Mark, Horsham St Mark at Horsham was a complete rebuild in stages of a previous church which had been designed in 1840 by W. Moseley. The tower and south aisle were built first in 1870; the nave was completed in 1872, and the spire in 1878. The nave had pink granite piers, narrow roofbeams and a pulpit "with figures on the side standing in trefoiled niches"

St John the Evangelist, Copthorne

St John at Copthorne, West Sussex was begun in 1877 and consecrated in 1880.

Restored or altered

St Mary, Broadwater Restoration work by Habershon and Brock on St Mary, Broadwater is undated.

St Giles, Dallington The replacement of the nave of St Giles at Dallington, East Sussex was completed in 1864; it replaces a nave built around the 15th century, and adjoins a 16th-century tower. The 1864 nave has "varnished roof timbers with cusping and rounded ties".

St Clement, Halton The work on St Clement at Halton, Hastings was completed in 1869 but the building was demolished in 1970. There appears to be no record of the nature of the works by Habershon and Brock.

St Leonard, St Leonards-on-Sea St Leonard was completed in 1864, but was bombed in World War II.