Cuthbert Brodrick

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Cuthbert Brodrick (1 December 1821 – 2 March 1905) was a British architect, whose most famous building is Leeds Town Hall.

He was born in Hull, a member of a family connected with fishing. From 1837 to 1844 was apprenticed there to Henry Francis Lockwood. In 1845 he set up his own practice and was responsible for a number of local building projects, including the Hull Royal Institution building. During this period he took the 'grand tour' of Europe, which influenced hsi work from this point onward.

In 1852 Brodrick won the competition (first prize, £200) for the design of Leeds Town Hall, which was opened in September 1858 by Queen Victoria. The iconic clock tower, which serves for many as a symbol of Leeds was not included as part of his design and was included almost as an afterthought by the civic leaders in Leeds. His other important buildings were the Leeds Corn Exchange (1860-3) and the Mechanics' Institute (1860-5), which later became the Civic Theatre and is soon to become the new home of the Leeds City Museum. He also built the Grand Hotel, Scarborough.

He permanently altered the way central Leeds looked with just three buildings. After these achievements he vanished into obscurity for the rest of his life, dying in Jersey after spending twenty years in France.