Joseph Sunlight (2 January 1889 [O.S. 20 December 1888] – 15 April 1978), was a Belarusian/ Englisharchitect whose energy amassed him a great fortune in Manchester and left at least one fine building in Sunlight House. He was also a Liberal politician in his adopted country.
Born Novogrudok, Belarus, then part of Russia, his Jewish family were named Schimschlavitch, his father a cottonmerchant. In later life, Sunlight enjoyed to "dine out" on tales of his family's adventures and brushes with the Tsarist authorities but it is suspected that these were largely fanciful. The family emigrated to England in 1890 to avoid conscription and settled in Manchester, probably choosing their new name from Port Sunlight.
Sunlight was apprenticed to an architect in Manchester in 1904 and by 1907 had his own practice in St Ann's Square. Reputedly, by 1910, he had designed and built more than 1000 houses in Prestwich and claimed that by 1921 he had created more than one million pounds' worth of property.
He also designed and built factories and warehouses, but his greatest memorial is Sunlight House (1932). In 1949, he proposed a 40-storey extension, but it was rejected by the city council. His sole religious building was the technically innovative South Manchester Synagogue (1913).
Sunlight, though always professing his affection for the faith of his parents, seems to have been more interested in his favourite pastime of horse racing.
joseph, sunlight, january, 1889, december, 1888, april, 1978, belarusian, english, architect, whose, energy, amassed, great, fortune, manchester, left, least, fine, building, sunlight, house, also, liberal, politician, adopted, country, sunlight, house, manche. Joseph Sunlight 2 January 1889 O S 20 December 1888 15 April 1978 was a Belarusian English architect whose energy amassed him a great fortune in Manchester and left at least one fine building in Sunlight House He was also a Liberal politician in his adopted country Joseph SunlightSunlight House Manchester Contents 1 Biography 2 Family 3 Bibliography 4 References 5 External linksBiography Edit The grave of Joseph Sunlight in Southern Cemetery ManchesterBorn Novogrudok Belarus then part of Russia his Jewish family were named Schimschlavitch his father a cotton merchant In later life Sunlight enjoyed to dine out on tales of his family s adventures and brushes with the Tsarist authorities but it is suspected that these were largely fanciful The family emigrated to England in 1890 to avoid conscription and settled in Manchester probably choosing their new name from Port Sunlight Sunlight was apprenticed to an architect in Manchester in 1904 and by 1907 had his own practice in St Ann s Square Reputedly by 1910 he had designed and built more than 1000 houses in Prestwich and claimed that by 1921 he had created more than one million pounds worth of property He also designed and built factories and warehouses but his greatest memorial is Sunlight House 1932 In 1949 he proposed a 40 storey extension but it was rejected by the city council His sole religious building was the technically innovative South Manchester Synagogue 1913 Sunlight was elected Liberal Member of Parliament for Shrewsbury in the 1923 general election and introduced a Private Member s Bill on the standardisation of bricks Though the bill survived by a single vote it was lost when Sunlight was defeated in the 1924 United Kingdom general election Sunlight though always professing his affection for the faith of his parents seems to have been more interested in his favourite pastime of horse racing Sunlight died in 1978 and was buried in the Jewish section of Southern Cemetery Manchester 1 Family EditHe married Edith Forshaw in 1940 and they had one son artist Ben Sunlight He died in April 1978 aged 89 Bibliography EditKadish S Sunlight Joseph 1889 1978 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Oxford University Press 2004 lt http www oxforddnb com view article 42156 accessed 5 June 2005 gt subscription required Obituary Manchester Evening News 18 April 1978References Edit Burial records Joseph Sunlight www burialrecords manchester gov uk Manchester City Council Retrieved 7 February 2022 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Joseph Sunlight Hansard 1803 2005 contributions in Parliament by Joseph SunlightParliament of the United KingdomPreceded byViscount Sandon Member of Parliament for Shrewsbury1923 1924 Succeeded byViscount Sandon Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Joseph Sunlight amp oldid 1167964721, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
