1839–1908, architect, Salford.

Built the Comedy Theatre, Manchester and carried out alterations at the Theatre Royal and the Prince's. He also designed a theatre at Rawtenstall, Lancashire. In London he altered and decorated the Lyceum Theatre in 1878, and co-developed the ‘Irving–Darbyshire safety plan’, which was intended to make the audience safe from fire by isolating the separate parts of the theatre and providing two fireproof escape routes from every part of the house.

His other buildings include: Alston Hall, Lancashire (1876); the churches of St Cyprian (1899) and St Ignatius (1900) in Salford; and the Carnegie Library in Knutsford, Cheshire (1903–4).

Darbyshire was elected an associate of the Institute of British Architects in 1864, fellow in 1870, and vice-president 1902–5. He was elected FSA in 1894. From 1901 to 1903 he was president of the Manchester Society of Architects,

He died at Manchester Infirmary on 5 July 1908, and is buried at Flixton church.