Brightling

St Thomas à Becket, Brightling (E. Sussex)

Barrel Organs in English Parish Churches

Barrel organ. Label inside windchest: W.A.A. NICHOLLS Son-in-law and successor to the late Mr G.P. England, Organ Builder, No. 9 Stephen St. Tottenham Ct. Rd. London’. Given by the local squire, John Fuller MP (1757-1834) in c.1820 to replace previous barrel organ (see Directory). Fuller presented the male choir members with white smocks, buckskin breeches and yellow stockings and the females with red cloaks to be worn on the day the organ was first played and afterwards. Fuller is said to have previously provided the choir with nine bassoons. On 21 December 1960 it featured in a BBC radio broadcast with commentary by Kenneth James, organ builder. The organ is located in the west gallery, is operated from the rear and blown by pedal. The castellated case has five flats of gilt diapasons (3-3-5-3-3) backed with cloth. Stop list: Mixture, Fifteenth, Twelfth, Stopped Diapason, Principal, Open Diapason. Restored by Harrison & Harrison in 1960 & 1964, and by Stuart Dobbs and Dominic Gwynn in 1999: https://www.goetzegwynn.co.uk/organ/brightling-church-in-sussex-restoration-of-the-ca1820-nicholls-barrel-organ/ BIOS Historic Organ Certificate awarded 1999 (ungraded). Tunes recorded in 2022 by Andrew Wedmore and team: https://brightling.community/barrel-organ-1/

References: Country Life (15 Aug. 1903) p.192, (25 Jun 1943) p.1153 & (21 Dec. 1951) p.2109; Nottingham Journal (5 Aug. 1913) p.2; MacDermott (1922); Sussex Agricultural Express (1 Nov. 1929) p.12; Hastings and St Leonards Observer (4 Feb. 1933) p. 2; West Sussex Gazette (9 Feb. 1933) p.5; Wenlock (1955); Radio Times (Dec. 1960); Boston & Langwill (1967); Anne Holman, Of Bruite Beasts and Horses' Legs (Brightling, 2000); NPOR, N15468.

BARREL 1

Tune

Metre

1.1

[Hanover - damaged]

1.2

Double Chant: Mornington

1.3

Windsor Chapel

1.4

[damaged]

1.5

Bristol

1.6

Gainsborough

1.7

Falcon Street

1.8

Abingdon

1.9

Double Chant: Dupuis

1.10

Montgomery

113th

1.11

Froome

1.12

Old 100th

BARREL 2

Tune

Metre

2.1

Mount Ephraim

2.2

New York

2.3

Portugal New

2.4

St George

2.5

Irish

2.6

New Sabbath

2.7

Oxford New

2.8

Islington

2.9

Easter Hymn

77.77.D

2.10

Carey’s

112th

2.11

Burford

2.12

[St Anne - damaged]

Barrel Organs in English Parish Churches

St Thomas à Becket, Brightling (E. Sussex)

Barrel organ. Label inside windchest: W.A.A. NICHOLLS Son-in-law and successor to the late Mr G.P. England, Organ Builder, No. 9 Stephen St. Tottenham Ct. Rd. London’. Given by the local squire, John Fuller MP (1757-1834) in c.1820 to replace previous barrel organ (see Directory). Fuller presented the male choir members with white smocks, buckskin breeches and yellow stockings and the females with red cloaks to be worn on the day the organ was first played and afterwards. Fuller is said to have previously provided the choir with nine bassoons. On 21 December 1960 it featured in a BBC radio broadcast with commentary by Kenneth James, organ builder. The organ is located in the west gallery, is operated from the rear and blown by pedal. The castellated case has five flats of gilt diapasons (3-3-5-3-3) backed with cloth. Stop list: Mixture, Fifteenth, Twelfth, Stopped Diapason, Principal, Open Diapason. Restored by Harrison & Harrison in 1960 & 1964, and by Stuart Dobbs and Dominic Gwynn in 1999: https://www.goetzegwynn.co.uk/organ/brightling-church-in-sussex- restoration-of-the-ca1820-nicholls-barrel-organ/ BIOS Historic Organ Certificate awarded 1999 (ungraded). Tunes recorded in 2022 by Andrew Wedmore and team: https://brightling.community/barrel-organ-1/