© Maggie Kilbey & Marcel Glover 2021-2022
Barrel Organs in English Parish Churches
St Thomas à Becket, Brightling (East 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. 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.
The organ is located in the west gallery, is operated from the rear and
blown by pedal. The castellated case has five panels of gold painted
pipes backed with cloth.
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/
[There are no links to recordings of this organ.]
BARREL 1
Tune
Metre
1.1
Hanover
1.2
Double chant: Mornington
1.3
Windsor Chapel
1.4
Unknown
1.5
Bristol
1.6
Gainsborough
1.7
Falcon Street
1.8
Abingdon
1.9
Double chant: Dupuis
1.10
Montgomery
1.11
Froome
1.12
Old 100th
1.13
[Hanover - unplayable]
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
2.10
Carey’s
2.11
Burford
2.12
St Anne
2.13
[Mount Ephraim -
unplayable]
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); Boston & Langwill (1967); Holman
(2000); NPOR, N15468.