© Maggie Kilbey & Marcel Glover 2024
St Peter, Mattishall Burgh (Norfolk)
Barrel Organs in English Parish Churches
Improved barrel organ. Builder’s nameplate reads: ‘J. W. Walker & Sons of London’. The organ was originally installed in the Postern Chapel, Aldermanbury, London in May 1852. In 1854 it was returned to J.W. Walker & Sons, and in 1855 purchased for £50 by Rev. Thomas Berney, Rector of Hockering with Mattishall Burgh, for use at Hockering. In 1874 the rector and churchwardens agreed to lend the organ to Mattishall Burgh on condition that it would be returned when requested, ‘in fair repair and decent condition’, six months prior notice being given, and £6 was paid to William Corps of Norwich ‘for removing repairing cleaning erecting and tuning organ from Hockering now in Mattishall Burgh Church’. In 1977 Hockering church agreed to give the organ to Mattishall Burgh on the understanding that it would not be sold. The organ is operated from the rear. The stained softwood Gothic case has three panels of gold painted dummy pipes backed with patterned cloth. Restored in 1976 by J.W. Walker of Brandon. Tunes recorded in 1995. BIOS Historic Organ Certificate awarded 2013 (Grade I). Three green barrels x 10 tunes in a frame corresponding with the original handwritten tunelist pasted to the case. The machine ends of the barrels are of brass rather than wood, to make them more durable.
References: Norfolk Record Office, PD670/26 churchwardens’ accounts; Boston (1959); Boston & Langwill (1967); Turner (2002); NPOR, D05444.
BARREL 1 GREEN
Tune
Metre
1.1
LM
1.2
LM
1.3
LM
1.4
CM
1.5
CM
1.6
SM
1.7
87.87.D
1.8
87.87.47.
1.9
SM
1.10
BARREL 2 GREEN
Tune
Metre
2.1
LM
2.2
LM
2.3
LM
2.4
CM
2.5
CM
2.6
CM
2.7
SM
2.8
SM
2.9
77.77.
2.10
BARREL 3 GREEN
Tune
Metre
3.1
LM
3.2
LM
3.3
LM
3.4
LM
3.5
CM
3.6
CM
3.7
CM
3.8
SM
3.9
LM
3.10
886.D
Mattishall Burgh (Norfolk) Mattishall Burgh (Norfolk)
© Maggie Kilbey & Marcel Glover 2024
Barrel Organs in English Parish Churches
St Peter, Mattishall Burgh (Norfolk)
Improved barrel organ. Builder’s nameplate reads: ‘J. W. Walker & Sons of London’. The organ was originally installed in the Postern Chapel, Aldermanbury, London in May 1852. In 1854 it was returned to J.W. Walker & Sons, and in 1855 purchased for £50 by Rev. Thomas Berney, Rector of Hockering with Mattishall Burgh, for use at Hockering. In 1874 the rector and churchwardens agreed to lend the organ to Mattishall Burgh on condition that it would be returned when requested, ‘in fair repair and decent condition’, six months prior notice being given, and £6 was paid to William Corps of Norwich ‘for removing repairing cleaning erecting and tuning organ from Hockering now in Mattishall Burgh Church’. In 1977 Hockering church agreed to give the organ to Mattishall Burgh on the understanding that it would not be sold. The organ is operated from the rear. The stained softwood Gothic case has three panels of gold painted dummy pipes backed with patterned cloth. Restored in 1976 by J.W. Walker of Brandon. Tunes recorded in 1995. BIOS Historic Organ Certificate awarded 2013 (Grade I). Three green barrels x 10 tunes in a frame corresponding with the original handwritten tunelist pasted to the case. The machine ends of the barrels are of brass rather than wood, to make them more durable.
References: Norfolk Record Office, PD670/26 churchwardens’ accounts; Boston (1959); Boston & Langwill (1967); Turner (2002); NPOR, D05444.
BARREL 1 GREEN
Tune
Metre
1.1
LM
1.2
LM
1.3
LM
1.4
CM
1.5
CM
1.6
SM
1.7
87.87.D
1.8
87.87.47.
1.9
SM
1.10
BARREL 2 GREEN
Tune
Metre
2.1
LM
2.2
LM
2.3
LM
2.4
CM
2.5
CM
2.6
CM
2.7
SM
2.8
SM
2.9
77.77.
2.10
BARREL 3 GREEN
Tune
Metre
3.1
LM
3.2
LM
3.3
LM
3.4
LM
3.5
CM
3.6
CM
3.7
CM
3.8
SM
3.9
LM
3.10
886.D
Mattishall Burgh (Norfolk)