Barrel organ. Nameplate on front of case: ‘PATENT, WILLIAM PROWSE, Late KEITH, PROWSE, & Co, Manufacturer, 48, Cheapside, LONDON.’ Label on barrels: ‘KEITH, PROWSE & Co. Manufacturers, 48, Cheapside, LONDON.’ A brass plate on the side of the case reads: ‘Glory to God in the Highest. This organ, purchased with the contributions of a few intimate friends, is presented to the parish church of Winwick by Susan Bromhead [the Rector’s wife], October 1864’. The organ appears to have been purchased secondhand from Bryceson – the tunelist pasted to the back of the case is headed ‘Barrel Tunes Bryceson, 1864’. The organ stands in the south transcept. It is operated from the rear, blown by pedal independent of the barrel mechanism, therefore the barrel can be held in position for accompanying chant without loss of wind pressure. The oak Gothic case has three panels of gold painted dummy pipes. Restored in 1969 by K.G. Parrott & E. Timmins of Rugby. Tunes recorded in 1999. Seven barrels x 10 tunes, all labelled ‘Keith, Prowse & Co., Manufacturer, 48 Cheapside, London’. Bryceson appears to have repinned certain barrels in 1864 when some of the tunes were relatively new, including ‘Hursley’ (1855), ‘Innocents’ (1850) and ‘Eventide’ (1861) on Barrel 4. Five barrels are carriage-mounted, but two (barrels 2 & 6) are not, and therefore unplayable. There is storage space for two barrels at the base of the organ, suggesting that there were originally only three barrels. Many barrel repairs are evident. Barrel 3 has been repinned at some stage, and the green paper is peeling off to reveal a page from a geometry textbook.

References: Tower Hamlets Independent and East End Local Advertiser (5 Dec. 1908) p.5; Boston (1959); Coventry Evening Telegraph (16 Aug. 1969) p.26; K.G. Parrott, ‘Winwick Church barrel organ’, The Music Box, vol. 4 no.6 (Summer 1970) pp.417-9; Boston & Langwill (1967); Turner (2002); Davidson (2003); NPOR, D00470.