The 1865 Bevington Pipe Organ
In 2019 the organ was awarded Grade II* on the Historical Organs Listing Scheme by the British Institute or Organ Studies
BUILDER, DATES AND BUILDING HISTORY
It may be that Bevington was using a second hand organ to make the organ cheaper for the new church, though £400 was not a low price for an organ of this size. I found no clue about the original home of the England organ. I have looked in the list of Bevington organs to see whether they replaced an England organ before 1865 but since there is no list of England organs, it would need luck or a lot of research to find a candidate. The name ‘Grindley’ is written on the bass pallet of the Swell Organ, though Bevington would have known that this organ was coming to Freemantle. The case is almost identical to the 1811 G.P.England case at Shifnal in Shropshire and the pipe marks and manufacturing characteristics are almost the same but not quite (it would take more examination than I had time for to match up the pipe marks within the organ, though the metal pipes all looked familiar). The height of the lower case and the mechanism below the wind chests is restricted, which suggests that the organ stood on a gallery, possibly an upper gallery, under the roof of the church. From the England organ the casework, Great and Choir wind chests and much of the pipework survives.
Bevingtons installed the organ in the new church apparently in time for the opening on July 27th 1865 (though the Bevington list gives 1867). The pipe marks and the pipes themselves are almost the same as the 1864 Bevington pipes at Erddig House, though the attention to detail at Erddig is not present here (perhaps the difference between Bevington’s church and chamber organs). At Erddig the date is written on the Great bass pallet and the opus number on the treble pallet. If ‘Grindley’ is written on the bass pallet of the Swell chest, perhaps there is a date or opus number on the treble pallet, which would help to place the organ in Bevington’s list.
Bevingtons extended the organ with a new Swell organ, using some of England’s pipework, a new Pedal organ, new key and stop mechanism using parts of the England mechanism for Great and Choir, new console and new wind system. The organ as rebuilt by Bevington organ survives more or less intact. The only alterations occurred in 1885, when the Pedal organ may have been extended, and in 1994, when the organ was ‘restored’ by Bishop and White and the Bevington reeds were altered, with new shallots, tongues and tuning wires, presumably to make them quieter and smoother as well as more reliable.
It may be that Bevington was using a second hand organ to make the organ cheaper for the new church, though £400 was not a low price for an organ of this size. I found no clue about the original home of the England organ. I have looked in the list of Bevington organs to see whether they replaced an England organ before 1865 but since there is no list of England organs, it would need luck or a lot of research to find a candidate. The name ‘Grindley’ is written on the bass pallet of the Swell Organ, though Bevington would have known that this organ was coming to Freemantle. The case is almost identical to the 1811 G.P.England case at Shifnal in Shropshire and the pipe marks and manufacturing characteristics are almost the same but not quite (it would take more examination than I had time for to match up the pipe marks within the organ, though the metal pipes all looked familiar). The height of the lower case and the mechanism below the wind chests is restricted, which suggests that the organ stood on a gallery, possibly an upper gallery, under the roof of the church. From the England organ the casework, Great and Choir wind chests and much of the pipework survives.
Bevingtons installed the organ in the new church apparently in time for the opening on July 27th 1865 (though the Bevington list gives 1867). The pipe marks and the pipes themselves are almost the same as the 1864 Bevington pipes at Erddig House, though the attention to detail at Erddig is not present here (perhaps the difference between Bevington’s church and chamber organs). At Erddig the date is written on the Great bass pallet and the opus number on the treble pallet. If ‘Grindley’ is written on the bass pallet of the Swell chest, perhaps there is a date or opus number on the treble pallet, which would help to place the organ in Bevington’s list.
Bevingtons extended the organ with a new Swell organ, using some of England’s pipework, a new Pedal organ, new key and stop mechanism using parts of the England mechanism for Great and Choir, new console and new wind system. The organ as rebuilt by Bevington organ survives more or less intact. The only alterations occurred in 1885, when the Pedal organ may have been extended, and in 1994, when the organ was ‘restored’ by Bishop and White and the Bevington reeds were altered, with new shallots, tongues and tuning wires, presumably to make them quieter and smoother as well as more reliable.
Specification
Pedal
Key action TP Stop action Me Compass-low C Compass-high d1 Keys 27
Open Diapason 16
Bourdon 16'tone'
Choir
Key action Tr Stop action Me Compass-low C Compass-high f3 Keys 54
Dulciana 8
Stopt Diapason 8
Flute 4
Great
Key action Tr Stop action Me Compass-low C Compass-high f3 Keys 54
Open Diapason Large 8
Open Diapason Small 8 TC, Originally II-IV Mixture
Stopt Diapason Bass 8
Stopt Diapason Treble 8
Bell Gamba 8 TC, Originally Twelfth
Principal 4
Fifteenth 2
Trumpet 8 Originally drawn in halves
Swell
Key action Tr Stop action Me Compass-low C Compass-high f3 Keys 54 Enclosed
Double Diapason 16TC
Open Diapason 8TC
Lieblich Gedact 8
Salicional 8TC
Celeste 8TC
Principal 4
Mixture II
Cornopean 8
Oboe 8
Tremolo
Key action TP Stop action Me Compass-low C Compass-high d1 Keys 27
Open Diapason 16
Bourdon 16'tone'
Choir
Key action Tr Stop action Me Compass-low C Compass-high f3 Keys 54
Dulciana 8
Stopt Diapason 8
Flute 4
Great
Key action Tr Stop action Me Compass-low C Compass-high f3 Keys 54
Open Diapason Large 8
Open Diapason Small 8 TC, Originally II-IV Mixture
Stopt Diapason Bass 8
Stopt Diapason Treble 8
Bell Gamba 8 TC, Originally Twelfth
Principal 4
Fifteenth 2
Trumpet 8 Originally drawn in halves
Swell
Key action Tr Stop action Me Compass-low C Compass-high f3 Keys 54 Enclosed
Double Diapason 16TC
Open Diapason 8TC
Lieblich Gedact 8
Salicional 8TC
Celeste 8TC
Principal 4
Mixture II
Cornopean 8
Oboe 8
Tremolo
