Organ history

The first organ was purchased for the parish by the Reverend John White, sometime in the middle of the nineteenth century – the first record of a salary being paid to an organist is in 1843, when Mr John Smith was paid £5 for playing the organ.  The details of this instrument are unclear, most likely a single manual instrument built, according to the National Pipe Organ Register (www.npor.org.uk), by James Eagles, an organ builder based in London between c. 1840 and 1864.  Around 1879 this organ was either replaced or rebuilt by J.W. Walker, also based in London.  At this time the organist’s salary was increased to £20 a year (paid quarterly at Easter, Lady Day, Michaelmas and Christmas) and 16/- a year paid to the organ blower.

The specification of the Walker organ in the south transept at the beginning of the twentieth century was as follows:

GreatCompass CC – F, 54 notes
Open Diapason8′Metal from C; lowest octave wood
Keraulophon8′T.C. Metal
Clarabella8′T.C. Wood
Stopped Bass8′Bottom 12 notes only; wood
Principal4′Metal
Flute4′Wood
Fifteenth2′Metal
Cornopean8′T.C. Metal
Swell to Great  
SwellCompass T.C. to F, 42 notes
Bourdon16′Wood and metal
Open Diapason8′Metal
Stopped Diapason8′Wood
Principal4′Metal
Trumpet8′Metal
PedalCompass CC – G, 20 notes
Bourdon16′Wood
Great to Pedal  
View of the Nave c. 1887. The organ can be seen in the South Transept on the right of the picture.

In 1902, Brownes tended a quote to rebuild and enlarge the organ with the following specification:

GreatCompass CC – A, 58 notes
Open Diapason8′Metal
Clarabella8′Wood
Dulciana8′Metal; Grooved bass
Principal4′Metal
Flute4′Wood
Fifteenth2′Metal
Swell to Great  
Octave Swell to Great  
SwellCompass CC to A, 58 notes
Leiblich Bourdon16′Wood and metal
Open Diapason8′Metal and metal
Stopped Diapason8′Wood
Salicional8′Metal
Voix Celestes8′T.C. Metal
Principal4′Metal
Piccolo2′Metal
Cornopean8′Metal
Oboe8′Metal
Swell Octave  
PedalCompass CC – F, 30 notes
Bourdon16′Wood
Flute Bass8′Wood
Great to Pedal  
Swell to Pedal  

Two combination pedals to Great
Two combination pedals to Swell
Tubular pneumatic action

This was to be built using the existing pipework with new where necessary, and using the exiting casework, again adapted where necessary. The cost of the quote was Three hundred and fifty pounds. There was also a second scheme proposed to have the organ placed ‘on pillars at the west end’ (so even over a hundred years ago there was dissatisfaction with the placing of the organ in the transepts and the resulting balance in the nave!) with the addition of thumb pistons in place of combination pedals. The cost of this second scheme was Four hundred and twenty-five pounds.

Sadly it seems that both of these schemes were beyond the means of the congregation of St Stephen’s at that time, and a much reduced instrument was ordered for two-hundred pounds: “an organ of two manuals and pedal, containing 13 sounding stops, 4 couplers, 4 comp. ped, in Pine Case…” (Brownes Ledger, page 611). An additional three pounds was paid for “fitting sheet zinc to wall [as a] protection against damp” (ibid.) and two pounds for a pitch pine seat.

The resulting instrument’s specification was as follows:

GreatCompass CC – G, 56 notes
Open Diapason8′Metal; Wood bottom octave
Leiblich Gedact8′Metal; Wood bottom octave
Dulciana8′Metal; Grooved bass
Principal4′Metal
Flute4′Wood
Swell to Great  
SwellCompass CC to G, 56 notes
Violin Diapason8′Metal, wood bottom octave
Stopped Diapason8′Wood
Salicional8′Metal
Voix Celestes8′T.C. Metal
Gemshorn4′Metal
Piccolo2′Metal
Oboe8′Metal
Swell Octave  
Swell Sub-Octave  
PedalCompass CC – F, 30 notes
Bourdon16′Wood
Great to Pedal  
Swell to Pedal  

Two combination pedals to Great
Two combination pedals to Swell
Tubular pneumatic action

Photo of the organ, c. 1950

In 1964 the mechanical side of the instrument was failing, and so the tubular pneumatic action was replaced with new direct electric action soundboards by F. H. Browne & Sons. A new case was constructed in the north transept either side of the large central window. Little change was made to the tonal resources of the organ, save for the replacement of the Vox Celeste with a Twelfth on the Swell, and a two-rank mixture (15.19) added to top the Great chorus. The range of pedal stops was increased through the use of the extension principle, all being taken from the same rank of Bourdon pipes.

F. H. Browne and Sons, 1964

GreatCompass CC-G, 56 notes
Open Diapason8′Metal, Bottom octave in case front
Leiblich Gedackt8′Metal, bottom octave wood
Dulciana8′Metal, bottom octave from L.G.
Principal4′Metal
Wald Flute4′Wood
Mixture II15.19Metal
Swell to Great8′ 
Swell Octave to Great4′ 
SwellCompass CC-G, 56 notes
Geigen Diapason8′Metal, bottom octave wood
Stopped Diapason8′Wood
Salicional8′Metal, bottom octave from S.D.
Gemshorn4′Metal
Twelfth2 2/3′Metal
Fifteenth2′Metal
Oboe8′Metal
Swell Sub Octave16′ 
Swell Octave4′ 
PedalCompass CC-F, 30 notes
Bourdon16′Wood
Quint10 2/3′Extension
Flute Bass8′Extension
Octave Quint5 1/3′Extension
Octave Flute4′Extension
Great to Pedal  
Swell to Pedal  
Swell Octave to Pedal  

Balanced Swell Pedal.
4 divisional thumb pistons to Great and Swell.
Swell to Great and Great to Pedal reversable thumb piston.
Great to Pedal reversable toe piston.
Radiating and concave pedal board.

1964 casework, divided each side of the north window in the north transept.
1964 casework, divided each side of the north window in the north transept.