© Maggie Kilbey 2025
Barrel Organs in English Parish Churches
Gloucestershire
Alderley
(St Kenelm)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
Church Bells
(6 March 1875), p.162 & (13 March 1875), p.175
Arlingham
(St Mary the Virgin)
:
Joseph Walker barrel & finger organ transferred from
Frampton-on-Severn
1856. Barrel mechanism
removed.
Ref: Plumley (2023);
NPOR, N00704
Barnwood
(St Lawrence)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
Gloucestershire Chronicle
(1 Jun. 1912) p.5
Bourton-on-the-Hill
(St Lawrence)
:
Barrel organ. Converted to finger organ.
Ref:
Cheltenham Chronicle
(16 Dec. 1916) p.3
*Brimpsfield
(St Michael)
:
Barrel organ installed 1833.
Charlton Kings
(St Mary)
:
Flight & Robson barrel organ. Sold 1859.
Ref:
Ecclesiastical Gazette
(13 Dec. 1859);
The Organ
, no. 342 (Nov 2007-Feb 2008), p.64
Chesterton
(St Lawrence)
:
Barrel organ. Converted to finger organ 1955, dismantled 1981.
Ref:
NPOR, N07713
Cromhall
(St Andrew)
:
Barrel organ installed 1842. Barrels removed.
Ref:
St Andrew’s Church
sites.google.com/site/saintandrewscromhall/history
[accessed 7 Oct. 2023]
*Daglingworth
(Holy Rood)
:
Barrel organ. Shipped to Malta but lost on voyage 1940s.
Dymock
(St Mary)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref: ‘Dymock’, in
A History of the County of Gloucester
: vol.12 (Woodbridge, 2010) pp.122-174,
BHO
www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/glos/vol12/122-174
Eastington
(St Michael & All Angels)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
Stroud News and Gloucestershire Advertiser
(18 Dec. 1885) p.4
Forthampton
(St Mary the Virgin)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref: ‘
Parishes: Forthampton’, in
A History of the County of Gloucester
: vol.8 (London, 1968)
pp.196-208, BHO
www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/glos/vol8/pp196-208
Frampton-on-Severn
(St Mary the Virgin)
:
Joseph Walker barrel & finger organ installed 1849. Transferred to
Arlingham
1856.
Ref: NPOR, K00352
Frocester
(St Andrew)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
Gloucestershire Chronicle
(2 Dec. 1882) p.3
Gloucester
(St Luke)
:
Barrel organ. Ref:
Gloucestershire Chronicle
(23 Nov. 1889) p.3
Great Badminton
(St Michael & All Angels)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
Stroud Journal
(21 Jun. 1889) p.5
Lechlade
(St Lawrence)
:
Barrel organ installed 1838.
Ref:
Adin Williams,
Lechlade: being the history of the town
(1888) p.112
Newnham
(St Peter)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
‘Newnham: Church’, in
A History of the County of Gloucester
: vol.10 (London, 1972) pp.46-9,
BHO
www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/glos/vol10/pp46-49
*North Cerney
(All Saints)
:
Joseph Walker barrel & finger organ installed 1848. Barrel mechanism removed 1877.
Ref: Gloucestershire Archives P70 CW 3/1 conversion of barrel organ to finger organ (1877-83);
Gloucester Journal
(26 May 1883); Letter,
Notes and Queries
(1924) p.361;
Plumley (2023)
Northleach
(St Peter & St Paul)
:
J.C. Bishop barrel organ installed 1827. Converted to finger organ 1856.
Ref:
Wilts & Gloucestershire
Standard
(16 Aug. 1856) p.8;
Cirencester Times & Cotswold Advertiser
(18 Aug. 1856) p.1;
Jackson's Oxford Journal
(23 Aug. 1856);
Thistlethwaite (2001)
Oddington
(St Nicholas)
:
Barrel organ sold 1854. Ref:
Worcester Journal
(16 Sep. 1854) p.1
Prestbury
(St Mary)
:
Second-hand barrel organ installed 1833.
Ref:
BOA, Gray & Davison Ledger 1 (1833) p.103
*Stow-on-the-Wold
(St Edward)
:
Flight & Robson barrel organ.
Ref: ‘Parishes: Stow-on-the-Wold’, in
A History of the County of Gloucester
: vol.6 (London, 1965) pp.142-165,
BHO
www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/glos/vol6/pp142-165
Toddington
(St Andrew)
:
T.C. Bates dumb organist. Transferred to Bettws Cedewain (Powys) 1872.
Ref:
NPOR, K00526
Twigworth
(St Matthew)
:
Barrel organ. Ref:
Gloucestershire Echo
(30 May 1910) p.1
Twyning
(St Mary Magdalene)
:
Barrel organ. Ref:
Cheltenham Chronicle
(29 Feb. 1908) p.2
Winterbourne
(St Michael)
:
Gray & Son barrel organ installed 1840.
Ref:
CRL, Gray & Davison Ledger 3 (1840-1) p.133
*Wormington
(St Katharine)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
E.A.B. Barnard, Old Days,
Evesham Journal
(11 Jul. 1931)
*
Listed in
Lyndesay G. Langwill & Noel Boston,
Church and Chamber Barrel Organs
, 2nd edn (Edinburgh, 1970)
p.78
© Maggie Kilbey 2025
Barrel Organs in English Parish Churches
Gloucestershire
Alderley
(St Kenelm)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
Church Bells
(6 March
1875), p.162 & (13 March 1875), p.175
Arlingham
(St Mary the Virgin)
:
Joseph Walker barrel & finger
organ transferred from
Frampton-on-Severn
1856. Barrel
mechanism removed.
Ref: Plumley (2023);
NPOR, N00704
Barnwood
(St Lawrence)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
Gloucestershire Chronicle
(1 Jun. 1912) p.5
Bourton-on-the-Hill
(St Lawrence)
:
Barrel organ. Converted
to finger organ. Ref:
Cheltenham Chronicle
(16 Dec. 1916) p.3
*Brimpsfield
(St Michael)
:
Barrel organ installed 1833.
Charlton Kings
(St Mary)
:
Flight & Robson barrel organ. Sold
1859. Ref:
Ecclesiastical Gazette
(13 Dec. 1859);
The Organ
, no.
342 (Nov 2007-Feb 2008), p.64
Chesterton
(St Lawrence)
:
Barrel organ. Converted to finger
organ 1955, dismantled 1981. Ref: NPOR, N07713
Cromhall
(St Andrew)
:
Barrel organ installed 1842. Barrels
removed. Ref:
St Andrew’s Church
sites.google.com/site/saintandrewscromhall/history
[accessed 7 Oct. 2023]
*Daglingworth
(Holy Rood)
:
Barrel organ. Shipped to Malta
but lost on voyage 1940s.
Dymock
(St Mary)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref: ‘Dymock’, in
A History of
the County of Gloucester
: vol.12 (Woodbridge, 2010) pp.122-
174, BHO
www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/glos/vol12/122-174
Eastington
(St Michael)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
Stroud News and
Gloucestershire Advertiser
(18 Dec. 1885) p.4
Forthampton
(St Mary the Virgin)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref: ‘Parishes: Forthampton’, in
A History of the County of
Gloucester
: vol.8 (London, 1968) pp.196-208,
BHO
www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/glos/vol8/pp196-208
Frampton-on-Severn
(St Mary the Virgin)
:
Joseph Walker
barrel & finger organ installed 1849. Transferred to
Arlingham
1856.
Ref:
NPOR, K00352
Frocester
(St Andrew)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
Gloucestershire Chronicle
(2 Dec. 1882) p.3
Gloucester
(St Luke)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
Gloucestershire Chronicle
(23 Nov. 1889) p.3
Great Badminton
(St Michael)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
Stroud Journal
(21 Jun. 1889) p.5
Lechlade
(St Lawrence)
:
Barrel organ installed 1838.
Ref:
Adin Williams,
Lechlade: being the history of the town
(1888)
p.112
Newnham
(St Peter)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
‘Newnham: Church’,
in
A History of the County of Gloucester
: vol.10 (London, 1972)
pp.46-9,
BHO
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/glos/vol10/pp46-49
*North Cerney
(All Saints)
:
Joseph Walker barrel & finger
organ installed 1848. Barrel mechanism removed 1877.
Ref: Gloucestershire Archives P70 CW 3/1 conversion of barrel
organ to finger organ (1877-83);
Gloucester Journal
(26 May
1883); Letter,
Notes and Queries
(1924) p.361; Plumley (2023)
Northleach
(St Peter & St Paul)
:
J.C. Bishop barrel organ
installed 1827. Converted to finger organ 1856.
Ref:
Wilts & Gloucestershire Standard
(16 Aug. 1856) p.8;
Cirencester Times & Cotswold Advertiser
(18 Aug. 1856) p.1;
Jackson's Oxford Journal
(23 Aug. 1856); Thistlethwaite (2001)
Oddington
(St Nicholas)
:
Barrel organ sold 1854.
Ref:
Worcester Journal
(16 Sep. 1854) p.1
Prestbury
(St Mary)
:
Second-hand barrel organ installed
1833. Ref: BOA, Gray & Davison Ledger 1 (1833) p.103
*Stow-on-the-Wold
(St Edward)
:
Flight & Robson barrel
organ. Ref: ‘Parishes: Stow-on-the-Wold’, in
A History of the
County of Gloucester
: vol.6 (London, 1965) pp.142-165,
BHO
www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/glos/vol6/pp142-165
Toddington
(St Andrew)
:
T.C. Bates dumb organist.
Transferred to Bettws Cedewain (Powys) 1872. Ref: NPOR,
K00526
Twigworth
(St Matthew)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
Gloucestershire Echo
(30 May 1910) p.1
Twyning
(St Mary Magdalene)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
Cheltenham Chronicle
(29 Feb. 1908) p.2
Winterbourne
(St Michael)
:
Gray & Son barrel organ
installed 1840. Ref: CRL, Gray & Davison Ledger 3 (1840-1)
p.133
*Wormington
(St Katharine)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref: E.A.B. Barnard, Old Days,
Evesham Journal
(11 Jul. 1931)
*
Listed in
Lyndesay G. Langwill & Noel Boston,
Church and Chamber
Barrel Organs
, 2nd edn (Edinburgh, 1970)
p.78
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