© 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 ex
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
Photo: M. Kilbey
Bourton-on-the-Hill