© Maggie Kilbey 2026
Barrel Organs in English Parish Churches
Shropshire
Acton Scott (St Margaret) : Barrel organ. Ref: Eddowe's Journal, and General Advertiser for Shropshire, and the Principality of Wales (27 May 1868) 5 Albrighton (St Mary Magdalene) : Henry Bevington barrel organ installed 1839. Ref: Bevington & Sons (c.1841); Lichfield & District Organists' Association, Newsletter (Feb. 2014) 1 Astley Abbotts (St Calixtus) : Bevington & Son barrel organ installed 1852. Transferred to Tasley. Ref: NPOR, N00688 Aston Botterel (St Michael) : Barrel organ. Ref: Wellington Journal (17 Aug. 1935) 11 *Bishop's Castle (St John the Baptist) : Bishop & Son barrel & finger organ. Transferred to Llanfair Waterdine 1907. Ref: D.C. Cox (ed.), ‘Sir Stephen Glynne's Church Notes for Shropshire’, Shropshire Record Series Publications, 1 (1997)
Burford (St Mary) : Barrel organ. Converted to finger organ. Ref: Cox (1997); Tenbury Wells Advertiser (4 Sep. 1900) 5 Cardeston (St Michael) : See Surviving instruments Church Stretton (St Laurence) : Barrel organ installed 1832. Ref: ‘Church Stretton’, in: A History of the County of Shropshire: vol.10 (London, 1998) 72-120. BHO www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/salop/vol10/pp72-120 *Clun (St George) : Barrel organ. Condover (St Andrew) : Dumb organist. Ref: Todmorden Advertiser and Hebden Bridge Newsletter (6 Jun. 1902) 7 *Coreley (St Peter) : Barrel organ. Converted to finger organ 1860. Ref: Country Quest - A Magazine for Wales and the Borders (Spring 1965) 21 Diddlebury (St Peter) : Joseph Walker barrel organ installed 1838. Ref: NPOR, N04664 Dorrington (St Edward King & Martyr) : Gray & Davison barrel & finger organ installed 1861. Ref: BOA, Gray & Davison Ledger 6 (1861) 20 Dudleston (St Mary the Virgin) : Barrel organ. Ref: Cox (1997) *Eyton-upon-the-Weald-Moors (St Catherine) : Barrel organ. Ref: Archaeological Journal (1943) 65; MacDermott (1948) 69; Boston (1959) 119 *Fitz (St Peter) : J.C. Bishop barrel organ. Sold to private collector 1977. Ref: Country Quest (Spring 1965) 21; World's Fair (19 Mar. 1977) 14 *Great Ness (St Andrew) : T.C. Bates barrel organ installed 1840. Scrapped 1959. Ref: Kelly's Directory (1934) 171; Boston (1959) 119 *Hengoed (St Barnabus) : Barrel organ. Ref: ‘Barrel Organs in Church’, Musical Times (1 Jun. 1930) 544 Hopton Wafers (St Michael) : Barrel organ. Ref: Kelly's Directory (1870) 66 Kinlet (St John the Baptist) : Gray & Davison barrel organ installed 1841. Part-exchanged for finger organ 1871. Ref: BOA, Gray & Davison Ledger 3 (1841) 157 *Knockin (St Mary) : Barrel organ. Llanfair Waterdine (St Mary) : See Surviving instruments Middleton-in-Chirbury (Holy Trinity) : Joseph Walker barrel & finger organ ex Montgomery (Powys) 1876. Ref: Plumley (2023); NPOR, N00821 Onibury (St Michael & All Angels) : J.W. Walker barrel organ. Scrapped c.1903. Ref: NPOR, D05386 *Preston-upon-the-Weald-Moors (St Lawrence) : J.W. Walker barrel organ. Transferred to private collection. Ref: ‘Preston upon the Weald Moors: Church’, in: A History of the County of Shropshire: vol.11 (London, 1985) 181-2, BHO www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/salop/vol11/pp181-182 Ryton (Shrops.) (St Andrew) : Gray & Davison barrel organ installed 1853. Ref: BOA, Gray & Davison Ledger 5 (1853) 256; Musical Opinion (Nov. 1895) 85 Shawbury (St Mary the Virgin) : Barrel organ. Ref: Wellington Journal (16 Oct. 1875) 5 Sheriffhales (St Mary) : Gray & Davison barrel organ installed 1841. Ref: BOA, Gray & Davison Ledger 3 (1841) 170 Shipton (St James) : Barrel organ. Ref: ‘Shipton’, in: A History of the County of Shropshire: vol.10, 368-80, BHO www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/salop/vol10/pp368-380 St Martins (St Martin) : Barrel organ. Ref: Cox (1997) Stanton Lacy (St Peter) : Gray & Davison barrel organ installed 1854. Ref: BOA, Gray & Davison Ledger 5 (1854) 266 Stanton upon Hine Heath (St Andrew) : Barrel organ. Ref: Eddowes's Journal (7 June 1882) 6 *Tasley (St Peter) : Bevington & Son barrel organ transferred from Astley Abbotts. Transferred to Bishops Palace, Hereford & then private collection. Ref: Church Bells (6 Mar. 1875) 162; (13 Mar. 1875) 175; Country Quest (Spring 1965) 21; Turner (1999) Upton Magna (St Lucia) : Barrel organ. Ref: Cox (1997) *Westbury (St Mary) : Joseph Walker barrel & finger organ installed 1847. Whittington (St John the Baptist) : Barrel organ installed 1810. Removed 1851. Ref: T. Gregory, A Gazetteer of Shropshire (1824): www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/SAL/Whittington/WhittingtonGaz1824G; Montgomery County Times and Shropshire and Mid-Wales Advertiser (3 Nov. 1894) 3 Willey (St John the Baptist) : Barrel organ. Ref: Wellington Journal (7 Oct. 1871) 7 Wistanstow (Holy Trinity) : Barrel organ. Ref: Cox (1997) Woodcote (Chapel) : Barrel organ. Ref: Musical Opinion (Nov. 1895) 85 Wrockwardine (St Peter) : Gray & Davison barrel organ installed 1846. Ref: BOA, Gray & Davison Ledger 4 (1846) 276; ‘Wrockwardine: Church’, in: A History of the County of Shropshire: vol.11, 317-321. BHO www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/salop/vol11/pp317-321 * Listed in Lyndesay G. Langwill & Noel Boston, Church and Chamber Barrel Organs, 2nd edn (Edinburgh, 1970) 91
Clun (Shropshire)
Clun
Photo: M. Kilbey
© Maggie Kilbey 2026
Barrel Organs in English Parish Churches
Shropshire
Acton Scott (St Margaret) : Barrel organ. Ref: Eddowe's Journal, and General Advertiser for Shropshire, and the Principality of Wales (27 May 1868) 5 Albrighton (St Mary Magdalene) : Henry Bevington barrel organ installed 1839. Ref: Bevington & Sons (c.1841); Lichfield & District Organists' Association, Newsletter (Feb. 2014) 1 Astley Abbotts (St Calixtus) : Bevington & Son barrel organ installed 1852. Transferred to Tasley. Ref: NPOR, N00688 Aston Botterel (St Michael) : Barrel organ. Ref: Wellington Journal (17 Aug. 1935) 11 *Bishop's Castle (St John the Baptist) : Bishop & Son barrel & finger organ. Transferred to Llanfair Waterdine 1907. Ref: D.C. Cox (ed.), ‘Sir Stephen Glynne's Church Notes for Shropshire’, Shropshire Record Series Publications, 1 (1997) Burford (St Mary) : Barrel organ. Converted to finger organ. Ref: Cox (1997); Tenbury Wells Advertiser (4 Sep. 1900) 5 Cardeston (St Michael) : See Surviving instruments Church Stretton (St Laurence) : Barrel organ installed 1832. Ref: ‘Church Stretton’, in: A History of the County of Shropshire: vol.10 (London, 1998) 72-120, BHO www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/salop/vol10/pp72-120 *Clun (St George) : Barrel organ. Condover (St Andrew) : Dumb organist. Ref: Todmorden Advertiser and Hebden Bridge Newsletter (6 Jun. 1902) 7 *Coreley (St Peter) : Barrel organ. Converted to finger organ 1860. Ref: Country Quest - A Magazine for Wales and the Borders (Spring 1965) 21 Diddlebury (St Peter) : Joseph Walker barrel organ installed 1838. Ref: NPOR, N04664 Dorrington (St Edward King & Martyr) : Gray & Davison barrel & finger organ installed 1861. Ref: BOA, Gray & Davison Ledger 6 (1861) 20 Dudleston (St Mary the Virgin) : Barrel organ. Ref: Cox (1997) *Eyton-upon-the-Weald-Moors (St Catherine) : Barrel organ. Ref: Archaeological Journal (1943) 65; MacDermott (1948) 69; Boston (1959) 119 *Fitz (St Peter) : J.C. Bishop barrel organ. Sold to private collector 1977. Ref: Country Quest (Spring 1965) 21; World's Fair (19 Mar. 1977) 14 *Great Ness (St Andrew) : T.C. Bates barrel organ installed 1840. Scrapped 1959. Ref: Kelly's Directory (1934) 171; Boston (1959) 119 *Hengoed (St Barnabus) : Barrel organ. Ref: ‘Barrel Organs in Church’, Musical Times (1 Jun. 1930) 544 Hopton Wafers (St Michael) : Barrel organ. Ref: Kelly's Directory (1870) 66 Kinlet (St John the Baptist) : Gray & Davison barrel organ installed 1841. Part-exchanged for finger organ 1871. Ref: BOA, Gray & Davison Ledger 3 (1841) 157 *Knockin (St Mary) : Barrel organ. Llanfair Waterdine (St Mary) : See Surviving instruments Middleton-in-Chirbury (Holy Trinity) : Joseph Walker barrel & finger organ ex Montgomery (Powys) 1876. Ref: Plumley (2023); NPOR, N00821 Onibury (St Michael & All Angels) : J.W. Walker barrel organ. Scrapped c.1903. Ref: NPOR, D05386 *Preston-upon-the-Weald-Moors (St Lawrence) : J.W. Walker barrel organ. Transferred to private collection. Ref: ‘Preston upon the Weald Moors: Church’, in: A History of the County of Shropshire: vol.11 (London, 1985) 181-2, BHO www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/salop/vol11/pp181-182 Ryton (Shrops.) (St Andrew) : Gray & Davison barrel organ installed 1853. Ref: BOA, Gray & Davison Ledger 5 (1853) 256; Musical Opinion (Nov. 1895) 85 Shawbury (St Mary the Virgin) : Barrel organ. Ref: Wellington Journal (16 Oct. 1875) 5 Sheriffhales (St Mary) : Gray & Davison barrel organ installed 1841. Ref: BOA, Gray & Davison Ledger 3 (1841) 170 Shipton (St James) : Barrel organ. Ref: ‘Shipton’, in: A History of the County of Shropshire: vol.10, 368-80, BHO www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/salop/vol10/pp368-380 St Martins (St Martin) : Barrel organ. Ref: Cox (1997) Stanton Lacy (St Peter) : Gray & Davison barrel organ installed 1854. Ref: BOA, Gray & Davison Ledger 5 (1854) 266 Stanton upon Hine Heath (St Andrew) : Barrel organ. Ref: Eddowes's Journal (7 June 1882) 6 *Tasley (St Peter) : Bevington & Son barrel organ transferred from Astley Abbotts. Transferred to Bishops Palace, Hereford & then private collection. Ref: Church Bells (6 Mar. 1875) 162; (13 Mar. 1875) 175; Country Quest (Spring 1965) 21; Turner (1999) Upton Magna (St Lucia) : Barrel organ. Ref: Cox (1997) *Westbury (St Mary) : Joseph Walker barrel & finger organ installed 1847. Whittington (St John the Baptist) : Barrel organ installed 1810. Removed 1851. Ref: T. Gregory, A Gazetteer of Shropshire (1824) transcribed: www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/SAL/Whittington/WhittingtonG az1824G; Montgomery County Times and Shropshire and Mid- Wales Advertiser (3 Nov. 1894) 3 Willey (St John the Baptist) : Barrel organ. Ref: Wellington Journal (7 Oct. 1871) 7 Wistanstow (Holy Trinity) : Barrel organ. Ref: Cox (1997) Woodcote (Chapel) : Barrel organ. Ref: Musical Opinion (Nov. 1895) 85 Wrockwardine (St Peter) : Gray & Davison barrel organ installed 1846. Ref: BOA, Gray & Davison Ledger 4 (1846) 276; ‘Wrockwardine: Church’, in: A History of the County of Shropshire: vol.11, 317-321, BHO www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/salop/vol11/pp317-321 * Listed in Lyndesay G. Langwill & Noel Boston, Church and Chamber Barrel Organs, 2nd edn (Edinburgh, 1970) 91
Clun (Shropshire)
Clun
Photo: M. Kilbey