© Maggie Kilbey 2025
Barrel Organs in English Parish Churches
Staffordshire
*Aldridge
(St Mary)
:
John Watlen barrel organ installed 1807. Replaced by H.J. Prosser barrel organ, transferred to Canon Boston’s
collection. Ref:
Archaeological Journal
(1943) p.66; MacDermott (1948) p.69; Boston (1959) p.116
Biddulph
(St Lawrence)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
St Lawrence’s Church
biddulphchurch.org.uk/about-us/a-history-of-st-lawrences/
[accessed 6 Jan. 2025]
Blithfield
(St Leonard)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
Lichfield Mercury
(25 Sep. 1891) p.6
Bradley in the Moors
(St Leonard)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
A. Archibald Armstrong, ‘Notes on Archaeology in Provincial Museums’,
Antiquary
,
28 (Dec. 1893) p.254
Cauldron
(St Mary & St Laurence)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
Tower Hamlets Independent and East End Local Advertiser
(5 Dec. 1908) p.5
Clifton Campville
(St Andrew)
:
Bevington barrel organ installed 1843.
Ref: Bevington & Sons (1847);
Staffordshire Advertiser
(29 Oct. 1853) p.1
Eccleshall
(Holy Trinity)
:
William Gray barrel & finger organ installed 1810.
Ref:
L.S. Barnard, ‘Buckingham’s Travels: Part VI’,
The Organ
, vol.LIII no.210 (1973-74) pp.19-20
Ellenhall
(St Mary)
:
Barrel organ. Sold 1861.
Ref:
Musical Times
(1 Dec. 1861) p.147
Goldenhill
(Christ Church)
:
Barrel organ. Sold 1867.
Ref:
Staffordshire Advertiser
(1 Jun. 1867) p.8
Hanbury
(St Werburgh)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
Burton Observer & Chronicle
(4 Dec. 1920) p.9
Ilam
(Holy Cross)
:
T. Elliot barrel organ.
Ref:
L.S. Barnard, ‘Buckingham’s Travels: Part VI’,
The Organ
, vol.LIII no.210 (1973-74) p.24
Leigh
(All Saints)
:
Bevington & Sons barrel organ installed c.1840.
Ref: Bevington & Sons (c.1841);
Coventry Standard
(20 Nov. 1846) p.3
*Longnor
(St Bartholomew)
:
Forster & Andrews barrel & finger organ installed 1852.
Ref: Elvin (1976) p.30; Ord-Hume (1978) p.152; ‘Alstonefield: Longnor’, in:
A History of the County of Stafford: vol.7
(London, 1996) pp.41-9,
BHO
www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/staffs/vol7/pp41-49
Salt
(St James the Great)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
W.H. Quarrel, ‘Re: Barrel Organs in Churches’,
Notes and Queries
(1900) p.35
Shareshill
(St Mary & St Luke)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
Gordon Anderson, ‘The Old Church Bands’,
Antiquary
, 10 (Jul. 1914) p.267
Smethwick
(Old Church)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
'Smethwick: Churches', in
A History of the County of Stafford: vol.17
(London, 1976) pp.123-9.
BHO
www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/staffs/vol17/pp123-129
Standon
(All Saints)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
Dartmouth & South Hams Chronicle
(22 Apr. 1910) p. 2
Stonnall
(St Peter)
:
G.M. Holdich barrel & finger organ. Barrel mechanism removed 1925.
Ref:
Walsall Observer and South Staffordshire Chronicle
(10 Jan. 1925) p.9
Waterfall
(St James & St Bartholomew)
:
Barrel organ. Converted to finger organ 1867.
Ref:
Elvin (1976) p.29
*
Listed in
Lyndesay G. Langwill & Noel Boston,
Church and Chamber Barrel Organs
, 2nd edn (Edinburgh, 1970)
pp.93-4
© Maggie Kilbey 2025
Barrel Organs in English Parish Churches
Staffordshire
*Aldridge
(St Mary)
:
John Watlen barrel organ installed
1807. Replaced by H.J. Prosser barrel organ, transferred to
Canon Boston’s collection. Ref:
Archaeological Journal
(1943)
p.66; MacDermott (1948) p.69; Boston (1959) p.116
Biddulph
(St Lawrence)
:
Barrel organ. Ref:
St Lawrence’s Church
biddulphchurch.org.uk/about-us/a-history-of-st-lawrences/
[accessed 6 Jan. 2025]
Blithfield
(St Leonard)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
Lichfield Mercury
(25 Sep. 1891) p.6
Bradley in the Moors
(St Leonard)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref: A. Archibald Armstrong, ‘Notes on Archaeology in
Provincial Museums’,
Antiquary
, 28 (Dec. 1893) p.254
Cauldron
(St Mary & St Laurence)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
Tower Hamlets Independent and East End Local Advertiser
(5 Dec. 1908) p.5
Clifton Campville
(St Andrew)
:
Bevington barrel organ
installed 1843. Ref: Bevington & Sons (1847);
Staffordshire
Advertiser
(29 Oct. 1853) p.1
Eccleshall
(Holy Trinity)
:
William Gray barrel & finger organ
installed 1810.
Ref:
L.S. Barnard, ‘Buckingham’s Travels: Part
VI’,
The Organ
, vol.LIII no.210 (1973-74) pp.19-20
Ellenhall
(St Mary)
:
Barrel organ. Sold 1861.
Ref:
Musical Times
(1 Dec. 1861) p.147
Goldenhill
(Christ Church)
:
Barrel organ. Sold 1867.
Ref:
Staffordshire Advertiser
(1 Jun. 1867) p.8
Hanbury
(St Werburgh)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
Burton Observer & Chronicle
(4 Dec. 1920) p.9
Ilam
(Holy Cross)
:
T. Elliot barrel organ.
Ref: L.S. Barnard, ‘Buckingham’s Travels: Part VI’,
The Organ
,
vol.LIII no.210 (1973-74) p.24
Leigh
(All Saints)
:
Bevington & Sons barrel organ installed
c.1840. Ref: Bevington & Sons (c.1841);
Coventry Standard
(20
Nov. 1846) p.3
*Longnor
(St Bartholomew)
:
Forster & Andrews barrel &
finger organ installed 1852. Ref: Elvin (1976) p.30; Ord-Hume
(1978) p.152; ‘Alstonefield: Longnor’, in:
A History of the
County of Stafford: vol.7
(London, 1996) pp.41-9,
BHO
www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/staffs/vol7/pp41-49
Salt
(St James the Great)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
W.H. Quarrel,
‘Re: Barrel Organs in Churches’,
Notes and Queries
(1900) p.35
Shareshill
(St Mary & St Luke)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref: Gordon Anderson, ‘The Old Church Bands’,
Antiquary
, 10
(Jul. 1914) p.267
Smethwick
(Old Church)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref: 'Smethwick: Churches', in
A History of the County of
Stafford: vol.17
(London, 1976) pp.123-9,
BHO
www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/staffs/vol17/pp123-129
Standon
(All Saints)
:
Barrel organ.
Ref:
Dartmouth & South Hams Chronicle
(22 Apr. 1910) p. 2
Stonnall
(St Peter)
:
G.M. Holdich barrel & finger organ.
Barrel mechanism removed 1925. Ref:
Walsall Observer and
South Staffordshire Chronicle
(10 Jan. 1925) p.9
Waterfall
(St James & St Bartholomew)
:
Barrel organ.
Converted to finger organ 1867. Ref: Elvin (1976) p.29
*
Listed in
Lyndesay G. Langwill & Noel Boston,
Church and Chamber
Barrel Organs
, 2nd edn (Edinburgh, 1970)
pp.93-4
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