Unknown Builder of 1 manual pipe organ

[Gary Cook]

Hi,

I am working on a 1 manual organ believed to be Bishop however the name plate is missing and there is no record of who the organ was built by.

In the soundboard there are two inscriptions. The first being "T or J Neal, 1888, Leighton Buzzard" and the other inscription reads "H. Winslade 33 Sep". The second one is hard to read.

 

I know T Neal was associated with Bishops but the dates on NPOR indicate he was with Bishops after 1888.

 

There is also an inscription on a panel which I believe mentioned a man with the surname Goddard but I dont have any info here.

 

Can anyone shed any more light on this and who the builder could be?

If it makes any difference the organ is made of a lot of reused parts. Back fall beams with holes re-drilled, stop trundles with old arm mortices etc.

 

Many thanks

[ajsphead]

The village of Toddington near Leighton Buzzard had a small Bishop organ from the 1880's IIRC. NPOR lists it. Does the soundboard you have make sense to what you read there?

[ptindall]

Thomas Neal born c.1864 is in the 1881 census at Heath & Reach, organ builder, born there, nephew of a carpenter. I imagine he was working for Thomas Atterton. Heath and Reach is near Leighton Buzzard.

[Tony Newnham]

Hi,

I am working on a 1 manual organ believed to be Bishop ....

 

Many thanks

Hi

 

Is there an NPOR entry? If so, does it have links to the British Organ Archive (towards the bottom of the survey). If not, it's worth looking up the place name on the BOA tab and see if there is any info there. BOA links aren't always present on older surveys, or where BOA has catalogued material more recently acquired - they will be added as and when we have time)

 

Every Blessing

 

Tony