Sweetland Ltd Of Bath Organ Builders

[Jonathan Thorne]

Last Friday I had the opportunity of tuning of a two manual organ by Sweetland of Bath. It was a charming and rather and amusing instrument and a pig to tune i.e. you had to take half the front pipes out in order to tune the Swell! Interesting that they used aluminium squares, just like Cavaillé-Coll and his work mate August Gern. Therefore this suggests 1800's onwards. We could find no date. I would be interested to know of any other people who have come across any Sweetlands.

 

JT

[Pierre Lauwers]

For Sweetland I would say somewhere between 1850 and 1890.

 

Here is a page that may be interesting:

 

http://www.stcuthbertswells.co.uk/organs.html

 

Best wishes,

Pierre Lauwers.

[nfortin]

The organ in the church of St Mary de Crypt, Gloucester (UK) is widely described as being a Sweetland, although the description given on the church's own web site, http://www.citybenefice.abelgratis.co.uk/decryptorg.html, implies that much of the pipework is from previous instruments.

 

The church web sites gives the date of the Sweetland rebuild as 1897

[Anthony Poole]

Could Jonathan Thorne elaborate a little more on the aluminium squares? Is this in reference to the swell shutters? I'm intrigued because I have more than a passing interest in Auguste Gern, and I'm always keen to know more about Cavillé Coll.

 

Many thanks

Anthony

[DaveHarries]

I have searched on the NPOR (National Pipe Organ Register) and they have the following entry for the name of William Sweetland, located in Bath:

 

==========

 

Floruit: 1847-1962

Located: Bath

 

Addresses and periods at locations:

1850s - 1906: Cleveland Pl West,London Rd, Walcot, Bath

1914 - 1939:London Rd [Cleveland Cottages], London Rd, Bath

1940 -> Locksbrook Rd [Centenary Works], Weston, Bath

 

Titles used by this firm:

William Sweetland 1847?-1902

The Sweetland Organ Building Co. Ltd 1905ad-39

The Sweetland Organ Co 1914D-1939

The Sweetland Organ Building Co (Leach & Sons) 1935

 

References for the information above:

O&C 1905 /10, ad [in AF ntbk DOB 055]

Trade Directories: Kelly Somerset 1889/97/1902/06/14/23/27/31/35/39; Aubrey Somerset 1920

BOA corres Edmonds, B.B., 5.1998

Organ 056, 1935 /04, ad

Pipes & Actions: Elvin, L. (1995), pp.158-160

 

Cross references for this builder

Rushworth & Dreaper - taken over by (c. 1962)

 

==========

 

Dave

[Tony Newnham]

Well done Dave - a search under "Builder" on NPOR shows 218 surveys of organs known to have been built/rebuilt/worked on by this firm. You would have to look a bit closer to see which are still in exisyence, but in my work on the register, Sweetland has cropped up several times.

 

(Sorry for the late reply)

 

Every Blessing

 

Tony

[DaveHarries]

Well done Dave - a search under "Builder" on NPOR shows 218 surveys of organs known to have been built/rebuilt/worked on by this firm.  You would have to look a bit closer to see which are still in exisyence, but in my work on the register, Sweetland has cropped up several times.

 

(Sorry for the late reply)

 

Every Blessing

 

Tony

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You have a hand on that register, do you? I have put quite a bit of information into it, which has the letters "DCH" after it.

 

It is a very useful site. Keep it going.

 

Dave

[deadsheepstew]

I was gonna say, there's this whole other thing that anything that says "Sweetland" or "Wm. Sweetland" and gives a pre-1910 date is probably gorgeous, and anything that says "Sweetland Organ Co" and gives a post-1910 date is probably a crock. Big nice one at Trowbridge United Reformed, Wiltshire (see NPOR for details) - we rebuilt it a few years back.

[basdav]

The organ in St Michaels Brierley Hill is a Sweetland, it is unfortunately silent due to an arson attack on the church and a makin substitute has been installed. This organ was very sweet toned and a very comprehensive 3 manual, I hope that future generations will see fit to bring it back to life.

[hugheswg]

Last Friday I had the opportunity of tuning of a two manual organ by Sweetland of Bath.  It was a charming and rather and amusing instrument and a pig to tune i.e. you had to take half the front pipes out in order to tune the Swell!  Interesting that they used aluminium squares, just like Cavaillé-Coll and his work mate August Gern.  Therefore this suggests 1800's onwards.  We could find no date.  I would be interested to know of any other people who have come across any Sweetlands.

 

JT

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[David Coram]

http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...ec_index=N08432

 

This will give you a link to one of the most delightful instruments in Wiltshire, certainly the very finest in Devizes at the moment, and almost completely in original condition.