NOTES & QUERIES

BERNARD EDMONDS

Who was Wilcox?
Amongst the numerous organs attributed to Snetzler there are the undoubtedly genuine- autographed inside the soundboards, or unmistakably documented; the likelies and the possibles; the 'school of' or 'after' - some a long way after; the 'guesswork' attributions; and the demonstrably bogus. Into the last two categories it would seem that the Banbury Parish Church organ must be put. It was built for the old church in 1765. Banbury was noted for its puritanism and for pulling down its heritage, becoming 'a grief and despair to the antiquary ... (not) a place of interest in itself, thanks to the triumph of vandalism' (1). In 1790 the glorious medieval church needed considerable repair, inetead of which it was demolished in favour of a glorified preaching box, though this is in fact a fine classical building by S P Cockerell. Everything was sold or destroyed, except for four monuments, and the only item of furniture to survive in the new building was the organ.

No illustration of it in the old church seems to exist, but there is one of it in the new. (2) It stood in the eastem gallery backing on to the (then) insig- nificant chancel. This is about the time of Cox's work (Reporter iv 4), but as he merely lowered the existing case this would not affect the fact that it has no Snetzler appearance. It is reminiscent of Rotherhithe in its general design except that the prosortion of woodwork to pipework in the flats is greater - if, that is, the artist's proportions are accurate. So possibly it is no surprise to find that the contemporary press recorded its building in 1765 as being by Byfield, Wilcox and Knight. (3) Some old pipes survive.

This must have been one of the brief ad hoc partnerships so often encountered (Reporter Vol.III, No.1). Byfield - the middle we know, and Knight we know; but who was Wilcox? Incidentally, in Cox's work as given (IV 4), delete choir dulciana and add 12 pedal pipes. Also incidentally, there was another organ in Banbury attributed to Snetzler; for on its way from Sheffield to Lewes (4) it sojourned in the Unitarian Chapel from 1853 to 1857 and isnow at the Unitarian Chapel in Hastings. At some point, it acquired an open diapason in place of upperwork.

Emeran Stuckey has been working on local history, and sends infomation about Archer of Epping (iv 2). J C Archer was the Epping Registrar of Births and Deaths; he was a good organist with a keen interest in the instrument, and a musical family. His great hobby was joinery, so it is hardly surprising to l

earn that he found occasion to work with Robert Slater about a century ago on the instrument at North Weald (which inspired the original query ). The mechanical setting up was mainly his work, and he designed the bellows. The job was converting the old barrel organ to a two-manual, and moving it to a new organ chamber. It is more than likely that thie was not the only occasion on which he helped Slater.

Thomas Elliston (5), referring to an unspecified number of Musical News, says that the organ at Holy Trinity, Stratford, E., contains work by Father Smith. This church I have never been able to trace. Many years ago an old lady who had lived there in her youth thought she had heard the nane, and wondered whether it had been one of the Mission Chapels. There was a number of these in the area, none of them Holy Trinity; though one in the parish of Christ Church is mentioned but not naned, in Mackeson's Guide to the London Churches for 1889. There must have been a number of Smith pipes reused by various organ builders who had res- ued then from their original homes when they were superseded. For example, it is known that T. R. Willis kept such a stock.

Tomnas Richard Willis, whose antecedents and training I do not know, started in business at 29 Minories, London E., Tower Organ Works in 1827.(6) His instruments included St Peter ad Vincula in the Tower (hence perhaps the name of his works), a one-manual without pedals or stops, only an octave coupler.(?) Scudamore anticipated? Others were St Andrew Leytonstone 1875, Winterbourne Monckton, Pishill, a barrel organ which camee into the possesseion of Gordon Paget, and an in-genious multum-in-parvo organ at Oxted Congregational. He supplied the trade with pipes and parts. I have his price list, which must be in the 'eighties as he offers treatises on organ building by H. & E. (31/6) and Dickson (2/6) and on tuning by Hemstock (2/6), the two latter published in 1881 and 1876 respectively. Nevertheless, he lists a metal open diapason to GG for £30.10.0., or voiced and tuned £3 extra; a three-rank to GG was £8.5.0., again £3 for voicing and tuning; manual keys cost 60/- per row, and soundboards 52/6 per stop. Spotted metal pipes 20% extra, and zinc to special order only; a set of 8 brass cones-and-cups 48/- and prepared leather 4/= per skin. For finishing pipes he still required to know, besides pressure and pitch, the temperament to be used. Pipe metal (not spotted) a shilling a pound!

In 1890 his premises were burnt down. 'Four pipe organs were burnt, besides a large stock of pipes, including some of the celebrated Father Smith's soundboards and accessories ... Temporary premises have however been secured at 8, Haydon Square ...' (8) Nevertheless no further activities seem to b erecorded; and indeed, if the Mr T R Willis of 1890 is the 1827 founder, he had well earned his retire- ment; what M.0. terms 'a lengthy period' was upwards of 60 years. His work on my list was mainly rebuilds, alterations, and soling-and-heeling - none of them Smith jobs; though Mackeson credits hin with a rebuild at St Katerine Cree in 1866. Pearce, however, says Henry Willis, but was that not at a later date? The Literature seems silent.

A query on Coleman & Willis comes in here. I do not know the date of the partner- ship; but the only-organ of theirs which I have seen, fomerly the property of the RS.C.M. at Addlington, bore the Minories address. I should surmise that it was before 1866, when we meet A W Coleman solus at St Matthew, Pell Street, and the following year giving the opening recital on his rebuild at St John Wapping where he was the organist. In 1872 he rebuilt th Davis at St Philip Stepney, but the work was completed by Haywod the same year; A.W.C. probably died then, or at any rate suddenly ceased business. His magnum opus seems to have been a 34- stop 3-manual at St John-on-Bethnal Green.

Rather a lot about small men this time; but there is much interest expressed in them. I can now give an answer about John Dix, (Reporter II, I,4; IV 1) variously referred to as of York and of Whitby. Born in 1847, he was apprenticed to Forster & Andrews in 1860, staying with them until he went to Binns in 1885. After 40 years with them he seems to have worked on his own, and was referred to in 1938 as the old-est working organ-builder. I have only one reference, Norton near Pickering, which refers to him as St John Dix.

A few organ queries; Gyffyn near Conway; Llanelli-by-Gilwern - not the big Llanelli; Hampreston in Dorset; and the one preceding the electronic now at Tredington near Shipeton on Stour (of flagon fame). An answer - St Peter Eastgate, Lincoln, used by Hope-Jones at Hostyn House School (Reporter IV, 4) is recorded by White's Lincoln Directory 1892 as by T H Nicholson of Lincoln. Misprint - the 1900 Wiveliscombe Congregational organ (Reporter V, 3)was by Minns not Binns.

1 Transactions Leicestershire Archaelolgical Assn. 1910 xlv 153.

2 Bodleian. MS.O.D.P.b.70.f.63..

3 Jackson's Oxford Journal 27 November 1765.
4 Musical Opinion 6/1897 608.

5 Organs and Tuning? 1924 edition edn 137.
Musical Times, 6/188 Advert

7 Pearce OLCC 243

8 Musical Opinion 6/1890

Return to Index Page for this issue

Return to Reporter Index Page