NOTES AND QUERIESBERNARD EDMONDSWriting on the organ at Peterborough Cathedral, Michael Gillingham refers to its origins in 1735 by Kellingburgh, a local builder, about whom at present we know little". (1) Certainly, one does not see his name in any reference book, and news of his work will need winkling out by local historians. As will shortly appear, he seems to have had some sort of a pied-a-terre in Pete-rborough; but the headquarters of John Ulrich Killeburgh were near the Red Well in the Kings Arms yard at Norwich, as we learn from sundry contemporary notices in the Norwich Gazette in the seventeen-thirties.A few of these are quarried over. We first come across him in connection with an organ built for St Mary, Bungay, in 1750, described as having 1100 pipes and upwards, and 21 stops. In 1752 he advertised some organs for sale, and announced that he was at work on one which he hoped would excel any in England. In 1754 an organ of his was opened at 10am. on l8th June at St Nicholas, Harwich. The opening was followed by a concert of vocal and instrumental music, performed in a spacious room in the charity school by a great number of the best masters out of Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk as benefit for Joseph Qibbs, the organist. Meanwhile (2) he had trouble with industrial relations.Bun away from Mr John Killeburgh, organ-maker in Norwich, two lads who are brothers, the one named Christian Pankell, and the other Jacob Pankell. Christian is about 15 years of age, an app-rentice, and had on when he went away a brown coat and a horse-hair wig; Jacob is nine years old and had on a blue coat, a striped wastecoat and a horse-hair wig. Whoever secures the lads and gives notice to Mr John Killeburgh in the Kings Arms lane in Norwich shall be well rewarded for their trouble; or if they will return, they shall be kindly received. One wonders whether the organ to excel all others was that for Peterborough Cathedral, though one would expect John to have made publicity of that. So it might have been the Harwich one, by the date. Possibly Peterborough led to the opening of a workshop there, as the next advertisement (5) might imply. At Chapel Field House is a beautiful large organ, with a gilt speaking front, and sashed doors, made by the late Mr John Killeburgh to be sold by his widow. The dimensions are: 8 feet and a half in height, and 4 feet 8 inches in breadth. It consists of ten stops: Stop Diapason. A Flute throughout. A Wooden Open Diapason. A Metal Fifteenth. A Great Twelfth Metal. A Three-rank Cornet. A Trumpet Treble. A Bassoon Bass. A Two-rank metal Sexqualtera. A Half-open Diapason. The keys are long Eights. It has been played on and improved by several eminent hands, and given entire satisfaction to all who have heard it. N.B. The said widow Killeburgh has two other organs at Peterborough to dispose of, one of seven, the other of six stops. Likewise a stock of metal pipes most of them reed stops. Four large pairs of bellows for church organs; and several other materials fit for organ-makers, which will be disposed of at a very reason-able rate. There is only one other organ for which a locality is recorded. Notice is hereby given, that there is now to be sold, and may be seen at Mrs Butlers over against the Rampant Horse, in St Stephens parish in Norwich, a very fine new house organ made by the ingenious Mr Killeburgh, deceased; which instrument for beauty of stru-cture and harmony of it, is allowed by several masters of musick to exceed anything of that kind for many years past; and considering the goodness of it, it will be sold a great pennyworth. (5) For information about any other organs (or indeed, about these five too), and about Johns training, we must await the researches of BIOS members - this may mean YOU. The organ in Poole Baptist Chapel, formerly in St Paul, Poole, bears an attribution to T J Duncan of London, 1859. This is odd, because Thomas J. Duncan of Poole did work (6) at "Christchurch Priory in 1856; and at Bournemouth St Peter (7) he not only built a west gallery organ for the church of l84l-designed by Tulloch of Poole, hence probably the choice of organ-builder - but he was organist from l845 for ten years or so. His premises were near the Quay in Poole High Street. The Baptist plate is not contemporary but dates from the erection of the organ there in l879. Was it just an error, or did Duncan leave Poole for London later in life? I am clueless. Someone is confused between Kirkland and Kirtland. Not the first victim, as I have a note that Kirkland trained with Jardine, the confusion becomes even more understandable. It was James Kirtland who was apprenticed to his uncle, Samuel Renn, in l826, and became partner with Jardine in 1850. (8) Alfred Kirkland began business for himself in 1874, and the following year took over the business of Booth of Wakefield. Some years later, apparently 1882, he transferred to London, leaving a brandy business in Wakefield, and later opening a branch in Burton-on-Trent. He took over Bryceston Brothers and was himself taken over by Hill, Nonnan and Beard in 1925. Canon Kirkland of Ely, once Headmaster of Kings School there, was his son. 10 George Parsons received £500 for an organ for St Leonard, Bilston, in 1826, and Mr Thomas Bowen was appointed organist. The minutes continue: That in order to pay the organist for his services an Annual Ball be held at Mr John Bowens during the Christmas Holidays, that the profits of such a ball to the amount of £25 be considered as his salary, and that any deficiency be made up by voluntary subscriptions, and that the overplus, if there be any, be paid into the hands of the minister and churchwardens and applied to any purpose connected with the organ as they may deem necessary. Passed to you - for action? Bewsher and Fleetwood interest several. Origins unknown, but in 1821 they set up at 1 Bronte Street, Liverpool. A small organ of theirs may be seen (altered) in the west gallery at Hilderstone, Staffs., with a nameplate which confirms this spelling of the name. Two strayed as far as Birmingham; St Peter, Dale End; and St Clement, Nechells - moved by Tubb from a Liverpool church. Many others include a three manual at St Paul, Burslem, of which the case and some stops were retained by Steele & Keay in 1902, Wrexham Abbey (1827), Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, and Great Homer Street Chapel in Liverpool (1859). Their business and premises were taken over by Gray and Davison in l845. Fleetwood is said to have worked by himself at one time, and to have made an organ for Mulliingar Old Cathedral (9). This may link up with the fact that the first work of the firm known tome was at St Patricks Cathedral, Dublin, a year or so before the Bronte Street establishment. On the other hand, the Directory for l845 shows just William Bewsher at that address. More information needed, please. That same year we note Rushworth & Van Gruisen at 1 St Vincent Street East; William Vincent at 12 Epworth Street - an excellent 1862 organ of his is to be seen at Woolhope near Hereford; William Porter Dreaper at 16 and 49 Bold Street. Dreaper came over from Ireland in 1830 or 51» having been in business in Waterford from 1821, where his brother Calvin Dreaper was also in business. S.B.Priestley of Hounslow was the father of Priestley of Comptons, and died in 1952. Trained with Lewis, he then worked with Casson, and went on to Hope-Jones before starting for himself. He had designed the consoles for McEwan Hall, Worcester Cathedral and St George Hanover Square. An organ of his make (1915) is, or was, in 1959, in St Thomas Acton Vale, and his name appeared on the restoration of a large Casson-style organ, with octave duplication and most of the trimmings, which I saw at Heston in 1945. Further than those, I am unable to help. A.T. Miller set up in Cambridge in 1856; he was an organist as well as an organ-builder. His work was of excellent quality, and increasing contact with it has led to an enquiry as to his antecedents and training. Does anyone know? Other enquiries include F W Durham of 25 Leadenhall Street (Little Glemham); Thos. Totyll (Worksop 1568); Arnoul de Sand, an Englishman working in France in 1565 (St Melaine, Morlaix); and W Hamlin from Hills, 8 Brook Street, New Road London (Maxstoke). Organs: Harston, Cambs. A Bryceston (now rebuilt) rumoured to have come from, or to contain pipes from, Peterborough Cathedral. Any evidence? These stories of cathedrals are legion, and many of them should be cast out. Harston Baptist has an old instrument, converted from GG, square rods, copperplate, tenor c Swell, installed there by Kingsgate, Davidson in 1945. Maker and former hone sought. Incidentally, the Maxstoke organ (above) has the surely unique feature of a pedal compass up to F sharp. (1) Report of Friends of Peterborough Cathedral 1980 20. (2) Norwich Gazette 25 Sept 1771. (3) 11 Aug 1759. (4) sc Norwich. (5) 5 May 1740. (6) Betty Matthews Organ LII 150. (7) D.E.L. Salwey Organ XVII 124. (8) Sayer Samuel Renn 11-18 (9) MO. 12/1956, 252. |