The current restoration work on the organ at St Pauls prompted me to research into the history of organ music at our church.
1838: The church was dedicated, but there was no mention of an organ.
1845: About this time, Joseph Bunyan, who was a master tailor set up business in the corner shop adjoining the Two Brewers. Mary Moore told us in 1998 that Joseph, who was her great grandfather, played the fiddle and organised string ensembles for services at St Pauls. This links in well with the story in Miss Liddles book ‘Notes on Old Chipperfield that Miss Jordan of Bucks Hill was borrowing the bass viol, used in the church before there was an organ.
1870s: There was evidently an organ by this date, because George Bunyan, son of Joseph, relinquished the position of organist in 1903 to his daughter Margaretta (who married E.J. Waterhouse the builder). Mary Moore recalled that the two men, father and son, had been organists at St Pauls for about 25 years.
1889: The church was closed for renovation work. This included the building of a vestry and an organ chamber. The area referred to is the current choir vestry. This could have provided loft space for the 1870s organ. Following completion of the building work, there was a consecration service in October led by the Bishop of Colchester, during which the local headmaster conducted the singing and George Bunyan played the organ.
1894: On October 21st the Watford Observer reported in detail that a two manual pedal organ had been given to St Pauls by Mary Blackwell in memory of her husband Robert Blackwell of Chipperfield Manor House. It was erected by Messrs Samuel & Twyford of Dalston, had 540 pipes and a pitch pine case which was tastefully decorated in gold and colour. It was on the opposite side from the pulpit, because the chamber which contained the old organ was not spacious enough to take the new one.
1949: An electric motor was installed to pump the organ.
1960s: Largely due to the initiative of Thomas Dean, the blind organist, the search began for a replacement organ. Sadly, due to his untimely death, he never played the great Lewis organ which was installed in 1964 by W. Starmer Shaw and Son of Northants. It had become surplus to requirement at Belhaven Presbyterian Church in Glasgow, when it was taken over by the Greek Orthodox Church.
2008: Now we can look forward to enjoying this fine instrument being played to its full potential.
Mary Nobbs