Church Organ - St Mary - Sampford Spiney, Devon - Musical Instruments on Waymarking.com

Church organ in St Mary's church, Sampford Spiney.

"According to Prebendary Boggis, his father “ introduced a novelty – a musical instrument, to wit, a harmonium ; or rather he had two instruments, for his moorland church was so damp, that when one was out of working order , another was brought from home to replace it for a while. The effect of the dampness was that some notes would refuse to behave aright and would continue to cipher; and sometimes it was my function as a little boy to stand by my mother as she played, and pull up any notes that stuck down. ” The same source records that, “ after some years a pipe organ, one of Schnetzler’s, was purchased, and my sister presided over the music, and regularly drove out [from Tavistock] every week to practice her mixed choir of men, women and young people. ” Public subscription paid for the organ and permission was granted in 1875 to remove some seats to house it. John Snetzler [or Schnetzler] was a Swiss organ builder living in London. Beside his large cathedral organs he also produced smaller pipe organs. It is presumed that the one acquired by Sampford Spiney was second or third hand. Snetzler died in 1785. This maybe the pipe organ that Hele’s of Plymouth serviced in 1899; however by 1924 Hele’s had written to Mrs Calmady stating that they “ regret to have to report that this instrument is almost ruined by neglect in providing sufficient protection against damp ”. After much correspondence Messrs Hele reluctantly agreed to accept what remained of the organ to write off the account. For a while the music was supplied by a Harmonium but later an electronic organ was purchased. By the late 1990s both were inadequate. In 2001 the old organ from St Endellion Church, North Cornwall was donated and Peter Bazeley from Lamerton, installed it. Sadly age and damp have seen the organ deteriorate."

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This may be the St Endellion organ that was moved here - National Pipe Organ Register