The Organ

 

The 
Organ
 at 
the 
Church 
of 
St
 John
 the
 Baptist,
 Wimbledon

, 
was 
built 
by
 the
 highly 
respected 
firm
 of 
Norman 
and 
Beard 
of 
Norwich 
in 
1904, 
and
 comes
 from
 the 
best 
period 
of 
Norman 
and 
Beard’s 
work 
in 
a 
style 
that 
is 
increasingly 
highly 
valued.

Norman
 and
 Beard
 began
 on
 a
 very
 modest
 scale
 as
 Norman
 Bros,
 tuning
 organs
 in
 the
 1870s
 in
 Norfolk
 and
 East
 Anglia.
 The
 two
 brothers
 were
 soon
 joined
 by
 G.
 Wales
 Beard
 and
 established
 a
 workshop
 in
 Norwich
 in
 the
1880s.
The 
business 
rapidly 
flourished, 
and
 larger
premises 
were 
soon
 required, 
advertised
 as 
being 
bigger
 and 
better 
equipped
 than 
any 
other
in 
the 
industry. 
By 
the 
middle 
of 
the
1890’s 
Norman 
and 
Beard 
were 
one
 of
 the
 most
 productive,
 innovative
 and
 sought
 after
 organ
 building
 enterprises
 in
 the
 country,
 reaching
 the
 height
 of 
their 
popularity 
between 
about 
1895 
and 
the 
first 
world 
war.

1904
 Norman and Beard

1926
 
Walker

 (Rebuilt;
 choir 
department 
added;
 Walker’s
 patented
 settable
 combinations
 installed)

2015 GO Organ Builders, Eaton Bishop, Herefordshire

Rebuilt, piston setting mechanism replaced; First stage of work 2014 complete electrification of actions, new oak console (Renatus) using original N&B draw-stop heads & bench, remainder new; case-work restored and repolished, relocated Pedal 16′ Open Diapason high up at treble end of the chamber to allow egress through West arch into side aisle. All pedal chests completely restored & electrified at the workshops. Second stage started 2015, restoration of all pipe-work and pitch change to A440; new organ blower fitted.