Matters appertaining to the church: Plate, organs and inventories

CHAPTER XXV

THINGS APPERTAINING TO THE CHURCH

Silver Plate.

A large chalice, silver gilt with conical cover, inscribed 'Ex dono Anthonii Burgesse 1690' and arms engraved: Argent. Six lozenges gules 3, 2, 1. A canton azure. Crest, a stag's head caboshed. (fn. 1) Inside the foot is inscribed 'St. Bartholomew the Great'. (fn. 2)

The date mark is for 1689, and maker's mark P. M. (not identified).

Measure: height 9⁷/8 in., diameter of bowl 5¹/8 in., of foot 4⁷/8 in.

Weight: of chalice 19 oz. 6 dwt., of cover 8 oz. 5 dwt.

A similar chalice and cover inscribed 'St. Bartholomew the Great Ex dono Johannis Whiting 1690' and arms engraved: Per saltire azure and ermine a leopard's face or, in chief three bezants. (fn. 3)

Date mark for 1689. Maker's mark P. M. (as above).

Measure: height 10 in., diameter of bowl 5¹/8 in., of foot 4¾ in.

Weight of chalice 18 oz. 19 dwt., of cover 8 oz. 6 dwt.

One large paten silver gilt inscribed 'St. Bartholomew the Great'.

Date mark and maker's mark as on chalices above.

Measure: diameter 12½ in., height 2¾ in.

Weight: 22 oz. 5 dwt.

One small chalice silver gilt inscribed on the face 'The gift of William Edwardes Lord Kensington patron of this church St. Bartholomew the Great'; inside the foot '1792'; on the back these arms engraved for Edwardes Baron Kensington: Quarterly, first and fourth ermine a lion rampant sable (for Edwardes), second and third gules a chevron between three crosses botony or (for Rich). Crest upon a mount vert a wyvern, wings expanded argent. Supporters two reindeer ppr. attired and unguled or. Motto, Garde la foi.

Date mark for 1792. Maker's mark H. C. (probably for Henry Chawner) in an oblong stamp.

Measure: height 6½ in.; diameter of bowl 3¼ in., of foot 3¹/8 in.

Weight: 7 oz. 2 dwt.

One small paten silver gilt with the Edwardes crest (as above) engraved. Inside the foot is engraved 1792. The maker's mark H. C. (as above); measure, diameter 4⁵/8 in.; weight, 4 oz. 2 dwt.

One spoon perforated silver gilt. Date mark, 1774; weight, 1 oz.

One silver stand for the same.

One almsdish silver gilt inscribed: 'In usum Ecclesiae S. Barthol: Mag: D. D. M. J. Phillips Rectoris soror et nuper patroni vidua, 1830.' (fn. 4)

In the centre is engraved a cross with three passion nails surrounded by a glory and on the rim a shield with arms: Dexter—Sable, a lion rampant ducally crowned argent langued and armed gules between eight fleurs-de-lis or (Phillips). Sinister: Gules, a fesse lozengy between three scallops argent (Abbiss). (Being a woman's coat there is no crest. The Abbiss crest is a spur azure, leather sable, buckle of the first.)

Date mark for 1831. Maker's mark A. F. (Andrew Fogelberg) over S. G. (Stephen Gilbert) in a shaped shield.

Measure: 9⁵/8 in. Weight: 15 oz. 6 dwt.

One Beadle's staff or verge with a silver head surmounted with a silver effigy of St. Bartholomew holding a flaying knife and inscribed, on the front:
The gift of Mr. Samuel Atkins citizen & clothworker of London to the parish of St. Bartholomew the Great Anno Dom. 1731, being then churchwarden. and on the back, repaired & beautified
a. d. 1828, Richd. Bell, John Dawkins, churchwardens.

Date mark for 1730. Measure of statuette, 13 in. Weight of statuette, 22 oz. 7 dwt.

One silver snuff-box inscribed:
The gift of the Rev. John Abbiss Rector of St. Bartholomew the Great 4th May, 1826
Thomas Hestor and Henry Slade, churchwardens.

On the lid is inscribed 'S. B. G.' in an oblong.

Measure: 3¹/8 in. by 2 3/16 in. by 1 in. high. Weight: 6 oz. 7 dwt.

Pewter.

One bowl (somewhat corroded) roughly inscribed inside on the bottom with a wreath 'St. Bartholomew the Great, 1703'.

Measure: top rim 12 in. diameter, bottom 8¹/8 in., depth 5¹/8 in.

The two touch marks outside on the bottom are too faint to distinguish.

This bowl may have been used for baptismal purposes. (fn. 5)

Three large dishes or plates. Measure: top 11⁷/8 in. in diameter.

The marks are the well-known cross surmounted by a crown (extraordinary or hard metal ware) and the touch of James Boost (fn. 6) —his name half encircling the device—a crescent and six stars. Inscribed below, 'St. Bartholomew the Great'.

Two small dishes or plates. Measure: top 9⁷/8 in. in diameter.

The marks are the cross with the crown above and the touch of Francis Piggott, (fn. 7) Newgate St., London. Device a teazle with a crescent above. Inscribed below, 'St. Bartholomew the Great'.

The Organs. (fn. 8)

The first organ, of which there is a record as belonging to this church, is a Conobles Organ, 1715. (fn. 9)

The following from Ch. Wm. Pearce, Notes on Old London City Churches, their Organs, Organists, and Musical Associations (p. 18).

An organ was erected in St. Bartholomew's Church by Richard Bridge in 1731. According to Mr. Henry Leffler, this instrument contained:
Three setts of keys. Compass GG, short octaves to D in alt. Swell, Fiddle G to D.
Great (8 stops).—Op. Diap., 52 pipes; Stop. Diap., 52; Prin., 52; 12th, 52; 15th, 52; Tierce, 52; Sesquialtera, iv ranks (draws in halves), 208; Trumpet, 52.
Swell (6 stops).—Op. Diap., 32 pipes; Stop. Diap., 32; Prin., 32; Cornet, III ranks (a new one in the year 1800), 96; Trumpet, 32; Hautboy, 32.
Choir (4 stops).—Stop. Diap.; Prin.; (these two by communication from the Great); Flute, 52 pipes; Cremona, 52.

He calls it a very good organ all through.

His friend, the late Mr. J. W. Billinghurst (formerly vestry clerk of St. Margaret's, Lothbury), wrote concerning this organ in 1855:
'The keys are black, the sharps having a strip of white inserted. The Diapasons are very weak, the Cremona very fair; the effect of the Swell, good.'

Some thirty years afterwards, Mr. Billinghurst added the following remarks:
'In 1865, when extensive restorations took place in the church, this organ was removed to Russell's factory, where it was lost! The church being closed for about four years, Russell died during this period, and by inadvertence the organ was sold as part of his effects.'

A small organ by Gray & Davison was erected near the chancel when the church was re-opened for service, and this inadequate instrument gave place to the organ now over the quire screen, which was purchased and removed hither from St. Stephen's, Walbrook, in 1885. This organ (of which the original case still remains at St. Stephen's) was built by George England in 1765, at a cost of about £570, and (according to Mr. Henry Leffler) contained the following stops:
Three setts of keys, GG long octaves to E. Swell to G.
Great (11 stops).—Op. Diap., 57 pipes; Stop. Diap., 57; Prin., 57; Nason, 57; 12th, 57; 15th, 57; Sesquialtera, IV ranks, 228; Mixture, 11 ranks, 114; Cornet to C, v ranks, 145; Trumpet, 57; Clarion, 57.
Swell (8 stops).—Op. Diap., 34 pipes; Stop. Diap., 34; Prin., 34; German flute, 34; Cornet, III ranks, 132; Trumpet, 34; Hautboy, 34; Clarion, 34.
Choir (6 stops).—Dulciana to G, 46 pipes; Stop. Diap., 57; Flute, 57; 15th, 57; French Horn, 39; Vox Humana, 57.

A very good organ.

In 1825 Mr. Gray added a second Open Diapason to the Great Organ (in place of the V rank Cornet) and an octave and a half of Unison Pedal pipes with a Great to Pedal coupler. Many years afterwards the organ was enlarged and improved by Messrs. Hill & Son, as follows:
Great (II stops).—Op. Diap. (No. 1), 8 ft.; Op. Diap. (No. 2), 8 ft.; Stop. Diap. (metal treble), 8 ft.; Prin., 4 ft.; Nason (open wood), 4 ft. (this stop is now labelled 'Wald Flute'); 12th, 2²/3 ft.; 15th, 2 ft.; Mixture, IV ranks; Furniture, III ranks; Trumpet, 8 ft.; Clarion, 4 ft.
Swell (11 stops).—Bourdon, 16 ft.; Op. Diap., 8 ft.; German Flute (metal grooved to Op. Diap. in bass octave), 8 ft.; Stop. Diap. (metal treble), 8 ft.; Prin., 4 ft.; 12th and 15th (2²/3 and 2 ft.); Mixture, IV ranks; Dble. Trumpet, 16 ft.; Oboe, 8 ft.; Trumpet, 8 ft.; Clarion, 4 ft.
Choir (9 stops).—Keraulophon, 8 ft.; Dulciana (grooved to Keraulophon in bass octave), 8 ft.; Stop. Diap. (metal treble), 8 ft.; Prin., 4 ft.; Stop. Flute (treble metal open), 4 ft.; 15th, 2 ft.; Clarinet, 8 ft.; French Horn, 8 ft.; Vox Humana, 8 ft.
Pedal (3 stops).—Op. Diap., 16 ft.; Bourdon, 16 ft.; Trombone, 16 ft.
Couplers (5).—Sw. to Gt.; Sw. to Ch.; Sw. to Ped.; Gt. to Ped.; Ch. to Ped.
Accessories.—3 comp. peds. to Gt.; 2 ditto to Sw.
Compass.—Manuals, CC to g in altissimo; Pedal, CC to f.

Since the organ has been erected in St. Bartholomew's the Swell and Choir specifications have been altered as follows:
Swell (12 stops).—Bourdon, 16 ft.; Op. Diap., 8 ft.; German Flute, 8 ft.; Vox Angelica, 8 ft.; Prin., 4 ft.; 12th, 2²/3 ft.; 15th, 2 ft.; Mixture, IV ranks; the four reeds as before.
Choir (9 stops).—Keraulophon, 8 ft.; Dulciana, 8 ft.; Hohl Flute, 8 ft.; Gamba, 4 ft.; Suabe Flute, 8 ft.; 15th, 2 ft.; French Horn, 8 ft.; Clarinet, 8 ft.; Vox Humana, 8 ft.

Inventories of Church Goods.

The first inventory dates from 1574 and has already been given in full. (fn. 10)

The second Inventory of 1668 is as follows:

An Inventory of sevrall the Goods & Chatels of the parish of S. Bartholomew the Great London belonging to the church now in the Custody & charge of the Churchwardens.

The third is as follows:

Inventory 1690 (fn. 12)

Hereunto is annexed a particular of all the Church ornaments as they now remain.

The fourth is as follows:

Inventory 1906

Appertaining to the Sanctuary:

Appertaining to the quire:

Clergy & quire stalls for 14 men & 24 boys.

Oak quire screen.

Appertaining to the baptistry:

Appertaining to the belfry:

Various minor things appertaining to the sacristry and vestry with an iron parish safe containing registers, vestry minute book, Deeds, &c., 22 framed pictures, &c., on the walls. A parish map.

THE BENEFACTION BOARDS (fn. 15)

No. 1 on the west wall of the church over doorway to organ loft.

Benefactions to the Church and Poor.

Henry Seagood and Matt. Poole.

No, 2. Left half of double board fixed to west wall of church.

Benefactors to the Church and Poor.

No. 3. On a board stored in crypt.

Benefactors to the Charity Schools.

No. 4. Right half of double board on west wall of the church.

Benefactors to the Charity Schools.

Note.—The bottom part of this board has been cut away

No. 5. On a board stored in the crypt.

Benefactions to the Infant and Sunday Schools.

No. 6. On a board stored in the crypt.

Benefactions to the Charity Schools.

No. 7. On a board stored in the crypt.

Benefactions to the Charity Schools.

No. 8. On a board stored in the crypt.

Benefactions to the Infant and Sunday Schools.