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Princes Risborough Baptist Church and School pipe organ
Town or City: Princes Risborough
County: Buckinghamshire
Country: England
WMT Reference Number: WM3707
Value of grant: £2500.00
Type of memorial: Non-Freestanding
Type of work: Conservation and repair
Grant scheme: Small Grants Scheme
Year: 2014
UKNIWM reference number: 000000
This memorial organ is located within Princes Risborough Baptist Church on Bell Street. The memorial commemorates those from the Church and School, there are accompanying dedicatory plaques for the memorial which detail both those who fought and survived and those who were killed. The Church is located within a Conservation Area.
In 2009, War Memorials Trust gave a grant of £1,849 towards work to remove the existing blowing unit and to install a new unit and associated works. This was required as the motor bearings were worn and this was putting the balance of the unit out of alignment which causes further problems.
In 2013 War Memorials Trust offered £2,500 towards the reassembly of the memorial organ. It was discovered that the floor beneath the organ was rotting due to water ingress into the church, therefore was putting the war memorial at risk. To replace the floor beneath the war memorial it was necessary for an organ specialist to dismantle the memorial and move it into storage. The floor beneath the organ was replaced then the organ was reassembled.
The question of a war memorial was raised at an Annual Meeting in January 1919 and it was decided that a pipe organ would be purchased for this purpose and a fund was established for this. In 1922 it was reported that £700 had been raised for the organ fund. The organ chosen originated in Yorkshire and was built by William Denman of York around 1875 and was rebuilt and installed by Kingsgate Musical Instruments Company in 1921.
The memorial organ was unveiled by Major Lionel de Rothschild on 5th May 1921 and dedicated in a Service led by Alfred Ellis, Esq., JP., President of the Bucks Baptist Association. There were also a number of organ recitals on the day.
Historic information on the memorial is available in “ “..As witness this day..” Princes Risborough Baptist Church 1707-2007: A celebration”
Further information
War Memorials Trust reference WM3707
UK National Inventory of War Memorials: 000000
War Memorials Online: 138023
If you have a concern about this memorial please contact the Trust on conservation@warmemorials.org