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Lewis Organ
The first organ to be installed at St Mary's was in October 1869. In 1867, a committee had been set up to oversee the project and in September 1868 work began on the organ.

The organ, built by Thomas C Lewis & Co, extended across the entire back of the gallery across the back of the nave in front of the West window. It had a case of pine wood and the angle posts were buttressed and terminated with finials, two of which had a figure of an angel playing a musical instrument. The case was panelled and the top had cusped heads and battlements. Five of the centre panels were painted red. It was a large instrument costing over £1200 and comprising four distinct organs, Choir, Great, Swell and Pedal, with a total of 2042 pipes including 358 made of wood and metal at 16 feet long.

Illustration of Lewis Organ
The Lewis organ was erected in 1869, in the gallery above the west door.

The following stops were available:

  • Great Organ
    Bourdon, Large Open Diapason, Small Open Diapason, Hohl Flote, Octave, Gemshorn, Full Mixture, Mixture & Trumpet.
  • Swell Organ
    Bourdon, Geigen Principal (8ft), Lieblich Gedact, Viole de Gambe, Vox Celestes, Geigen Principal (4ft), Mixture, Bassoon (16ft), Oboe and Bassoon (8ft), Trumpet, Vox Humaine & Clarion.
  • Choir Organ
    Lieblich Gedact (16ft), Lieblich Gedact (8ft), Salicional, Vox Angelica, Clarionet and Bassoon, Salicet & Flute Harmonique.
  • Pedal Organ
    Great Bass, Open Diapason, Sub-Bass, Great Quint, Posaune & Octave Coupler.
  • Couplers
    Choir to Pedals, Great to Pedals, Swell to Pedals, Swell to Great. Three Composition Pedals to Great Organ and three to Swell Organ. Pedal movement to take off Great to Pedals, Pedal to Swell No 1, Pedal to Swell No 2, Pedal to Vox Humaine and one to Tremulant.

When first installed the bellows were operated by hand, but later an electric action was installed. Two double-action vertical feeders filled the supply bellows, and were positioned on either side of the organ. There was also a large automatic air reservoir, intercepting the wind between the manual sound-boards and their supply bellows, for the purpose of rendering the wind perfectly steady. The total surface of the bellows and reservoir measured 150 feet and contained 160 cubic feet of air.

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