The Church organ loft. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 26 November 2018.
Memorial to Trumpington Men who fell in the War and to other Benefactors: Trumpington Church Organ and Bells
At a special meeting of the Church Council on 7 March 1926 the question of the repairs and possible enlargement of the organ, and of the position of the choir and organ, were considered. Expert opinion was offered recommending that, for musical effect and to help congregational singing, the choir and organ should be behind the congregation at the west end of the church, the organ raised if possible on a loft or gallery. [ Trumpington Magazine , April 1926]
In 1927, a printed leaflet was sent to every house in the parish entitled ‘Trumpington Church Organ and Bells. Memorial to Trumpington Men who fell in the War and to other Benefactors’ making an appeal for money for the building of an organ-loft and for the cleaning, repair and improvement of the organ, and the rehanging and improving of the bells. An item in the parish magazine in June 1927 explained that the whole cost of the loft had been given by Mrs Pemberton and Mr and Mrs William Pemberton, while Mr Chaplin had paid for the new bell, and so the money still needed was all to be spent on work, which would form the greater part of the whole scheme. [ Trumpington Magazine , June 1927] In the printed leaflet it was stated that the Church Council would very much like the work to be done as a Memorial to the considerable number of past benefactors of the Church or Parish, who were as yet without any monument in the Church, and the men who laid down their lives in the war. There had been a wish ever since 1918 that there should be a Memorial in the Church to those who fell in the war, and this seemed to be an opportunity for making a worthy Memorial, which was of practical and lasting benefit to the Church.
When the organ loft had been made, the heavy beams were removed in order to have the inscription carved on them. Mr W. Haslop undertook to draw all the letters himself direct on the wood and the carving was entrusted to Messrs Rattee and Kett. It was finally decided that the inscription should be on the west side of the back beam of the loft, instead of on the front beam facing into the church. The names were to be ranged round the inner faces of the main bearing beams of the loft. [ Trumpington Magazine , March 1929]
The dedication of the organ loft took place at 3 pm on Sunday 16 June 1929. The Archdeacon first spoke of the bells as perhaps the best public expression of common parish feeling, whether in sorrow or joy. Reference was made to those men who had given their lives in the war and to those whose sense of bereavement had not been dulled by the passing of years. The address then moved on to the other benefactors of the church and parish. He said that the list was not complete and that out of deference to the wishes of the late Mrs Foster the Church Council had felt obliged to their own regret to omit the names of Ebenezer Bird Foster and of Mrs Foster herself from the honoured place which their kindness and generosity had earned for them in such a list of benefactors. Finally he urged that the memorial should not only be a memorial of the past and a real help to the beauty of the services but a constant encouragement to the present and future generations of parishioners so to serve God as to win the lasting love and gratitude of their neighbours. [ Trumpington Magazine , July 1929]
Information in the Trumpington Magazine about the ‘Dedication of a new Organ Loft, 16 June 1929’, insert before the July 1929 magazine. Trumpington Parish Church.
The inscription on the loft: ‘This loft and the treble bell were given the bells were rehung and the organ improved in gratitude to God for the men who gave their lives in the Great War and for other benefactors of the Church and Parish. 1929’.
W. Brown
A.H.B. Chaplin
C.M. Chaplin
H. Chapman
G. Day
R. Flack
W. Flack
C.F. Foster
G. Freestone
C. Gowland
E. Gray
M. Gray
H. Green
W. Harrod
A.C. Haslop
C.F. Hicks
H.W. Huckle
W.R. Iles
A. Isaacson
B.C.M. King
B.H. Matthews
M.C. Metcalfe
F.P.C. Pemberton
F. Peters
S.I. Peters
A. Scates
H. Scott
A. Smith
E. Stearn
R. Trigg
J. Whittamore
A. Wilson
J.R. Wilson
R. Wilson
W. Wilson
T. Clifford Allbutt
A.W. Bishop
E.G. Browne
Alice C. Browne
T.B. Bumpsted
Alice M. Chaplin
A. Caroline Chaplin
C. Forbes
G.E. Hutt
T.P. Pemberton
Patience Pemberton
G.S. Todd
The inscription on the west beam of the Church organ loft, above the west door. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 25 November 2018.
Parts of the inscription on the beams of the Church organ loft. Photos: Wendy and Andrew Roberts, 25 November 2018.
