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Cedric Arnold, Williamson & Hyatt (sometimes referred to as Arnold, Williamson & Hyatt) was an English
pipe organ The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ''rank ...
maker and refurbisher in
Thaxted Thaxted is a town and civil parish in the Uttlesford district of north-west Essex, England. The town is in the valley of the River Chelmer, not far from its source in the nearby village of Debden, and is 97 metres (318 feet) above sea level ...
, Essex formed in 1961 by the merger of the organ building and restoring practices of Cedric Arnold and the firm of Williamson & Hyatt. It was acquired by
Hill, Norman & Beard William Hill & Son & Norman & Beard Limited (commonly known as Hill, Norman and Beard) were a major pipe organ manufacturer originally based in Norfolk. History They were founded in 1916 by the merger of Norman and Beard and William Hill & Sons ...
in 1973.


Origins


Williamson & Hyatt

The firm of Williamson & Hyatt of
Trunch Trunch is a village and parish in Norfolk, England, situated three miles north of North Walsham and two miles from the coast at Mundesley. At the Census 2011 the village had a population of 909. The parish covers an area of . The villages nam ...
, Norfolk, was established in 1950 by Martin Williamson and CJC Hyatt.


Martin Williamson

Martin Williamson (22 December 1925 – 27 July 2010) was born in Norwich, the son of the classicist G.A. Williamson MC and his wife Annie (née Griffths)."Organs are built in an old barn", ''Thetford & Watton Times'', 23 May 1952. The painter
Harold Sandys Williamson Harold Sandys Williamson (29 August 1892 – 6 March 1978) was a British painter, poster designer and teacher. Williamson fought on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front in World War One and also worked as a war artist, both later in t ...
was an uncle. Williamson died in 2010. Williamson was educated at
Norwich School Norwich School (formally King Edward VI Grammar School, Norwich) is a selective English independent day school in the close of Norwich Cathedral, Norwich. Among the oldest schools in the United Kingdom, it has a traceable history to 1096 as a ...
(where his father was classics master) and then the
Birmingham School of Art The Birmingham School of Art was a municipal art school based in the centre of Birmingham, England. Although the organisation was absorbed by Birmingham Polytechnic in 1971 and is now part of Birmingham City University's Faculty of Arts, Design a ...
where he studied cabinet making and allied crafts. After training with Stanley Lambert of
Nicholson & Co Ltd Nicholson & Co. Ltd manufactures pipe organs. It was founded in 1841 by John Nicholson. Its work encompasses the creation of new instruments as well as historical restorations, rebuilds and renovations. In 2013, the firm completed the first whol ...
and J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd, in around 1947 he started organ-building himself in Birmingham. During that time he built a small one-manual organ for St Anne's Church, Earlham (for which he then built a replacement in 1952), although the
National Pipe Organ Register The British Institute of Organ Studies (BIOS) is a British organisation and registered charity which aims to promote study and appreciation of all aspects of the pipe organ. Further, it acts as a lobbying body to raise awareness of organ issu ...
makes no reference to either instrument. Williamson then established his organ-building practice in an old flint barn in the village of Trunch in 1950, which had previously been occupied by a rural craftsman, Hector Benson. His earliest works were renovations of the instruments in St Peter & St Paul,
Knapton Knapton is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is southeast of Cromer, northeast of Norwich and northeast of London. The Village is located alongside the B1145 a route which runs between King's Lynn and ...
, St Michael,
Sidestrand Sidestrand is a village and a civil parish on the coast of the English county of Norfolk. The village is north of Norwich, south east of Cromer and north-east of London. The nearest railway station is at North Walsham for the Bittern Line whi ...
and St James,
Southrepps Southrepps is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is southeast of Cromer, north of Norwich and north of London. The village lies northeast of the A149 between Kings Lynn and Great Yarmouth. The n ...
churches (the last of which dating from 1949). Another early instrument was enlarging and installing an 1808 William Gray organ from St Leonard's,
Marston Green Marston Green is a large suburban village of around 5,000 residents in the civil parish of Bickenhill and Marston Green, in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in the West Midlands. It lies within the historic county of Warwickshire. Situate ...
into Trunch Church.


CJC Hyatt

Clifford James Cecil Hyatt (1928 – 17 November 2020) was born in
Edmonton, Middlesex Edmonton is a town in north London, England within the London Borough of Enfield, a local government district of Greater London. The northern part of the town is known as Lower Edmonton or Edmonton Green, and the southern part as Upper Ed ...
, in 1928, to Cecil Hyatt and Doris Hyatt (née Rowe). He was a renowned voicer as well as an organ-builder, and trained under Henry Willis III at
Henry Willis & Sons Henry Willis & Sons is a British firm of pipe organ builders founded in 1845. Although most of their installations have been in the UK, examples can be found in other countries. Five generations of the Willis family served as principals of th ...
. Hyatt died in 2020, in Norwich.


Some notable organs

* St Mary's RC Church, Ipswich: an undated organ. *
Paston College Paston College (previously Paston Sixth Form College) is a sixth form college located in the town of North Walsham, Norfolk. The college has been part of City College Norwich, following a merger of the two colleges, since 1 December 2017. History ...
: a 1959 rebuilding of the 1938
Hill, Norman & Beard William Hill & Son & Norman & Beard Limited (commonly known as Hill, Norman and Beard) were a major pipe organ manufacturer originally based in Norfolk. History They were founded in 1916 by the merger of Norman and Beard and William Hill & Sons ...
organ. That 1938 organ, in turn, had originally been built by the Oxford organ-builders Martin & Coate in 1930 for St John's College Chapel.


Cedric Arnold

Ernest Charles Arnold (always known as Cedric Arnold) (26 October 1907 – 10 October 1980) was a pipe organ maker and refurbisher in
Thaxted Thaxted is a town and civil parish in the Uttlesford district of north-west Essex, England. The town is in the valley of the River Chelmer, not far from its source in the nearby village of Debden, and is 97 metres (318 feet) above sea level ...
,
Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
, who established his practice in 1927, initially in
Chelmsford Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Southend-on-Sea and Colchester. It is located north-east of Lond ...
, and subsequently in Thaxted from 1932. In 1961 he merged his practice with the firm of Williamson & Hyatt. Most Cedric Arnold organs are located in East Anglia. Arnold was born in
Chelmsford Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Southend-on-Sea and Colchester. It is located north-east of Lond ...
in 1907, the son of Ernest Arnold (1874-1970), a bookseller, and Ada Julia (née Arter) (1868-1946). He was educated at
Bishop's Stortford College Bishop's Stortford College is a independent day and boarding school in the English public school tradition for more than 1,200 pupils aged 4–18, situated in a campus on the edge of the market town of Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, Engl ...
. In the 1950s he restored the 1923-25 Rest Cartwright organ in the Memorial Hall at the College; Arnold had been apprenticed to Rest Cartwright from 1923 to 1927. Arnold was the Chief Fire Officer in Thaxted during WWII. He died in 1980, aged 72.


Organ building practice

Arnold's early work was mostly to update and rebuild existing organs: in 1927 (when he was described as being of Chelmsford), he overhauled the undated A. Hunter & Son instrument at St Andrew's,
Belchamp St Paul Belchamp St Paul is a village and civil parish in the Braintree district of Essex, England. The village is west of Sudbury, Suffolk, and northeast of the county town, Chelmsford. The parish is northwest of Belchamp Otten and Belchamp W ...
. Probably in the same year, Arnold restored the Theodore Charles Bates instrument at St Thomas,
Bradwell-on-Sea Bradwell-on-Sea is a village and civil parish in Essex, England. The village is on the Dengie peninsula. It is located about north-northeast of Southminster and is east from the county town of Chelmsford. The village is in the District of Mal ...
, although there is some uncertainty about the exact date. In 1928 he restored and moved the Bishop & Son 1890 organ in St Peter & St Paul's,
Carbrooke Carbrooke is a village and civil parish in the Breckland district of Norfolk, England. It is from the centre of Watton and from Thetford. In the 2011 Census, Carbrooke had a population of 2,073 people in 835 households. History Carbrooke's n ...
in
Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the Nort ...
, at the start of the incumbency of the socialist cleric,
George B. Chambers George Bennet Chambers (18 January 1881 in Ealing, London – 1969 in Surrey) was an English priest, social activist and author (writing as G. B. Chambers). Following a long ministry in the Church of England, he became the vicar of Carbrooke C ...
. In 1929 he built an organ, making use of parts from an older instrument, for Our Lady of Mount Carmel RC Church in
Harwich Harwich is a town in Essex, England, and one of the Haven ports on the North Sea coast. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the north-east, Ipswich to the north-west, Colchester to the south-west and Clacton- ...
(now located in Our Lady Queen of Heaven RC Church,
Dovercourt Dovercourt is a small seaside town and former civil parish, now in the parish of Harwich, in the Tendring district, in the county of Essex, England. It is older than its smaller but better-known neighbour, the port of Harwich, and appears in ...
). He moved his organ building practice to Thaxted in 1932 and is recorded as a church organ builder in Thaxted in the 1933
Kelly's Directory Kelly's Directory (or more formally, the Kelly's, Post Office and Harrod & Co Directory) was a trade directory in England that listed all businesses and tradespeople in a particular city or town, as well as a general directory of postal addresses ...
. He was building his own organs by 1934, as in that year the '' Essex Newsman'' recorded the dedication of a new organ at
Little Waltham Little Waltham is a village and civil parish just north of Chelmsford, in Essex, England. It is adjacent to the village of Great Waltham. The Domesday Book refers to the two villages as Waltham, consisting of several manors. The site of an Iron ...
Congregational Church built by Arnold. Arnold built this organ with a case of Japanese oak. Another early instrument was his 1935 organ at
Severalls Hospital Severalls Hospital was a psychiatric hospital in Colchester, Essex, England. It was managed by the North Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust. History Early history The hospital was designed by Frank Whitmore, the county architect ...
in
Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colc ...
, now demolished and the organ removed to St Clement's Anglican Church in
La Richardais La Richardais (; ) is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department of Brittany in northwestern France. Population Inhabitants of La Richardais are called ''richardaisiens'' in French. See also *Communes of the Ille-et-Vilaine department The ...
in
Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period o ...
in 2016. Notable organs include Arnold's 1952
Conrad Noel Conrad le Despenser Roden Noel (12 July 1869 – 22 July 1942) was an English priest of the Church of England. Known as the 'Red Vicar' of Thaxted, he was a prominent Christian socialist. Early life Noel was born on 12 July 1869 in Royal Cottage, ...
Memorial Organ in the tower arch of St John the Baptist, Our Lady & St Laurence, Thaxted, being an installation of a GP England 1795 instrument from an unknown earlier location, and the rebuilt 1905
Norman and Beard Norman and Beard were a pipe organ manufacturer based in Norwich from 1887 to 1916. History The origins of the company are from a business founded in Diss in 1870 by Ernest William Norman (1851–1927). In 1876 he moved to Norwich where he went ...
instrument in the Butterfield church of St Mary's
Ardleigh Ardleigh is a village and civil parish in Essex, England. It is situated approximately northeast from the centre of Colchester and northeast from the county town of Chelmsford. Ardleigh is in the district of Tendring and the parliamentary co ...
. The last organs that Arnold worked on alone were the Gildersleeve & Co instrument at St Edmund’s RC Church, Bury St Edmunds in 1960 and the 1919 ER Tyrell instrument at St Mary's,
Comberton Comberton is a village and civil parish in South Cambridgeshire, England, just east of the Prime Meridian. History Archaeological finds, including a Neolithic polished stone axe (found to the south of the current village) and a Bronze Age barr ...
,
Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and North ...
in 1963 (with an organ plate presumably prepared prior to the merger with Williamson & Hyatt).


Organ building by the merged firm

The most notable instrument is that in St Mary's, Little Walsingham, built in 1964 after the devastating fire of 1961 (destroying the church's early
Casson Cassons or Casson is the name of a Yokuts Native American tribe in central eastern California. The Cassons are also called the Gashowu. The Casson Yokuts territory extended from the eastern side of San Joaquin Valley floor eastward to the upper f ...
organ). Two years later, they built an organ for the Shrine at Walsingham, incorporating elements from the J G Trustam organ from St Andrew,
Ampthill Ampthill () is a town and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, between Bedford and Luton, with a population estimate of 8,100 (Mid year estimate 2017 from the ONS). It is administered bAmpthill Town Council The ward of Ampthill which also i ...
, Bedfordshire. In 1996, that organ was removed and replaced by an electronic instrument, and was installed in St Martin,
Welton le Marsh Welton le Marsh (or Welton in the Marsh) is a village and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is situated approximately north-east from the town of Spilsby and approximately south from the town of Alford. T ...
, Lincolnshire by Holmes & Swift.


Some notable organs

*St Botolph's,
Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colc ...
: 1960 alterations by Cedric Arnold to a 1890 J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd, then rebuilt in 1966 by Cedric Arnold, Williamson & Hyatt. *
St Edmund's Church, Southwold St Edmund's Church, Southwold is a Grade I listed parish church in the Church of England in Southwold, Suffolk. History The parish church of Southwold is dedicated to St Edmund, and is considered to be one of Suffolk's finest. It lies under ...
: a 1966 rebuild of a 1887 J. W. Walker organ. *
Alderman Peel High School Alderman Peel High School is an academy secondary school in Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk, England. History The founder Sam Peel, who was born in Wymondham, was not a Birthright Quaker, but by Conviction who had started off as a Methodist. He ...
,
Wells-next-the-Sea Wells-next-the-Sea is a port town on the north coast of Norfolk, England. The civil parish has an area of and in 2001 had a population of 2,451,Office for National Statistics & Norfolk County Council (2001). Census population and household c ...
: a 1967 installation of a 1820 J.C. Bishop organ. *
St Mary the Virgin Church, Kelvedon St Mary the Virgin Church is the Church of England parish church for Kelvedon in Essex. It is located at the south-west end of the village. History The north-west corner of the nave was probably built early in the 12th century and consists of fli ...
: a 1968 rebuild of a 1880 Alfred Monk organ. *
St James Church, Gerrards Cross St James is an evangelical Church of England parish church in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire. The Parish of St. James, within the Deanery of Amersham in the Diocese of Oxford, is the result of the amalgamation of St James Gerrards Cross and St ...
: a 1970 rebuild of a 1861 Henry Jones organ. *Christ Church,
Billericay Billericay ( ) is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Basildon, Essex, England. It lies within the London Basin and constitutes a commuter town east of Central London. The town has three secondary schools and a variety of open spaces. It i ...
: a 1970 installation of a 1895 Bevington organ from St John,
Mountnessing Mountnessing is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Brentwood in south Essex, England. It is situated to the north-east of Brentwood, south-west of Ingatestone. A large proportion of the houses are situated on the Roman Road (formerly t ...
, an iron church.


Legacy

Cedric Arnold, Williamson & Hyatt was acquired by
Hill, Norman & Beard William Hill & Son & Norman & Beard Limited (commonly known as Hill, Norman and Beard) were a major pipe organ manufacturer originally based in Norfolk. History They were founded in 1916 by the merger of Norman and Beard and William Hill & Sons ...
in 1973. The company itself was not dissolved until 1999. Hyatt continued to build and restore organs, working with Paul Skellern in 1982 on the instrument in St Martin's,
Fenny Stratford Fenny Stratford is a constituent town of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England and in the Civil Parish of Bletchley and Fenny Stratford. Originally an independent town, it was included in the Milton Keynes " designated area" in 1967. From 1895 ...
,
Bletchley Bletchley is a constituent town of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. It is situated in the south-west of Milton Keynes, and is split between the civil parishes of Bletchley and Fenny Stratford and West Bletchley. Bletchley is best kn ...
. (Skellern had worked with Williamson & Hyatt from the earliest days of their practice.)


References

Organ builders of the United Kingdom British pipe organ builders Pipe organ building companies Musical instrument manufacturing companies of the United Kingdom 1961 establishments in England {{DEFAULTSORT:Cedric Arnold, Williamson and Hyatt