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John Avery (organ builder)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John Avery (c. 1738–1808[1]) was one of the main organ builders in England during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.[2]

Life

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Avery was mainly based in London. He had a reputation as a colourful character, occasionally falling foul of the law, being declared bankrupt in 1775[3] and again in 1801,[4] and having a reputation as a 'shocking drunken character'.[5] Despite this he was responsible for some important organs, including those in King's College, Cambridge and Winchester Cathedral.

He appeared at the Old Bailey as a witness in two trials in 1797:

  • on 12 July 1797 in the trial of Henry Gray, who was accused of stealing a handkerchief from Avery's pocket.[6]
  • on 20 September 1797 in the trial of Joseph Robson, who was accused of stealing Avery's tools.[7]

One of his apprentices, Alexander Buckingham, went on to work with Thomas Elliot before becoming an independent organ builder.

He died in Giltspur Street Compter.

Organs

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Little work by Avery survives, but there is an organ at Ponsonby Baptist Church, New Zealand,[8] and one in the Finchcocks collection at Goudhurst, Kent.

New organs built by Avery include:

References

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  1. ^ "ULAN Full Record Display (Getty Research)".
  2. ^ The Making of the Victorian Organ. Nicholas Thistlethwaite. 1999
  3. ^ Hampshire Chronicle, Monday 27 November 1775
  4. ^ Morning Chronicle, Monday 14 December 1801
  5. ^ The History of the English Organ. Stephen Bicknell, Cambridge University Press. 1999
  6. ^ Old Bailey Proceedings Online (accessed 26 March 2013), Trial of Henry Gray. (t17970712-70, 12 July 1797).
  7. ^ Old Bailey Proceedings Online (accessed 26 March 2013), Trial of Joseph Robson. (t17970920-67, 20 September 1797).
  8. ^ "Restoration of the 1779 Avery chamber organ now at Ponsonby Baptist Church, Auckland New Zealand". Martin Goetze and Dominic Gwynn Ltd. 2005. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013 – via Internet Archive.