Nicholson & Co (Worcester) Ltd

Malvern Priory organ case

Nicholson & Co (Worcester) Ltd is a company that manufactures pipe organs.

The Nicholson's were a family of organ builders originating from Rochdale, Lancashire in the North of England. When John Nicholson moved to Worcester in 1841 he obtained permission from the Dean and Chapter of Worcester Cathedral to establish a workshop in the Palace Yard.^[1] John Nicholson's work included organs in Malvern Priory and Worcester Shire Hall.

History

New Nicholson factory in Malvern;

Nicholson and Company moved from the old Quest Hills Road factory in Autumn 2003 to new premises at Lower Interfields in Malvern, Worcestershire.

The Quest Hills Road buildings started life as a vet's practice in the late 19th century when horses were the principal source of motive power. Mechanisation led to its use as a coal depot in the 1930s, supplied by the Great Western Railway sidings across the road. In 1956, as coal in turn gave way to alternative forms of fuel, the buildings were acquired by Nicholson. Many famous organs have passed through its diminutive doors since that time. The site has since been converted to residential mews.

Nicholson's new premises are located in rural Worcestershire at the foot of the Malvern Hills. A plantation of Christmas trees surrounds the factory and there are fishing lakes close by. The 1,250 square metres (13,500 sq ft) floor area is three times that of the previous factory. The building shop measures 10 m x 10m with generous headroom, enabling large organs to be fully assembled.

Some examples of Nicholson organs

Organ of Christchurch Priory;

• Bridlington Priory Church, Yorkshire
• Christchurch Priory, Dorset
• Church of Our Lady & The English Martyrs, Cambridge
• Gloucester Cathedral
• Great Malvern Priory
• Portsmouth Cathedral
• Southwell Minster, Nottinghamshire
• The Parish Church of St Clement, Sandwich, Kent
• St Martin in the Bull Ring, Birmingham
• St John the Baptist Bromsgrove, Worcestershire
• St Peter's Church, Woodmansterne, Surrey
• St Peter's College, Oxford

References

1. ^ Nicholson Organs

External links

• Nicolson Organs
• St Johns Church Bromsgrove