Samuel Renn

Samuel Renn (10 June 1786–11 January 1845) was an English organ builder who ran a business in Stockport, then in Manchester.

Samuel Renn was born in Kedleston, Derbyshire and in 1799 was apprenticed to his uncle, James Davis, an organ builder in London. Renn became his foreman and supervised organ installations and maintenance in London and in Lancashire. When Davis retired Renn went into partnership with John Boston and traded as Renn & Boston in Stockport from 1822 to 1825 and then in Manchester. He died in Manchester in 1845.GroveOnline|Renn, Samuel|Michael Sayer|1 October|2008]

Renn developed a factory system for building organs, using standardised dimensions, thereby reducing the costs, while continuing to produce artistic designs. Between 1822 and 1845 over 100 organs were produced by Renn. Their musical properties have been praised by critics and material from the organs has frequently been re-used in their restorations. Many of the organs have been lost due to closure of churches. The best surviving Renn organ is in St Philip's Church, Salford.

urviving Renn organs and cases

*St John the Baptist's Church, Bollington (some stops) [cite web |url= http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N02114 |title= Cheshire, Bollington, St. John the Baptist |accessdate=2008-10-01 |publisher= British Institute of Organ Studies ]
*St Mary's Church, Disley (organ case and some stops) [cite web |url= http://www.disley-parish.org.uk/AboutUs/History/tabid/606/Default.aspx|title= History |accessdate=2008-10-01 |publisher= St Mary's Church, Disley] [cite web |url= http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=H00012 |title= Disley, St. Mary the Virgin |accessdate=2008-10-01 |publisher= British Institute of Organ Studies ]
*St Mary and All Saints Church, Great Budworth [cite web |url= http://www.goetzegwynn.co.uk/restored/budworth.shtml |title= Restoration of the 1839 Samuel Renn organ at St Mary And All Saints, Great Budworth, Cheshire |accessdate=2008-10-01 |publisher= Martin Goetze and Dominic Gwynne] [cite web |url= http://www.greatbudworthchurch.org/renn%20organ.htm|title= The Renn Organ |accessdate=2008-10-01 |publisher= St Mary and All Saints Church, Great Budworth]
*Macclesfield Heritage Centre (formerly a Sunday School) [cite web |url= http://www.macclesfield.gov.uk/standardpage.asp?pageid=182 |title= Conference Facilities |accessdate=2008-10-01 |publisher= Macclesfield Borough Council]
*St George's Church, New Mills (case) [cite web |url= http://www.derbyshirechurches.org.uk/GLOSSOP.HTM |title= Derbyshire Churches and Chapels |accessdate=2008-10-01 |publisher= Rev. Clive Thrower]
*St Philip's Church, Salford

References

Further reading

*cite book | last =Sayer | first = Michael | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Samuel Renn: English Organ Builder |edition= | publisher = Phillimore & Co | year = 1974 | location = Chichester | pages = | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 978-0850330786
*cite book | last =Thistlethwaite | first = Nicholas | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = The Making of the Victorian Organ |edition= | publisher = Cambridge University Press | year = 1990 | location = Cambridge | pages = | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 9780521343459
*cite book | last = Boeringer| first = James | authorlink = | coauthors = Freeman, Andrew | title = Organa Britannica: Organs in Great Britain 1660-1860 |edition= | publisher = Bucknell University Press | year = 1983 | location = | pages = | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 9780838718940