George England (organ builder) facts for kids
George England was a skilled English craftsman who built amazing musical instruments called organs. He lived and worked between about 1740 and 1788.
His Family of Organ Builders
George England came from a family of talented organ builders. He married the daughter of Richard Bridge, who was also famous for building organs. George and his wife had a son named George Pike England, who followed in their footsteps and became an organ builder too. It was truly a family business!
Organs Built by George England
George England was known for creating beautiful and powerful organs for churches across England. An organ is a large musical instrument that uses pipes to make sound, often found in churches and concert halls.
Here are some of the organs George England built:
- Christ's Chapel of God's Gift, Dulwich, London, 1759
- St Stephen Walbrook, City of London, 1760
- St Matthew Friday Street, City of London, 1762
- St George's Church, Gravesend, Kent, 1764
- St Michael and All Angels' Church, Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, 1770
- St Michael Queenhithe, City of London, 1779 (he worked with Hugh Russell on this one)
- St Mary Aldermary, City of London, 1781 (also with Hugh Russell)
- St Mildred, Poultry, City of London (this church no longer exists)
- German Lutheran Church, Goodman's Fields, Tower Hamlets, London
- St Alfege Church, Greenwich, London
People at the time said his organs were special because of their "brightness and brilliancy." This means they had a very clear, strong, and lively sound, especially when all the different parts of the organ played together.
The organ at St. Stephen's, Walbrook, is a great example of his work. It was later repaired in 1825 and rebuilt in 1872. It was also made much larger by another company called William Hill & Sons.
