It was not until I was well into my "organ years" that one of my Aunts told me that they had a cousin Walter Sargeant who had been an organ builder. I'm thinking "Why tell me NOW - why not years ago when I could have met him??"
Anyway, they had not had contact with him for decades and he was assumed to be dead.

He had last been visited in Orpington, where he had built a pipe organ into his bungalow - around the late 40's early 50's they thought.

A search on Genes Reunited about 3 years ago brought no results, but it was not until Mum mentioned him quite out of the blue during a dinner party, that I thought I'd try Gene R U again. I typed his name into the search box and there, among many Walter Sargeants was one that matched the criteria in d.o.b. 1890 thereabouts and place of birth, Norwich.
A message to the person on whose tree his name appeared brought permission to view the tree and there he is!!!
I then emailed the Bromley and Croydon Organists Association - the secretary forwarded my email to all members and within 24 hours, an organ builder informed me that Walter or WALLY SARGEANT was listed under the Organ Builders section of the NPOR and had worked for COMPTON ORGAN CO. in the '30s
He is also mentioned in Lawrence Elvin's book "Pipes and Action" pub. 1955.
If anyone has this book, could i PLEEEEEEEEEAAAASE beg a copy of the page on which he is mentioned.

I'm so thrilled that there is/was another "organ minded" member of my once-extensive family.

Dare I hope that he worked on some Compton Theatre Organs?

Thats very interesting Diapason. Regret I never heard of him however.
(Also note your first post has started as two threads)

Published 1995 I think, not 1955. ISBN is 0950004987.

abebooks.com reports there is a copy available from a vendor in the UK, if you have the ?? to pay for it:

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResu...p;x=60&y=13

Dear Diapason,

I knew Wally Sargeant and worked with him when I was an apprentice voicer to John Degens at what was then Degens and Rippin.

I remember Mr Sargeant very well. He was a highly skilled organbuilder, an excellent teacher and a man of great principle. He taught me a lot and I have very fond memories of him.

I would be delighted to share my memories with you. I have 'Pipes and Actions', so if you will contact me by private email and give me your ordinary email address I can scan the page and send it to you. Perhaps we could speak sometime.

Barry Williams

My unbounded thanks to Barry Williams for his information and wonderful phone call.

My search goes on but now I have a quandary

Genes Reunited - having been given access to a website by someone with the surname of Sargeant, it indicates that Walter was married and that he died in 1951.

Everyone that has contacted me from various message boards including this forum and Yahoo UK Cinema Organs and who knew/knew of Walter (or Wally as he appears to have been known) states that he was NOT married and that they knew him into the 1960's and living in Clapham
My information was Orpington but then he could have moved.

Am I going to be VERY disappointed to find out that there were (by coincidence) TWO Walter Sargeants, both organ builders and my cousin is not the one for whom I have all this new information



I need someone to confirm his place of birth and any other family ties.

He worked for Compton Organs in the 30's. I have a friend in Birchington who knew Jean Broad who was connected with Compton. I have yet to contact friend and see if he can give me a few pointers.

Mother can confirm that only one of the two brothers - William and Walter - was married to her knowledge. Perhaps Genes Re chap has got it mixed up.

fingers crossed

d

Amazing news on the "find Walter" front

I'm dashing out now but will fill you in later.

There ARE two Walter Sargeants - both organ builders.

I'm not disappointed at all in what I have discovered.

Byeeeee..!

Hello Everyone

The ongoing search for information about my Mother's cousin Walter Sargeant who was said to have been an organ builder from the 1930's or thereabouts has reached an astonishing stage.

I had put out requests for information on various organ forums including our own ABRSM "Viva Organ". These brought in many replies from people suggesting I looked on the National Pipe Organ Register website where, there indeed, was reference to Wally Sargeant who had worked for John Compton Organ Co.

Our own forum member BARRY WILLIAMS kindly phoned me with amazing news that he KNEW Wally in the 60's and that he was a decent chap, single and living in Clapham. Others gave me similar facts.

There was the problem. A recent entry on Genes Reunited showed that a Wally/Walter (born Norwich - correct) died in 1951, leaving a wife Winifred.

Someone said "don't trust everything you see on Genes Re-U". The owner of that website is also a "Sargeant" and refused to answer any further questions.
Having found out so much about Wally from the NPOR, Elvin's Book "Pipes and Action" and from people that knew him, I was convinced that this was MY Walter/Wally and that some facts re: death dates had been incorrect. All the locations pointed to South London - Orpington where two of my late Aunts said they had visited him just after the war, Surbiton where the unresponsive Sargeant lives, and Clapham where Barry and others said he lived.

On Saturday, I decided to trace, through Genes Re-U, anything about "Winifred" and sure enough found that several ladies matching her name and date and place of birth showed up.

I sent messages to the owners of the information.
One in particular replied within the hour saying that she was the GRANDDAUGHTER of Walter and Winifred Sargeant and that her Grandfather came from Norwich and died in 1951. I messaged back quickly and asked what was his profession

She came back quickly with - ORGAN BUILDER and that he worked for Henry Willis at their Brixton Factory in South London, prior to that for Norman & Beard in Norwich
...............and that her father, Walter's son is still alive and well.

During the weekend, she and her husband have given me much other much information about family that my Mother can remember including the extraordinary street name in Norwich where my Mother's aunt - Walter's Mother lived thus confirming the genuine connection.

So.............there were TWO Walter Sargeants - both organ builders, both living in South London.
I can hardly believe that.

The name rings a bell, diapason! I think I was reading something only the other day which mentioned him. I'll dig it out, and email you.