The following is Dixon's article 'The Organ in St. James's, West Hartlepool' in 'The Organ' quarterly, April 1947. Italicised comments are my own.

This parish, situated in a coal-mining area, could not by any stretch of the imagination be described as wealthy. Thanks, however, to the energy of its vicar, the Rev. J.T. Hughes, M.A., and his willing helpers, the much-needed restoration of the organ has been well and soundly carried out, even in these most difficult times. As an example of what can be economically and efficiently accomplished by careful planning, it is well worthy of attention. The instrument was originally built by Bryceson in the early 'eighties as a two-manual. The choir organ was added later by Richard Heslop. The specification was as follows:-

GREAT
     8       Open Diapason
     8       Rohr Flöte
     8       Dulciana
     4       Principal
     4       Viola
     4       Harmonic Flute
     2       Fifteenth
     8       Clarinet  tc
 
SWELL
    16       Bourdon
     8       Open Diapason
     8       Lieblich Gedeckt
     8       Viole d'Amour
     8       Voix Célestes  tc
     4       Principal
     8       Trumpet
     8       Oboe
 
CHOIR (enclosed)
     8       Spitz Flöte
     8       Stopped Diapason
     8       Viole d'Orchestre
     4       Flute
     2       Piccolo
     8       Vox Humana
             Tremulant
 
PEDAL  
    16       Open Diapason    
    16       Subbass
     8       Violoncello  
 
Couplers: 5 unison (no Choir to Great).
 
3 combination pedals to Great, 2 to Swell.
Lever swell pedal acting on both Swell and Choir boxes.
Compass: 56/30 (flat).
Tracker action.
Wind pressure about 3 1/4in.; hand blown.

As time went on the instrument suffered considerably, especially through dampness and corrosion, owing to the gas radiators which were at one time installed in the church. It had also become very dirty. Fortunately, the pipe work and soundboards were of good quality, though the voicing, especially of the reeds, was not all that could be desired. A scheme for reconstruction, with slight enlargement and considerable rearrangement, was worked out early in 1939, but the war prevented anything being done beyond the installation of electric blowing. West Hartlepool had its share of the blitz. Though the church escaped serious damage, more dirt got into the organ, and still further deterioration ensued. However, in 1946 the much-needed reconstruction was taken in hand, according to the scheme prepared in 1939. The old tracker action for the manuals had to be retained owing to the prohibitive cost of alteration to modern mechanism, but it was carefully renovated and the touch of uncoupled manuals is now quite light and agreeable. As funds were strictly limited, nothing more was done to the mechanism than was absolutely necessary, but attention was concentrated on improving the tonal structure and the general tone as far as possible. The present cost of substituting first-class tubular or electric action for tracker on the manuals in a small instrument is out of all proportion to the advantages gained. To do this in preference to effecting much-needed tonal improvements is like putting the cart before the horse. The provision of electric action per se will not make the organ sound appreciably different to the people in the pew, and it is usually they who have to provide the funds for the reconstruction. If, however, money is devoted primarily to revoicing and supplying pipework to make the tonal structure more complete, the improvement in the general effect will be quite evident, even to the ordinary musical listener. So far as the player is concerned good tracker mechanism in a small organ can be made as agreeable as electric action (sometimes more so), unless the player is a slave to his "swell to great" coupler. When the tonal structure of the great is self-sufficient, there is no need for its constant use. The height of absurdity is reached when an organist insists on having electric action for a small instrument in preference to much-needed tonal improvements, and then asks for a "tracker touch" in his electric console!

This is a swipe at the 'tracker-touch' in Willis III instruments; his small 'model' organs did indeed contain electric action, with a multiplicity of couplers and pistons, for just a few ranks of pipework.

In reconstructing this organ, however, the pedal and manual compass and accessories remained as before, but a new concave and radiating pedal board was provided and tubular action applied to that department. The revised tonal scheme is as follows:-

GREAT
    16       Bourdon
     8       Large Open Diapason
     8       Small Open Diapason
     8       Rohr Flöte
     8       Spitz Flöte    
     4       Octave
     4       Geigen Principal
    2 2/3    Octave Quint
     2       Superoctave
 
SWELL   
     8       Open Diapason
     8       Lieblich Gedeckt
     8       Salicional    
     4       Principal
     2       Fifteenth
    III      Mixture  17.19.22
    16       Contra Oboe  tc
     8       Trumpet    
 
CHOIR (enclosed)
    16       Contra Dulciana  tc
     8       Viole d'Orchestre
     8       Voix Célestes  tc
     8       Harmonic Flute    
     4       Flute     
     8       Vox Humana
             Tremulant
 
PEDAL  
    16       Bourdon  (Great)   
    16       Subbass
    16       Geigen
     8       Geigen  (unit)
     4       Geigen  (unit)
 
Couplers and accesories as before.

Pedal.
By borrowing the great double and the addition of only twenty-four small pipes, the resources of this department have been considerably augmented. The important 4ft. stop renders it almost independent of the great-to-pedal coupler. The open diapason was somewhat small in scale and slightly stringy in tone; hence the change of name to geigen. Unfortunately, lack of funds quite precluded the addition of a pedal reed.

Choir.
The tenor C double is the old great dulciana transposed up (sic) an octave, and inserted on the spitz flöte slide. Now it not only makes an important addition to the ensemble, but also renders possible a number of charming combinations. In its former position and pitch it was useless in combination, and added nothing to the general effect. The 8ft. flute, from middle C up, is the old great harmonic flute, 4ft., transposed, the lowest two octaves being the stopped diapason. The 4ft. flute is the old piccolo, similarly transposed. The tenor C voix eélestes is now on the old piccolo slide. The vox humana, being a complete stop, was retained; the old tenor C clarinet was an indifferent register and had no bass.

Great.
The double is the old swell bourdon. The choir spitz flöte was placed on the old dulciana slide. The large open diapason is the old pedal 'cello, which was of diapason scale and tone. The geigen principal 4ft. is the viola renamed. The octave quint which stands on the former harmonic flute slide is the old fifteenth, with five extra pipes at the bottom. The superoctave is an addition.

Swell.
The salicional is the old viole d'amour renamed. The fifteenth and mixture have been added. The former is inserted on the voix célestes slide, and the latter on the slide formerly occupied by the oboe. The tenor C double reed is the old oboe transposed up (sic) an octave. It has been placed in the space formerly taken by the bourdon now on the great. The trumpet has been revoiced with new harmonic pipes from treble C up.

The organ still stands in the north transept with the pipes of the large open diapason (formerly the pedal violoncello) in front of the western arch. It is not only an important addition to the great organ, but its prominent position renders it useful for supporting congregational singing.

It is interesting to compare the new scheme with the old one. The latter was typical of its period, - quite unenterprising, with neither double nor chorus on the great except a feeble fifteenth. The swell comprised the usual flue double, but was entirely devoid of chorus. There was neither mutation nor compound stop in the organ. In the new scheme the resources of the pedal have been materially increased, and the foundation of the choir improved by the addition of a small 16ft. stop. The bourdon, now on the great, together with the octave quint and bright superoctave, impart an element of dignity and a modicum of brilliance which was formerly entirely lacking. The improved tonal structure of the swell by the provision of a double reed, fifteenth and mixture is obvious.

Taken as a whole, the instrument now not only provides an effective accompaniment to the choir, but also affords ample support for congregational singing. Moreover, it will give a satisfactory rendering of the less elaborate and more dignified organ voluntaries. Unfortunately, the unavoidable omission of the pedal reed somewhat limits the instrument in the adequate performance of Bach's greater organ works. Nevertheless, in the hands of a player who was ingenious and exercised due discretion in choosing his programme, this organ would give quite a good account of itself in a recital.

In conclusion, it should be recorded that the reconstruction, which has called for so much skill and resourcefulness, has been most ably carried out by Messrs. Kingsgate, Davidson & Co., of London. There is not a single new pipe in the instrument. All the additional pipes inserted originally belonged to other organs. So skilfully have they been fitted into the tonal structure that it is impossible to distinguish between them and those already there. Much revoicing has had to be done throughout the organ, but in this and other matters, Mr. R.W. Davidson, the head of the firm, has spared neither time nor trouble, and has made this instrument, in spite of severe limitations, an outstanding success.