In May 1903 A.Y. Nutt, Chapter Surveyor at St George’s Chapel, recorded a payment of 3s 6d to the carpenter, Mr Bond, for ‘arranging seats & placing 2 dozen extra chairs in Choir for Mr Dyson’s Funeral Service & replacing [them]’ in his account book [SGC XIII.B.27*]. But who was this Mr Dyson and why did his funeral service take place in St George’s Chapel?

In the absence of a contemporary service register, order of service sheet or other specific  references to the funeral in the St George’s Chapel Archives, a wider search was needed to discover whether ‘Mr Dyson’ had any formal connection with the College of St George. A list of Lay Clerks (Choirmen), compiled by Archives staff suggested a possible candidate – a Lay Clerk names Thomas Dyson, who had lived in Horseshoe Cloister and served in the Chapel Choir for almost thirty years, from 1855 to 1884. Further research revealed his dates of birth (14 December 1825) and death (1 May 1903), making it almost certain that he was the Mr Dyson whose funeral had been held in May 1903. This has subsequently been confirmed by an obituary in The Windsor and Eton Express for 1903. But why had he left the Chapel in 1884 and what had he been doing in his retirement?

Sadly it seems that his eighteen months at St George’s were clouded by illness.  On 15 February 1883, Chapter granted Thomas Dyson three months’ leave of absence, agreeing that if he remained unable to perform his duties after that time, his case was to be reconsidered as regards to his pension. On 7 June 1883 further discussions took place about his sick pay, he being unable to resume his duties, and the following year, on 24 June 1884, he was requested to leave the Chapel choir and quit his house [SGC VI.B.11, 138, 141,155-6]. It must have been a wrench for him and his family to leave the Castle.  However, whatever the nature of the illness which barred him from singing, it did not prevent him from an extremely active retirement.  The founder and proprietor of a successful pianoforte business in the town, Dyson and Sons of Windsor, he also devoted much of his energies to local politics and town improvements. Having sought election to Windsor Town Council in 1873, whilst still a Lay Clerk [SGC XVII.43.6], he became an Alderman and served as Mayor of Windsor in 1890. His time as Mayor is commemorated in a memorial stained glass window in the parish church of St John the Baptist, Windsor, and his tireless efforts to improve the waterside, including the construction of the present promenade, are celebrated in a water fountain erected in his name in 1908. Originally constructed on the banks of the riverside walk, the Dyson memorial was subsequently relocated to the junction of Goswell Road and Barry Avenue and, in May 2009, was moved to its current location in Alexandra Gardens by the Goswell Road entrance to the park.

Clare Rider, Archivist and Chapter Librarian

I would like to thank Caroline McCutcheon, Chris Atkins and the staff of Windsor Library for their assistance in researching this blog.

“We promise that there shall be no damage to
            the Turf or undue noise.”
Surely the daughters of our Windsor Choir
Must to angelic perfectness aspire,
What mortal e’er played croquet without tattle
Without – of tongues and balls th’united rattle?
            Who do not stamp upon the Turf and knock it
            Indignant, when they’re made a miss at Croquet
            Still to your suit the indulgent Chapter give
            Condition’d and revocable leave,
First to the Horse Shoe’s inmates we confine,
Those who in this exciting game may join,
None but the children of St. George’s troop,
Shall wield the mallet there, or fix the hoop.
            The Cloister is the pledge of care and quiet,
            The Town would bring in trespassing and riot,
            Next Croquet only we allow, not Cricket,
            The single peg and not the double wicket.
By balls that into areas descend
The windows broken he that owns must mend,
No dogs must henceforth on the lawn be seen,
No refuse vile disgrace the well-kept green.
            Lastly, our leave will on experience cease,
            If spoiled our grass become, or spoil’d our Peace,
            To your own promise be yourselves but true
            “No damage to the Turf or noise undue”

The letter entitled ‘The Dean’s answer to the Daughters of the Choir’ is a lyrical response to the daughters of the lay clerks by Dean G. Wellesley on May 8 1874 [SGC ACC/2006/044]. Previously in the possession of Rosemary Marciniak, the letter was written during the period her great grandfather Thomas Hunt was a lay clerk (1865-1908). One of Thomas Hunt’s daughters wrote the initial letter to Dean Wellesley, asking whether she and others (daughters of other lay clerks) could play on the lawns.  Lay clerks (choirmen) had been living in the Horseshoe Cloister since the 15th century, when the present houses were constructed to the west of St George’s Chapel.

In this humorous rhyme, Dean Wellesley lays out specific rules on who plays what and when on the green turf, and also states that ‘no undue noise’ should be heard in the Cloister. Croquet is to be played not cricket, and dogs are forbidden on the ‘well-kept green’. The fact that Dean Wellesley has outlined his responses in a witty and courteous poem shows that he is astute and, whilst cheery, blunt and to the point.

Stefanos Koutroumanidis (Archives volunteer)

James Salmon was appointed a probationer lay clerk on 18 May 1780 [SGC VI.B.8]. He and his wife Sarah had four children who were baptised in the Chapel; William on 18 March 1787; Elizabeth-Mary on 27 January 1789; Ann on 12 September 1790; and Mary on 21 July 1795 [SGC R.1]. In 1799, they lived at No. 19 Horseshoe Cloister.

Given 10 guineas on account of his circumstances in 1785 [SGC VI.B.8], he was fined 1s for non-attendance in Chapel on 14 December 1795 [SGC VI.B.8]. In January 1819, he was suspended from duty until his daughters be removed from his house, “in consequence of their general bad character” [SGC VI.B.9]. He was suspended again in December 1820 as his daughter Mary had given birth to an illegitimate child in his house [SGC VI.B.9]. He was admonished and one month’s pay withheld from him. In February 1824, he was again suspended due to his “unbecoming behaviour” and numerous complaints against his daughters [SGC VI.B.9]. They were given 2 days to leave. By April 1824, they had still not left, with James stating that he had tried and failed to find accommodation in the town. On account of his age and infirmity, he was permitted to remain in the Cloisters until Midsummer [SGC VI.B.9]. In June, this suspension was repealed on account of his condition and the fact that his daughters had now moved out [SGC VI.B.9]. He died 3 years later on 27 March 1827 [SGC V.B.7] and was buried in the Chapel 4 April 1827 at the age of 86 [SGC R.1]. The cost of his burial was 18s 4d and he was buried in the grass plot on the south side of the Chapel [SGC XIII.A.5]

His son William, however, was appointed probationer lay clerk on 14 April 1806, swore oath and made his declaration a year later [SGC VI.B.8]. He and his wife Nancey Paris lived at 24 Horseshoe Cloister [now part of No. 16] and had a daughter, Charlotte, who was baptised in the Chapel on 3 November 1812 [SGC R.1]. He continued as lay clerk for 52 years, and was buried in the same area as his father on 1st February 1858 [SGC R.1]. In contrast, his burial cost £1 14s 4d [SGC XIII.A.5]

Eleanor (Assistant Archivist)