GREAT: 61 notes
Open Diapason 8' 61 open metal
Melodia 8' 61 open wood
Dulciana 8' 61 open metal
Octave 4' 61 open metal
Blowers Signal

SWELL: 61 notes, enclosed
Open Diapason 8' 61 open metal
Stopped Diapason 8' 61 stopped wood
Salicional 8' 61 open metal
Aeoline 8' 61 open metal
Vox Celestes 8' 49 open metal
Flute 4' 61 open metal, harmonic
Oboe 8' 61 metal, reed
Tremolo

PEDAL: 30 notes
Pedal Bourdon 16' 30 stopped wood

COUPLERS:
GREAT to PEDAL      SWELL to GREAT
SWELL to PEDAL

Thomas W. Whalley (2 February 1856 - 1931) was born in San Francisco; he intended at one time to be an organist, but lost two fingers in a lumber mill, which put an end to his plans. He settled instead on a career as an organ-builder; just where he learned the trade and when he started in business (in Oakland, California) is not known. In 1888 he built one organ in partnership with George N. Andrews, recently arrived from Utica, New York; the association did not last. Neither did the next partnership, with a Mr. Genung; Whalley & Genung built two or three instruments in the Oakland shop around 1889 before going their separate ways. From 1892 to 1905, Thomas Whalley built organs in Berkeley, CA under his own name; in 1905 and 1906 he was once again in a short-lived partnership, with E.A. Spencer. After 1906, he carried on again under his own name; eventually he was joined by his son Ralph, who continued the business after Thomas's death.

- Notes by Alan Laufman

 

Thomas W. Whalley was born in San Francisco, California, February 2, 1856, on Stockton near Clay Street; one of six children to Christopher and Emily Whalley. His father came to California from around the Horn from Boston in 1849, bringing with him a supply of crockery and chinaware to open a store in Sacramento. He later moved to San Francisco and operated a store on Montgomery Street near Bush. Thomas W. Whalley had a keen ear for music, and during his early life worked various jobs to earn money to study music, so that he might satisfy a desire to play the pipe organ. While an apprentice in a lumber mill, an accident resulting in the loss of two fingers, ended that phase of his intention to become a musician. But, not to be deprived of his chosen musical instrument, he turned from one form of musical expression to another, that of making pipe organs.

No record is available of his early apprenticeship to the organ-building trade, but prior to 1890 he entered into a partnership with someone named Genung, starting business in what is now downtown Oakland. This partnership operating under the name of Whalley & Genung, did not last too long. At least two two-manual tracker action organs were built; one was sold to St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Oakland.

In 1890 he married Eliza Bousefield, an English-born woman who had immigrated from England, via Canada, with her parents. During the next eight years three children were born, two sons and a daughter; Christopher (the oldest), Ralph and Mary.

In 1892 after the partnership had been dissolved, the shop moved to Berkeley, at that time a wide expanse of hay fields and vegetable gardens. From 1892 to 1905, Mr. Whalley operated a business of building, tuning and repairing pipe organs under his own name. Quite a few were sold; one in the state of Washington, and one in Nevada, as well as several around the San Francisco Bay area. All were of the conventional mechanical tracker-action, two manuals and a pedal organ. Outside of the ivory keys and metal pipes, all parts of the organ were made in Berkeley. Mr. Whalley was very keen on the tonal quality of his instruments, doing a great deal of the voicing himself.

By 1905 business had grown and expanded and, in order to take care of increased work, a partnership was formed with Mr. E.A. Spencer, who came from Southern California. The firm of Whalley & Spencer built four organs, with several more on order when the earthquake and fire of 1906 disrupted business to such an extent that the partnership was dissolved. During this period, the tracker-action type of organ was given up, and the tubular-pneumatic action was manufactured. Pipe organs were installed in San Francisco, San Rafael, Oakland, and Alameda.

From 1906 until 1931, when death came, Mr. Whalley continued to build pipe organs, changing from the pneumatic type to the electro-pneumatic type, developing the universal air chest and other improvements. Most of the mechanical developments during this period were worked out by his foreman, Mr. C.A. Anderson, Mr. Whalley devoting his time to the tonal part of the work. During one period of this era, trouble was experienced in getting an adequate supply of metal pipes from eastern supply houses. To alleviate the condition, a metal pipe shop was installed, so that both quality and quantity could be controlled. Mr. James Bolton operated the pipe shop, turning out pipes for the trade, as well as those for Mr. Whalley. Some exceptionally fine sets of Open Diapasons were produced by Mr. Bolton, Mr. Whalley being a firm believer in the theory that there was no substitute for these pipes to secure real church organ music. Once having secured the necessary pipes, he felt it was safe to augment them with mechanical aides in the form of couplers, unification of key stops, and the use of separate expression chambers. Refinements were incorporated in some later organs, such as duplex chests, console-adjustable combinations, and pneumatic swell shutters.

During his life he enjoyed music and had many friends in musical circles, chief among them was one of San Francisco's greatest organists and teachers of organ playing, the late Mr. Wallace A. Sabin, whose advice and criticism Mr. Whalley valued highly. Since his death in 1931, the business has been carried on by his widow, who died in 1941, and by his son Ralph up to the present day. Mr. Whalley was a member of the Masonic Order and the Knights of Pythias.

- Notes by Thomas Whalley's son, Ralph Whalley.