Elizabeth Petyt

• General Notes
  • @NI845@
    Elizabeth Petyt was born at Beamsley in 1841; she was the daughter of Christopher Petyt, stonemason and his wife Elizabeth Moon.
    
    She was the sister of Joseph Petyt; Land Agent to the Duke of Devonshir
    
    Elizabeth was a talented musician and was the organist at Bolton Abbey Church for fifty years.
    
    She was a farmer in her own right at Hardy Grange, Beamsley and the 1881 Census describes her as a Professor of Music and farmer of 57 acres. One assumes from that entry that Elizabeth also taught music.
    
    Elizabeth married late in life at the age of 42; her husband was Dr. Willi am Usher of Addingham. When William died in 1911 his obituary in the Craven Herald stated 'Closely following the traditions of the older-fashioned country practitione r, he was almost daily to be seen mounted on his sturdy hack, traversing the highways and byways of Wharfedale on his mission of ministering to the sick.'
    
    Elizabeth died at Bolton Abbey in 1917 and the following obituary was printed in the Craven Herald, 26th January 1917.
    
    Bolton Abbey lost one of its most highly respected and energetic workers by the death of Mrs Usher on Wednesday, the 24th ult., at the age of 76 years. She was the widow of the late Dr Usher of Hardy Grange, Beamsley.
    Mrs Usher was the well-known lady organist of Bolton Abbey Church, and retired from that position in March 1912, through failing health. She had held the post faithfully for over half a century, and to commemorate her good work a brass tablet has been fixed to the organ front. It is worthy of note that the deceased lady, as Miss Petyt, sister of Mr Joseph Petyt of Stank House, Bolton Abbey, was, half a century ago, a noted contralto singer, and frequently figured at the famous Penny Readings in Skipton\emdash at that time a popular institution, at which many worthy Skiptonians, since passed away, gave readings from popular authors of the day.
    
    The record of the Petyt family in organ playing at the world-celebrated priory is unique. Mrs Usher belonged to the Petyt family, her father being a Petyt himself.
    One has to go back many generations to find the time when a Petyt did not preside at the organ at Bolton Abbey Church.
    Indeed Mrs Usher succeeded her sister in the position of organist over 50 years ago, and her father had been the organist longere her sister took up the work, and his father before him officiated in a similar capacity.
    None can tell when the Petyt's actually did begin the organ playing at Bolton, but it is certain that a Petyt used to preside at the organ there when the accompaniments were played on a hand-blown instrument, and it is assumed that a Petyt led the music at the Abbey service before organs came into use in England at all. No wonder that, not only Bolton folks but the Duke of Devonshire, who owns the Abbey and the estates for miles round, have been so proud of the lady organist at this charming church in the higher valley of the beautiful Wharfe.
    Her loss will, indeed, be mourned by a large circle of friends.
    
    Mrs Usher, herself, could recall being greeted by no less than four successive Dukes of Devonshire, and congratulated on her work at the organ and when the King had attended Divine Service at the Abbey during his stay at Bolton in the shooting season, he always declared how greatly he enjoyed the simple but striking service and music at their ancient and delightful sanctuary.
    In connection with the post of organist, Mrs. Usher was the choir mistress, and during her long term of office regularly attended a weekly practice, also frequently three times each week she held a singing class for the boys attending Beamsley Boyle and Petyt School, immediately after school hours.
    These classes were to train the boys to be choristers. It is interesting to note that three of the bearers at her funeral have this year completed 50 years service in the Abbey choir. Each of them started as boys under the tuition of Mrs Usher.
    The deceased lady has been more or less an invalid since her retirement, and for nearly three years had been living with her niece, Mrs Alfred Downs, The Beeches, Bolton Abbey.

Click here for details of Elizabeth's family with William Usher

¹ 1901 England Census
Sources/Citations 1861 England Census, 1871 England Census, 1891 England Census

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