The Instrument
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Buttforde owns an old romanic church with origin in the 1st half of the 13th centuty, built with worked granite blocks. The characteristic element in the richly decorated interior is a three piling jube dating from the same time.
On this jube the organ was placed. It was built in 1681 by Joachim Richborn. To get enough height for the instrument, the flat beam ceiling was increased partially. The original wing doors were substituted by embellishments in 1803. The pipes of the trumpet rank were displaced within during a repair by Alfred Führer in 1949. All other ranks are preserved in original state. The wooden parts of the organ, especcially the case are in a bad shape and have to be restaurated urgently.Joachim Richborn (died 1684), derived from Hamburg and possibly was an apprentice of Friedrich Stellwagen. 1676 he was involved in the repairing of the organ in the St. Maria Magdalena church in Hamburg. Also he delivered work in Moegeltondern (Danmark). Beside the organ in Buttforde the organs in Berdum (1677) and Tönning (1681/1682) are known as his work. In 1684 he started the building of the organ in the St.Nikolai church in Elmshorn but died during the work. Also that organ probalbly was finished by Arp Schnitger. After the death of Richborn in 1684 the short but very successful era of Arp Schnitger startet in East Friesland.
Additional informationen about the church: Congregation St. Marien Buttforde
