A new organ was built in 1581--“ad usum divini servitii”--but was ruined in the great rebellion.[21] The ever-interesting Manby, however, gives another account, by which the organist, hearing some rebel discussing the demolition of the organ, and fearing that he might lose his position, dropped a stone from the loft and killed a Roundhead, an “aids-du-camp.” The organist fled and thus diverted attention from his instrument, having found a hiding place in the great bell by holding on to the clapper! This same bell the rebels stole, but their vessel was wrecked off Ramsey Sound, and the superstitious still say that the tolling of this bell presages a great storm! It is clear there was an organ in 1691, as Precentor Ellis, in his answer to Bishop Watson’s Visitation Articles, says: “I answeare that we have an Organ, but out of order, for how long I doe not remember.” Early in the eighteenth century Bernard Schmidt, the celebrated builder of that in St. Paul’s Cathedral, constructed an organ as the result of an order of the Chapter (1695), by which £10 was, for five years, to be set apart “out of the allowance to the Master of the Fabric”; and in 1698 each canon was ordered to advance £10 towards the new organ, for which the canons had expressed a great desire. A very interesting communication from Archdeacon Davies to Archdeacon Yardley, of August 3, 1740, gives further particulars: “What Particular time yᵉ new Organ was set up here, I cannot be positive, but do believe, from yᵉ accounts, it must be in the year 1704 or 1705. What Exact Su[~m] it stood yᵉ Chapter In, I cannot for certain say, but am apt to think, from Various Items in various Years picked up about it, in their Accounts it could not be less, including all Charges, than £300, whatever More; and in a very little time after it was set up, they were at a Considerable Expense in repairing it again, after it had been damaged by a Storm, which uncovered yᵉ very part of yᵉ Roof of yᵉ Church under which it lay, and exposed it to yᵉ Rain and yᵉ open Sky; and they were obliged to have an Organ Builder (down from London I think) at a great Expense to put things to rights again. “Upon looking over some loose Papers in yᵉ Chest at St. David’s, I have found these Receipts from Mr. Bernard Smith of London, Organ Builder (who made this Organ at St. David’s) for yᵉ Summe of £290 paid to Him only upon that Account. So that when yᵉ Charge of bringing it down, yᵉ Necessary workmanship here, and other articles relating to it are put together, I dare say, before it could be compleatly set up, yᵉ Expense was much nearer to £400 than £300.”[22] This organ seems to have been used till that consisting of a choir organ and swell was put up by Lincoln in 1843 (as already noted), and the old case “of Norway oak”[23] was re-used. Six of the present stops are Father Smith’s originals.[24]