The Reverend William Glaister was the curate and later vicar of the church in 1876. His sister Elizabeth Glaister was a novelist with an interest in embroidery. She created ecclesiastical embroideries for the church.[4]
The spire
In his book England's Thousand Best Churches, Simon Jenkins begins his description of St Wulfram's: "Here is the finest steeple in England",[5] and in 2020 an online contest run by poet Jay Hulme named it as the finest non-cathedral English church.[6]
The spire, at 274 feet (84 m), is the sixth highest in the country (Salisbury, Norwich and Old Coventry Cathedrals' are higher), and third highest of any parish church, after the Church of St Walburge, Preston, and St James' Church, Louth. It is the second highest of any Anglican parish church in the UK, after St James', and second highest in Lincolnshire, after St James'.[citation needed]
In 2013 an appeal was launched to save the spire.[7]
Music
A set of chimes which had been disused for years, and also some quarter jacks, were re-instated during 1877.[8] The new clock and chimes by Gillett and Bland were started on 16 February 1877.[9] On 5 November 1877 the new clock was inspected by Sir Edmund Beckett, who assessed that it was one of the best turned out by Gillett and Bland.[10]
The present organ by John Harris and John Byfield dates from 1735. It was rebuilt by George Pike England in 1809 and 1833, by Forster and Andrews between 1845 and 1868, by Norman and Beard in 1906 (producing the organ that may be heard today), by Rushworth and Dreaper in 1952, by Cousans of Lincoln in 1972, and by Phillip Wood and Sons of Huddersfield in 1993–94 when a fourth manual was added.[11] The case designed by Sir Walter Tapper RA took eight years to complete. The old organ case now encloses the choir vestry in the north west corner of the church. The specification for the organ, regarded as one of the finest in Lincolnshire, can be found at the National Pipe Organ Register.[citation needed]
Organists
Mr Sweet 1745–1755
Andrew Strother 1755–1816 (jointly with Francis Sharp 1808–1816)
Francis Sharp 1808–1832 (jointly with Andrew Strother 1808–1816)
