Thomas Elliot

Thomas Elliot (c. 1759–1832) was an English organ builder who worked in London during the first half of the nineteenth century, at a time when the instrument was still made according to fairly traditional principles. His name first appears in trade records in 1791, when he was working at Wharton's Court in Holborn. By about 1794 he had established himself in Sutton Street, in the Soho district, and in 1804 he was listed at Tottenham Court.

The Tottenham Court address may have been the same premises once occupied by the builder Nutt, who died in early 1804 and was a partner of Jonathan Ohrmann, said to have continued Snetzler's business. There is also an unconfirmed tradition that Elliot and Nutt were partners; historians regard this as one reason why the firms of Elliot and Hill were credited with a common origin with Snetzler. Around 1825 Elliot took William Hill into partnership, and the firm became known as Elliot & Hill.

His instruments are representative of their time, and many chamber organs survive. He was a pioneer in the use of pedals during the 1810s, although mainly with 8-foot stops; he was among the first to build 16-foot open pipes, as at All Saints, Derby (1808). He was also one of the first English builders to use a second open diapason in the Great Organ. In other respects he was conservative: he retained the solo cornet until a late date and occasionally still built a separate case chorus organ.

Under Hill's influence, the workshop undertook more ambitious projects in the late 1820s, with large instruments at Oldham and at Christ's Hospital, London, both dating from 1830. The most ambitious project was the organ for York Minster, contracted in 1829, but Elliot died before completing it. Among his surviving works are the organs at Thornage, Scone Palace, Ashridge, Crick and Belton House.