My 46 key Maccan, lachenal badged and no 1751 (about 1900), has a celluloid button inset in the wood telling me it's from Rushworth, 13 islington, Liverpool. So they were the supplier of a lach' 'box. Big deal.
But it is actually quite a nice 'box for what it is. It only has brass reeds, but they seem to me to be nicely responsive, and it has rosewood veneer on the ends. Other than being pleased with my lucky purchase, as I see it, I didn't think about it too hard, until the other day when I got around to looking up Rushworths on the internet.
They turn out to be a huge music store, still going, dating back to Victorian times. I found an advert in a late 19c newspaper and it struck me that they offered 39 and 46 key Maccans (the smallest usual sizes) with either brass or steel reeds, but always with rosewood ends.
I remember discussions about Boyd concertinas and how they are nice instruments because of the spec that Boyd ordered and wondered if perhaps Rushworths also insisted on a slightly better than standard product to sell. I bet the celluloid name plate was fitted at the Lachenal works too.
So, does anyone else have a Rushworth concertina and if so, what do you think of it?
I also learnt that the Beatles bought their guitars at the same shop my concertina came from. I'd better look at those funny chords in 'Michelle' again, in honour of that.