Rock Chidley Baritone

[SteveS]

Here are some pictures of the Rock Chidley single action baritone (s/n 1552) I recently acquired.

 

43 buttons.

 

The reeds appear to be made of nickel silver.

 

One reed on the right hand side appears out of place - it looks like it has been professionally moved - but it's a high pitched reed stuck in amongst the baritone reeds. I need to work out the key layout for this instrument to see what's going on here.

 

The hand writing appears to indicate dates of 1850 (or 1860) and 1869 - along with an address - 37 Praed Street, Paddington (is this Jeffries' address?).

 

The bellows are split and will need to be repaired.

 

Ends rosewood. The woodwork is in reasonable condition - the fretwork is broken in places.

 

Given its age, it's reasonably clean inside.

 

There is no maker's mark - but the fretwork and action indicate that it's most likely by Rock Chidley.

Edited April 27, 2014 by SteveS

[Stephen Chambers]

... 37 Praed Street, Paddington (is this Jeffries' address?)

 

No, that was 23, Praed Street, and 30 years later, but the uncommon name Rutterford may be significant.

 

There was a Charles Rutterford who played in Richard Blagrove's quartet and went on to be Harry Minting's concertina teacher. He was also the father of Ernest Rutterford, Harry's friend and dance-band leader, the author of Wheatstone’s Instructions for the Duet Concertina (London: Wheatstone & Co., 1914), who made a number of early recordings on the Maccann duet as well as recording Blagrove's encore piece Recollections of Scotland on the English.

[SteveS]

Thanks Stephen, for your fascinating reply.

[Stephen Chambers]

There's more work to do on this, but the address appears to tally - Charles Rutterford (58) and his son, Charles E. Rutterford (19), both working as blind makers, were living at 37, Praed Street at the time of the 1871 Census.

[SteveS]

Thanks Stephen, wonderful.

 

Is anything known about their business interests.

 

I've asked around for help in deciphering the handwriting.

[Stephen Chambers]

Steve, though I tried to research the family years ago, they proved impossible to trace at the time and the distinctive name Rutterford seemingly didn't exist in the Census indexes (probably confused with "Rutherford"). However, there are a lot more resources available now, and some indexing errors have been corrected, so last night I got a very positive "hit" in the 1911 Census (which was not available last time I looked for them), where Edward Charles Rutterford (60) is listed as a Teacher of Music, English Concertina, and Ernest Charles Rutterford (18) as Apprentice, English Concertina, at 40, Chippenham Road, Marylebone.

 

Edward Charles Rutterford was baptised on 25th May 1851 at St. Marylebone, father Charles Rutterford, Carpenter, mother Eliza Mary Rutterford, at which time they were living at 42, East Street.

 

In 1861 the family was at 36, Norland Road, Hammersmith, where Charles (45) was working as a Carver & Gilder.

 

Eliza Mary Rutterford died in the second quarter of 1867 and Charles (senior) is listed as a widower in 1871, whilst the presence of their daughter, Emma, confirms that it is the same family.

 

On 1st January 1872 Edward Charles Rutterford (20), Carpenter, 38, Moscow Road, married Mary Drusilla Duke (21), 3, Portobello Mews (her father was a Coachman, naturally!), Notting Hill, at St. Mathew's, Bayswater.

 

Charles Rutterford (60) died in the first quarter of 1872 in Kensington.

 

In 1881 Edward C. Rutterford (29), Journeyman Carpenter, is at 4, Ladbroke Grove Rd., Kensington, though his wife, Mary, appears to have been a patient in St Mary's Hospital, Cambridge Place at the time.

 

Mary Drusilla Rutterford died in the third quarter of 1882, in Chelsea.

 

On 26th June 1884 Edward Charles Rutterford (33), Carpenter, Widower, married Ada Turner (27), Widow, at St. Marylebone, at which time they were living at 62, Richmond Street.

 

In 1901 Edward Rutterford (49), Carpenter, is already at 40, Chippenham Road, Marylebone, where he is enumerated as "Teacher of Music, English Concertina" in 1911.

 

Edward C Rutterford (80) died in the fourth quarter of 1931, in Paddington.

 

Ernest Charles Rutterford was born in Paddington, on 22nd January 1894, and died in the second quarter of 1979 at Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.

Edited April 29, 2014 by Stephen Chambers

[Stephen Chambers]

I've asked around for help in deciphering the handwriting.

 

The writing seems to be in connection with repairs (which was, and still is, a common practice) and I believe the word after Rutterford is "Tuner".

[SteveS]

Stephen

 

Many thanks for your massive contribution re. the Rutterford family - very interesting indeed.

 

I thought that the writing related to repairs too. I too thought it said "Rutterford Tuner June 1869" - looks like Rutterford tuned his own instrument - was he was working for one of the makers at that time I wonder. There appears to have been another repair dated Sept 13, 1860(?) - the initials HBD(?) appear both on the bellows cards and on the right hand reed pan.

[Stephen Chambers]

Many thanks for your massive contribution re. the Rutterford family - very interesting indeed.

 

It's the "bare bones" of their family history anyway, the raw material from which to build their story.

 

I've been wanting to find out more about Charles and Ernest Rutterford for a long time anyway, but it needed that 1911 Census return to tie down exactly who they were - after that it was relatively "plain sailing" compared with some that I've worked on.

 

Prior to this I only had what Harry Minting told me and this cutting from "The Hippodrome" for July 1905 (which was in Harry's scrapbook).

 

I thought that the writing related to repairs too. I too thought it said "Rutterford Tuner June 1869" - looks like Rutterford tuned his own instrument - was he was working for one of the makers at that time I wonder.

 

There's nothing at the moment to say that he worked in the concertina trade, though I haven't found his 1891 Census return yet...

Edited April 29, 2014 by Stephen Chambers

[Stephen Chambers]

I thought that the writing related to repairs too. I too thought it said "Rutterford Tuner June 1869" - looks like Rutterford tuned his own instrument - was he was working for one of the makers at that time I wonder.

 

There's nothing at the moment to say that he worked in the concertina trade, though I haven't found his 1891 Census return yet...

 

But I have now (through using a different website) and he is listed as a Carpenter again, and already living at 40, Chippenham Road.

[wes williams]

Post Office Directories don't throw up any more on the Rutterfords, but 402 Oxford Street is listed in the 1869 PO Street Dir as John Tritschler & Co; clock makers which I'm sure will ring a few bells with Stephen (hint if not: Kleyser & Tritschler, 1846 German Tutor by Carlo Minasi [A50 in Merris])

Edited April 29, 2014 by wes williams

[Stephen Chambers]

... Tritschler & Co; clock makers which I'm sure will ring a few bells with Stephen

 

But don't Black Forest clocks more usually go cuck-oo?

[SteveS]

Cnet member Rikki, brought to my attention that this could be a bass.

I have compared the C reed against a reed in a Wheaststone bass from the same era - they sound a very similar pitch.

It does then look as though this concertina is indeed a bass.

[Bassconcertina.net]

On 4/25/2016 at 5:14 AM, SteveS said:

Cnet member Rikki, brought to my attention that this could be a bass.

I have compared the C reed against a reed in a Wheaststone bass from the same era - they sound a very similar pitch.

It does then look as though this concertina is indeed a bass.

 what is the lowest note. Thanks!

Edited September 23, 2021 by Bassconcertina.net

[SteveS]

19 hours ago, Bassconcertina.net said:

 what is the lowest note. Thanks!

From memory, I believe the lowest note was C, making it a C bass.

I no longer have the instrument.

[Bassconcertina.net]

.

Edited December 6, 2021 by Bassconcertina.net

[alex_holden]

11 hours ago, Bassconcertina.net said:

Come on! Id literally take any bass concertina on the face of the planet at this point. but nobody wants to sell.

 

You're replying to a seven year old topic and Steve never said the instrument was for sale.

[SteveS]

14 hours ago, Bassconcertina.net said:

Come on! Id literally take any bass concertina on the face of the planet at this point. but nobody wants to sell.

I parted with the instrument about 5-6 years or so ago.  I wish I had another available.