38B. Wheatstone Anglo. At Auction 20Th Sept, Heaton Mersey. Uk.

[Stephen Chambers]

Well done Stephen. ' Linota Cannabina ( the common linnet ) . A plain, but melodious member of the Finch family '. An excellent suggestion. Go to the top of the class !

 

I was doubting the connection I'd myself made earlier, but whilst working on a concertina just now I was interrupted by the sudden thought that Wheatstone's went on to make (then much-needed) mouth organs/harmonicas in the latter stages of WW2, and named them Wren. The earliest example that I have even has a Wren bird stamped on the coverplate - so there's absolutely no ambiguity about what is meant by the name!

 

So now I'm left wondering if Kenneth Vernon Chidley (1892-1964) might have had an interest in small songbirds, and have named them both? (He entered the family business in 1906, managed production from 1924, and was a director of C. Wheatstone & Co. in the mid twentieth century.)

[Geoffrey Crabb]

Another suggestion??

 

Allegedly, Edward Chidley (Senior) had an absolute aversion to the German concertina and it's 'Anglofied' derivatives, considering them to be of no musical merit. This may be why none seem to appear in the available production records during his 1866-1899 stewardship of Wheatstone's.

 

Upon the death of his father in 1899 and with a view to expanding into the Anglo market, a more enlightened Edward (Junior) embarked on the production of Anglo’s with the aim that by applying the best Wheatstone ‘English’ construction methods, they would equal, if not surpass what was available of other makers.

 

Now to the name 'Linota'. As various resources describe Linota as being used as a female first name, a check of the Chidley family tree for evidence of the name (relative, child etc.), that may have been chosen for use by Edward (Junior), drew a blank.

 

However, looking at the 1910 price list cited by Stephen, 'Fine tone, power and durability' are stated as being attributes of Linota models and with this in mind, a further web search produced the following historical alternative:

‘Linota has the potential to attain power and authority in their life. Linota are skilled and efficient who enjoys rivalries and Linota does not back away from working hard to achieve what they have resolved in their mind’.

 

Considering the highlighted content, could it be that Edward (Junior) was also aware of this description and this influenced him to use +LINOTA+ as the trade mark for the 'Wheatstone'

Anglo ?.

 

Just a few of my own thoughts.

 

Geoffrey

 

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[Patrick McMahon]

Well done Stephen. ' Linota Cannabina ( the common linnet ) . A plain, but melodious member of the Finch family '. An excellent suggestion. Go to the top of the class !

I don't think it's as clear cut as that.

The Linnet is Linaria Cannabina, not Linota. But I'd still favour the connection with the bird, as the Linnet was an extremely popular pet songbird in England back in those days, so a reference to the Linnet in the name would have been relevant to most people.

Maybe it's combining the idea of a beautiful bird song with musical notes.

[Stephen Chambers]

The Linnet is Linaria Cannabina, not Linota.

 

It's both, or either, Patrick.

 

The Linnet is Linaria Cannabina, and/or Linota Cannabina...

[adrian brown]

I'd still favour the connection with the bird, as the Linnet was an extremely popular pet songbird in England back in those days, so a reference to the Linnet in the name would have been relevant to most people.

Maybe it's combining the idea of a beautiful bird song with musical notes.

 

 

As in My Old Man (1919), a music hall number made popular by Marie Lloyd:

 

Off went the van wiv me 'ome packed in it,

I followed on wiv me old cock linnet.

 

Adrian

[Patrick McMahon]

 

The Linnet is Linaria Cannabina, not Linota.

 

It's both, or either, Patrick.

 

The Linnet is Linaria Cannabina, and/or Linota Cannabina...

 

Oh, right. It's surely named after the bird then. Wikipedia only has Linaria. It's interesting that Linaria was what the Romans called the women who weave flax. So woven flax became linen.. And the Linnet has a love of Flax seeds, so it got it's name from being known as the linen bird.

And linen is used to bind the bellows of the Linota. So it's all connected to linen.