Stories of Concertina HistoryProvenence

[wtargett@bigpond.net.au]

It is my thought that the histories of particular instruments, if they are known, might be gathered in a central place for others to read and be inspired by the influence that they may give to others. The following story is very complete but, sorry, there's no pix. I hope others will research their own instruments so that a large assembly of documents may be read in one central place.

 

LACHENAL ENGLISH CONCERTINA #80303

A true Family and Personal Friend

 

This 48 button Lachenal (pronounced “Lasch-en-awl”) instrument and the associated equipment was purchased sometime between 1873 and 1878, by William Grey Cuthbert (1849-1926) to take to NSW when he, at age 31, with his wife Jessie (nee Easton, 1851-1930, aged 29) and some of his family emigrated from Brownrigg, near Glasgow, Scotland, aboard the “Lizzie Iredale” to settle in Newcastle, NSW. William was a coal miner and dust irom the mines  in their new home, irritated his lungs. Then, the family moved to Annandale, NSW, and ran various corner shops. His final position was that of Caretaker of Annandale Council Chambers. He was a Master, Masonic Lodge and a good player of the flute. But the dust damage made flute playing more and more difficult, so, the concertina became more and more his instrument of choice. He is buried in Sandgate Cemetery near Newcastle. The concertina was a popular instrument back then with hundreds of thousands of them made and played worldwide. This one found its way into various community bands in Newcastle at the time and played part in the parades and [political?] depression street marches in the 1880s and 90s.

 

The instrument was passed to William’s son, John Bruce Cuthbert (1876 - 1944) some time after he went to work for the Post Master General of NSW as a telegrapher, working at different stations around the state. He used the instrument as a means of recreation. He had learned to play it as a child and his repertoire contained mostly songs from the British Isles. While stationed at Bombala, he met and married in 1904, Agnes Matilda Binstadt (1877 - 1980) from Bibbenluke, NSW. Years later, the story of their betrothal was set to verse by their third daughter, Sylvia, in her poem, “Loveletter” (see below). Agnes, of German extraction, was a piano player who worked in her father’s way-station at Bibbenluke on the Monaro Plains in the Southern Highlands. It is not known whether the young couple played music together but it is thought to be so. The concertina moved with John’s family to Arncliffe, NSW, later moving to Stanmore in inner Sydney. John was appointed post master at St Peters, NSW, and held the position until he retired at age 65. He died in 1944, aged 68, just six months after his only grandchild was born.

 

Sylvia (1913 - 2010) learned the rudiments of playing the concertina from her father at about age ten. She used the 1922 edition of the “Metzler & Co.s Tutor for the English Concertina” by R. S. Pratten, bought for 2/6d from Nicholson’s, a long-standing musical retailer in George Street, Sydney, as her guide. This book is still with the instrument. She became a more-than- excellent player with a repertoire that stretched from high classical, through British folk, to popular songs of her time. Sylvia’s sister, Jesse (1910 - 1882?), was an accomplished classical and popular pianist of high standing who was the chosen accompanist by many of the top-line entrants in the yearly City of Sydney Eisteddfod in the late 1920s and early 30s. While Jesse perfected her parts, Sylvia effortlessly played the featured melodies as a melody player for the best amateur musicians (some from radio) of their day. Both the young women were very adept sight-readers of written music.  One has just to view the two bound sheet music books, “Roylance’s Gems for English Concertina and Piano-Forte” by Haydn Millars, (bought from Howard & Co., Woollarhra, a Sydney suburb and also still with the instrument) to realise the accomplishment level and sheer talent of these two young women and the high level of music to which the concertina can reach. After Sylvia’s marriage in 1939, the concertina was still very much a part of family life. In 1942, it went with her to her new home at Kingsgrove, then an outer suburb of Sydney. In 1953, Agnes and her two eldest daughters also moved to Kingsgrove. Many were the weekend afternoons and nights of family gatherings for music until way into the 1960s. It was at these times that Sylvia’s son (author), at age six, was encouraged to learn to read music in order for him to become “useful” by turning pages on the piano’s music rack at the correct time for the players.  

 

Although he was always curious about the concertina, Sylvia did not pass on her skills to her musician son, Warren, who had different music and instruments to interest him. However, the concertina has been lovingly cared for by Warren and kept in playable condition for more than forty years. The tuning kit and tools have always remained with the instrument and maintained. The family sheet music collection passed to Warren after Jesse’s death in 1982?. The titles covered more than two hundred years of music writing. A goodly part was passed on to other musicians who expressed interest in the pieces. Warren held on to most of the songs and pieces that he remembered from his early years absorbing the music at the gatherings where music was such a large part of the family interest. Agnes played the songs of her life, playing until a few days before she passed away at 103 years. She performed songs from the 1830s (passed down from her grandparents via her parents), through to popular songs from vaudeville and dance music of the 1890s and on to those of the 1950s. Jesse had such a very wide knowledge of music from the 1700s to the 1970s. In her later years, she wrote many original works. Sylvia was a child of WW1, blessed with a beautiful singing voice and a perfect ear, who, like many people, briefly dabbled with the ukulele, so popular in the 20s. She, and her then boyfriend, fiancee and husband, Noel, were graceful ballroom dancers. All day, she would sing the songs of her time - those of the 1920s, to those of the early 60s, as well as the ones she had learned from her mother. and father. She was “music”, through and through. Always, “Lachie”, the Lachenal #80303 English Concertina, was part of it all.

 

Sadly, Sylvia ceased to play the concertina at age 67 when she lost her right arm to an aggressive melanoma. More sadly still, the instrument then fell silent. She had always drawn in charcoal and painted in oils. Sylvia turned her creativity to writing heritage poetry and to her oil painting, done left-handed, two books of which are due for publication in late 2020. Seven of her poems have been set to music by Warren and recordings will also be available. What a wonderful musical journey this instrument has led him through.

 

This history was prepared specially for the player who becomes the next owner of Lachenal #80303 so that that person may appreciate the depth and breadth of the music that has been played on it and the joy it has brought to those to whom it spoke during its 150 years. Cherish it.

 

“Lachie”, I salute you.

 

Warren Targett. 

20.08.2020

[Geoff W.]

This is a great story, but it can't end there! Are you the current owner of the instrument? Where'd it end up!?

[David Barnert]

4 hours ago, perspiration said:

This is a great story, but it can't end there! Are you the current owner of the instrument? Where'd it end up!?

 

Read it again. He is “Warren.” He’s had it for more than 40 years.

[Stephen Chambers]

8 hours ago, wtargett@bigpond.net.au said:

Always, “Lachie”, the Lachenal #80303 English Concertina, was part of it all.

 

Hi Warren,

 

This is where "a picture tells a thousand words" because there's immediately a discrepancy between your description of the instrument as an "English concertina" (which is a fingering system rather than a nationality) and a serial number that is much too high to be possible for a Lachenal "English".

 

Either the number is incorrect, or the instrument is an "Anglo concertina".

 

But, anyway, we could tell you a lot more about the instrument you have if you posted some photos of it.

[malcolm clapp]

2 hours ago, Stephen Chambers said:

Either the number is incorrect, or the instrument is an "Anglo concertina".

 

OP does say it's a 48 button, and afaik there aren't too many Lachenal 48 button anglos around, so I would suggest the first number has probably been misread, or a typo.

 

A very interesting and informative thread.

[wtargett@bigpond.net.au]

As you can tell from my post, I'm no concertina expert. I'll bow to superior knowledge. I'll get some pix of the instrument up in a few days. I'd appreciate any info as I'm going on my 70 year of recollections and family "legend" of well over 50 years that ended 20 years ago at the moment. I'll look forward to filling in some gaps. I do know that the instrument has always been in my life - almost 77 years. Thanks for your replies.

[wtargett@bigpond.net.au]

As you can tell from my post, I'm no concertina expert. I'll bow to superior knowledge. I'll get some pix of the instrument up in a few days. I'd appreciate any info as I'm going on my 70 years of recollections and family "legend" of well over 50 years that ended 20 years ago at the moment. I'll look forward to filling in some gaps. I do know that the instrument has always been in my life - almost 77 years. Thanks for your replies.

 

This week, I've been doing some real detective work based on what you've written. The first point I looked closely at was the srial number. All the years, everyone in the family had got it wrong. I looked at the numbers, the first one in particular. The typeface has balllike serifs on the letter ends and the printing was over-inked. I'll match the font in my reference books and find its name and look at a larger size to confirm my observations. After a very careful light brushing to remove dust from the fabric inside, I got my jewellers eyepiece and had a very close look. The first number is not an "8" - it's a "3".  That might just change the confusion. So, "Lqchie's" number should read as 30303. Other parts of the story are being closely looked at now. One thing is the trade plate on the other side. It reads "LACHENAL & CO. LONDON CONCERTINA MANUFACTURERS and has some scroll work in and around the letters. From what I've read, I think this plate and the correct number dates the instrument to the period when Mrs Lachanal had sold the company to the five or so workers who bought it and before they registered their company logo. Am I correct in my assumption?

 

I've got more of the story to work on yet and I'll post the pix as soon as I'm happy with the details in the images. There's a good reason.

 

My time is limited right now - I'm rebuilding a very badly damaged dreadnought guitar built in 1960. It is a hugely long and slow job. At a party in 1969, it was subject to having an inebriated man falling onto it. It suffered a total of 48 cracks to the top, sides and back of body. The only loss of wood was a section of the side, 3cm X 38cm, gone.  The owner put it in its case, on top of a wardrobe and waited for someone to come along to fix it, for 50 years - he couldn't bare to part with a birthday present from his parents. He specified minimal new wood. That meant glue into every crack and veneer diamonds plating along every bad one, regluing the kerfing on the top and bottom seams. Making the body completely airtight has been a mammoth task but It's almost complete now - 2 to 3 more weeks and it will finished just in time for his 70th birthday celebration. I'm down to final detailing, new binding and lacquer. The concertina will just have t wait its turn. I'm using the concertina story as fill-in while the guitar work is drying, etc. I've taken a few test pix but they're not very good and I'll do some more, probably on the weekend. And, I must say, I'm looking to get back into the work of it.

[Stephen Chambers]

7 hours ago, wtargett@bigpond.net.au said:

The first number is not an "8" - it's a "3".  That might just change the confusion. So, "Lqchie's" number should read as 30303.

 

That would be a plausible English concertina serial number, but # 30303 would have been made early in the 1890s, rather than having been "purchased sometime between 1873 and 1878". Could it have replaced an earlier instrument perhaps?

 

Quote

Other parts of the story are being closely looked at now. One thing is the trade plate on the other side. It reads "LACHENAL & CO. LONDON CONCERTINA MANUFACTURERS and has some scroll work in and around the letters. From what I've read, I think this plate and the correct number dates the instrument to the period when Mrs Lachanal had sold the company to the five or so workers who bought it and before they registered their company logo. Am I correct in my assumption?

 

I presume you're meaning Lachenal's Trade Mark when you say logo? But that was never used on English-system concertinas, whilst the paper label you describe continued in use until the firm closed down.

[wtargett@bigpond.net.au]

You're correct. By "logo" I mean "logotype" (abbr.) i.e., "trademark. I've been thinking about an alternative scenario as suggested, that #30303 might be a replacement instrument for one brought to Aus in 1880. That would make sense given the work an original one would have done. There might be some records of exported instruments from the factory somewhere. I'll see if I can fin an importer listed in newspaper advts somewhere - could be in Sydney or Newcastle 100 mile north. Ut would be nice to find an importer's name. It would add another chapter to the history of the company. "Music" shops sold instruments and sheet music for players back then, not recordings for listeners.

[Syncopepper]

Instrument genealogy and history can be fascinating.  I have an old tenor banjo with an interesting story.