Lucky B*gger

[Simon Rosser]

Congrats on a wonderful site! First Time post for me this, though I've been playing Concertinas for over thirty years.

 

I'm lucky enough to possess two C.Jeffries anglos - both of which have been expertly serviced quite recently by Mike Acott of Ipswich, thanks Mike. I had previously owned an ebonised 30 key Wheatstone Bb-F during the early seventies which was a sweet box for singing to and it may be heard on " By chance it was" by Pickled Dill - of which I was one half!

 

I used to play at a Liberal Club in Walthamstow for many years and was accosted one night by a regular who claimed to know an old boy who had a similar instrument. Long story shorter, the regulars eventually turned up with said old boy, one Charlie Streamer by name, who brought with him a very delapidated but not completely unplayable Jeffries 46 Key in G-D. Even with the ragged bellows and the leaking reed box it was exciting enough for me!

 

Charlie was obviously pleased to hear it played as he was a duet player and, " couldn't get on with it". I asked him how he came to own it and he told me that his father had worked for Charles Jeffries and had made the box himself. It bears the C. Jeffries Maker stamp on one end and is engraved on the other with the name S.Croggon. Charlie told me that Mr Croggon (Sam, he thought) was a small time Music Hall performer and he didn't turn up to pay for the box he'd commissioned. Charlie's Dad apparently bought it for a set of small deductions from his pay.

 

It was his practice on a Friday and Saturday night to drink with a company of friends at a pub some miles from their own village. Charlie told me that his Dad played them all the way to the pub and back but never got the instrument out in the pub itself. Apparently, playing would interfere too much with his drinking and conversation!

 

He asked me what I thought it was worth and I said " too much for me" but about £4-500 even in it's current condition was what he ought to look for (remember this was in the early 70's). I told him he should try to make sure the instrument went to someone who not only could but would play it.

 

" Don't you want it then?" he said, " You obviously love it." Of course I did but I simply couldn't afford it. " Give us a bottle of scotch for it, " he said " I just want it to be played."

 

I was then dancing with Albion Morris and John Watcham, whom I still regard with awe as a player, advised me to take it to Neville Crabbe for repair, adding as an afterthought "I'd have a seven-fold bellows if I were you." I've blessed him many times for that advice - it doesn't adversely affect playing for the Morris, and allows a far greater flexibility when accompanying song.

 

Neville did the same job on the Bb-F 39 key which I came to a few years later. This had been part of a house clearance undertaken by the father of a friend of mine who was an Antiques dealer. Ken came to me for advice on how much the instrument would be worth and again I said several hundred pounds - well beyond my student means - and recommended he go to Neville for the repairs telling him that the last lot had cost me about £400. " I can't be a**ed," he said " Is it worth £80 to you?" Silly Question.

 

If I never own another concertina I will still count myself blessed. Both instruments are a joy to play and will always cheer me up when I'm down as soon as I play one.

 

I'm interested in finding out a bit more about the elusive S.Croggon - no luck so far - and it would be very good to hear from anyone who knows if Streamer senior actually was one of Jeffries factors and what his first name was. Charlie is also now dead so I can't ask him.

 

I'd love to find both a C-G and an Eb-Ab Jeffries (preferably 39 Keys or better) and I'm perfectly willing to pay for the privilege of singing with such wonderful instruments. I'm not simply interested in possessing them - they'd be played frequently and, when I die, my other half will have the unenviable task of making sure they go to like minded folk.

 

Incidentally, on the subject of Jeffries Duet concertinas and their players, Chingford Morris had an excellent player in the person of Chris Beale who when not playing for the Dance would regale us with Scott Joplin and similiarly tortuous pieces while we drank. I have no idea whether Chris is still alive or if not, what happened to his two duets (One in C and one in Bb I believe) but he was an superb player.

 

Simon Rosser

[wes williams]

That's a fascinating tale or three, Simon, and I'm sure you'll have lots more responses.

 

I wonder if your Charlie Streamer could have been old enough to be the 11 month old boy in the 1881 census at 17 Vespasian Terrace, Roman Rd, East Ham? If so, his father's name was William.

 

Edit: Or if he was nearer 70 than 90, maybe Charles Thomas Streamer born June 1908 at West Ham - father's name Charles William Streamer(?), (and perhaps the same Charlie Streamer above?). Give us some more clues

Edit 2:Sorry- should have made uncertainty over father's name clearer! More research needed.

 

The 'C.Jeffries. Maker' marking on the instrument probably means that he would have been working for Jeffries sometime before about 1893. Later C.Jeffries have a 23 Praed St address in the stamp.

Edited July 4, 2005 by wes williams

[Ken_Coles]

Lucky perhaps, Simon, but I don't begrudge anyone who was around in the 60s-70s their finds of fantastic instruments. You kept the tradition alive and waiting for us who came along later, and I for one am happy to support today's makers and pay a bit more (!) than you did! Fascinating, I too am interested to hear about actual employees of C. J. and Co.

 

Ken Coles

[Stephen Chambers]

Gosh Simon,

 

You take me back 30-odd years, to when I was working at Chingford Library, and living in Leyton.

 

S. Croggon is a very uncommon name, but I haven't had much luck identifying a musician called that. There was a Samuel Croggon, born Portsea, Hants. c.1851, a cordwainer (shoe maker) in 1881, or another born in Soho in 1878, who was a Railway Porter in 1901, or Sydney Croggon, born c.1872, a hardware Merchant in Salford in 1901. But the name has lots of potential spelling variations, to confuse census enumerators & indexers.

 

I wonder if your Charlie Streamer could have been old enough to be the 11 month old boy in the 1881 census at 17 Vespasian Terrace, Roman Rd, East Ham? If so, his father's  name was William.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wes,

 

On the 1901 Census both father & son gave the same occupation : "Stoker in Gas Works", whilst in 1891 William is also listed as a "Gas Stoker", but as a "Plumber" in 1881.

 

And it too is a pretty uncommon name, there are only 3 individuals called Charles Streamer on the 1901 Census, the other 2 being a father & son in Clewer, Berkshire.

[Chris Timson]

I had previously owned an ebonised 30 key Wheatstone Bb-F during the early seventies which was a sweet box for singing to and it may be heard on " By chance it was" by Pickled Dill - of which I was one half!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Do you know, I was only wondering the other day what had become of you and young Keith Dignum, but (oh the sadness of passing time) Google turned up nothing at all. I have to say I always thought "Pickled Dill" an unfortunate name, but I always enjoyed the music a lot. You might just remember me as one of the residents at Stratford Stage One folk club. Good to have you aboard!

 

Cheers,

 

Chris

[Simon Rosser]

Hi Chris, yes I do remember you. After PD split up and Keith Dignam moved to Norwich I fell out of the scene until fairly recently. I've never stopped playing though. Good to hear from you. I spoke to KD about three or four years ago having unfortunately to turn down an invite to his & Julie's 25th Wedding Anniversary. Lord, How the time rolls by!

 

Steve,

 

I think we first met at the time you mention and if I'm right it was at the Blackbirds FC in Leyton. If you can't tell me anything about S Croggon, then I doubt anyone can! this makes me feel much better about my failure. Ireland? Long way from Leyton!

 

Wes,

 

When I met Charlie in the seventies, he would have been about seventy -ish certainly not ninety-ish so I guess that makes your second choice right and therefore Streamer senior wold have likely been Charles also.

 

Thanks to all

 

Simon

 

By the bye, When I got it the G-D had a whistle and a Fart Button which would I suppose Charlie's theory about S.Croggon having commissioned the instrument for Music Hall. Any Ideas?

Edited July 5, 2005 by Simon Rosser

[pcroggon]

Regarding your search for S Croggon (concertina history) First I have no interest here, I was searching Google for my son Stephen. S Croggon was my grandfather Samuel Croggon born in Soho in 1878. He died in 1937 and was latterly a guard and inspector on the Southern Railway. The family had musical talents of a certain order inherited by my father who banged out jazz on a piano and and it made you tap in time. I inherited Samuel's harmonica when he died (since lost). Family tradition says they had a band and in doing my family tree some years ago this was comfirmed by a remote (from me) branch of the family. I know nothing about the concertina though, but for sentimental reasons might consider buying it if it was not too much. Peter Croggon London sw16

[PeterT]

Hi Simon,

 

Welcome to the Forum.

 

I remember chatting to you, once, at the Dingles club, in London. This was before I started playing, so we are probably talking 1980/1. I remember your Jeffries, with the bellows going into a "U" shape when you played. I'm sure that it was more than seven-fold on that box!

 

Regards,

Peter.

[streamer]

Hi Simon, my son who is called Simon hit upon your site accidentlly. My name is Ian Streamer and I am the son of Charles Streamer whom you met in the 70's. My father would have been in his early 70's at the time and lived in East Ham - did he have big ears!!

 

My grandfather worked for C.Jefferies but also made some concertinas on the side (I believe) as I have one which is 8 bellows 51 buttons including 2 thumb buttons. This concertina bears my grandfathers initials engraved on the handles, also says C Streamer Maker and is in an old leather box. Story has it that a gentleman possibly S Croggon left a concertina with my grandfather for repair and borrowed one of my grandfathers and went off on the Titanic and needless to say never came back. It may be worth checking Titanic records to see if he was on that ship. This could be the concertina my father gave you. As I say the one I have came to me after my father died and does not have the Jeffries name on it anywhere. Have tried attaching a picture but no success!!

 

My father at one time had East London Battery Service which made batteries for Ford cars, Dagenite Batteries.

 

None of us play the concertina but my son Simon is a mean harmonica player!!

 

Look forward to hearing from you.

 

Ian Streamer