Chiff and Fipple Forums

A well deserved congratulations, my good man.

Philo

BillChin wrote:

Wanderer wrote:I just got this book today..very nice

I have a question. What does the book say about the price of the tinwhistles in 1843? Was it really an English penny and later a halfpenny (Meg)? Or does it side with some revisionists and say the name pennywhistle is derived from buskers receiving pennies?

Thanks.

I haven't read the whole book yet, but the early chapters don't speculate on the term "pennywhistle". Sales flyers in the early 1900 still called them "Clarke London Flageolets" or "Clarke Flageolets". By 1903, they were $1.35 a dozen, so considerably more than a penny. in 1953, George Goddard (some relation to Clarke's wife Sarah Goddard) wrote in the Oldham Chronicle "...one of his conceptions eventually developed into the making of the first Pennywhistle as we know it today..."

I've done some research and determined that while the words "penny-whistle" and "tin-whistle" both predate Clarke, neither were likely in common use until later in the 20th century.

Craig Stuntz wrote:I've done some research and determined that while the words "penny-whistle" and "tin-whistle" both predate Clarke, neither were likely in common use until later in the 20th century.

Ooops!

OED = QED!

Thanks for upsetting the whistle-cart

Adrian wrote:

Craig Stuntz wrote:I've done some research and determined that while the words "penny-whistle" and "tin-whistle" both predate Clarke, neither were likely in common use until later in the 20th century.

Ooops!

OED = QED!

Sorta. The OED doesn't reflect common usage, and I'm still curious about that. As best as I can tell, neither term was common until well into the 20th century, but I'm still looking for definitive evidence on that.