Violin

[Ronnie]

Hello,
I have a violin with a lable inside saying : William Perry, violin maker, Dublin. Does this ring a bell with some-one? All info is welcome .
Ronnie

[MTGuru]

Related to Thomas Perry?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Per ... lin_maker)

Did William Wilkinson perhaps use the Perry name instead of his own?

[Ronnie]

Hi, I know that William Wilkingson was the son in law of Thomas but if he did continue making violins after Thomas is the question.

[MTGuru]

Sure, understood. I was just wondering about the name. It's not unknown for a man to take the name of his mentor, especially when marrying into the family. And if this is the same William, Wiki says he continued until 1838, some 20 years after Thomas Perry's death.

[benhall.1]

An obvious question, Ronnie: is there a date anywhere on or in the fiddle? It might not necessarily be on the label. I've seen them pencilled into the wood of the back, inside the fiddle.

[Ronnie]

Hi Ben,
I'll check this out today. I bought the fiddle to "fiddle" around a bit and it being from Dublin intrigued me. I've written to the National museum in Dublin and they are also looking into it. It would be acceptable to think that William proceeded with the violin business after the death of Thomas. Its all a mistery to me. I'm not a fiddler and am just intrigued by this. It could be also that its just a cheap Steiner copy and that's o.k. too, I've bought it cheap in Germany at a shop that restores old fiddles but why use the name Perry (which is a known name) and then add William to the name. A mistery...

[benhall.1]

I'll look forward to the results of your various searches, Ronnie. Interesting the antiquity of the violin in Irish music, isn't it?

[Ronnie]

Yep, I always liked the craftsmanship in instruments and if you keep your eyes open you still can find the odd instrument at the odd antique mall in England or Ireland