Hugh Robertson (instrument maker)
Encyclopedia
Hugh Robertson was a Scottish
wood and ivory turner and a master crafter of woodwind instrument
s such as Pastoral Pipes
, Union pipes, and Great Highland Bagpipe
s.
where he lived and worked for the majority of his life till his retirement at the age of 90 in 1821. Hugh Robertson is noted as one of the earliest professional Scottish pipe makers of the 18th century, in a career spanning 58 years. Robertson pipes are hallmarked from 1765, and by 1775 and he is recorded in the directory of tradesmen as a ‘pipe maker’ trading from Castle Hill Edinburgh. Robertson had a wide and highly crafted repertoire of a maker of Great Highland Bagpipes, Pastoral pipes
sometimes termed in Edinburgh as the “flat-set of pipes” and Union pipes.
and Malcolm MacGregor of Glasgow
diversifying and making a variety of pipes. Robertson was no exception and in his designs, added decoration of 'beading' and 'combing' style on Highland Bagpipes which in turn was adopted as standard by the late 18th century and has remained unchanged since then. He crafted the Edinburgh prize Great Highland pipe of 1802, which was later played at the battle of waterloo
by piper John Buchanan, pipe major
of the Black Watch
.
Due to the popularity of plays and playlets of the time and interests and patronage of amateur gentleman pipers of the l8th-19th centuries, master craftsman like Robertson crafted high quality instruments including bellows blown Pastoral and Union pipes. Predominately more examples survive in considerable quantity bearing the Robertson hallmark, more-so than his contemporaries (e.g. James Kenna) and in surviving numbers represents the most of his production and contribution to the development of this genre. Using native hardwoods such as laburnum
, boxwood
and elder
, Robertson diversified in his materials and workshop was well situated to obtain raw materials from ships trading into the river Clyde and Forth, and tropical hardwoods including cocus wood from the Caribbean and African Continent, suitable for turning into musical instruments, that were preferred for bagpipe making.
Ever the innovator, he was not restricted to the sole use of hardwoods alone, and experimented in ivory sets of bass, baritone
and tenor
drones in an ivory common stock with characteristic “lotus-top” style of tuning. Many of the surviving Robertson pastoral and union pipe sets displayed a U-bend in the bass drone; that bends back into the stock of the instrument, to reduce the length and stretch to tune the bass drone. Other modifications of Scottish-made Union pipes of this period, included the addition of a third drone and model the drone stock into a separate chamber for the drone and regulator reeds, instruments of this period regularly attached the regulators above the stock. Robertson attached the regulators to the front of the stock to achieve a better balance or greater volume with double regulator reeds and the drones. Pastoral sets with one or two regulators are common in Roberstson’s sets as well as keyed Pastoral and shortened union chanters. Such developments were driven by experimentation as musical styles changed, diversifying the instruments by the maker or the particular tastes of the customer. Leading as musical instruments advanced from an open pastoral bagpipe chanter, to a staccato or closed union pipe in the mid-18th century. Robertson was one of the contemporary innovators of the pastoral and union pipes, as with other instrument makers in the mid-18 to 19th centuries across Scotland
, England
and Ireland
. Makers would regularly exchange ideas, innovations and knowledge in the development of these pipes well into the 19th century, as well as their own unique styling and craftsmanship and sophisticated development of the instrument.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
wood and ivory turner and a master crafter of woodwind instrument
Woodwind instrument
A woodwind instrument is a musical instrument which produces sound when the player blows air against a sharp edge or through a reed, causing the air within its resonator to vibrate...
s such as Pastoral Pipes
Pastoral pipes
The Pastoral Pipe was a bellows-blown bagpipe, widely recognised as the forerunner and ancestor of the 19th-century Union pipes, which became the Uilleann Pipes of today...
, Union pipes, and Great Highland Bagpipe
Great Highland Bagpipe
The Great Highland Bagpipe is a type of bagpipe native to Scotland. It has achieved widespread recognition through its usage in the British military and in pipe bands throughout the world. It is closely related to the Great Irish Warpipes....
s.
Biography
Robertson was born in 1730 in Scotland although the exact date is not known. Possibly born in EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
where he lived and worked for the majority of his life till his retirement at the age of 90 in 1821. Hugh Robertson is noted as one of the earliest professional Scottish pipe makers of the 18th century, in a career spanning 58 years. Robertson pipes are hallmarked from 1765, and by 1775 and he is recorded in the directory of tradesmen as a ‘pipe maker’ trading from Castle Hill Edinburgh. Robertson had a wide and highly crafted repertoire of a maker of Great Highland Bagpipes, Pastoral pipes
Pastoral pipes
The Pastoral Pipe was a bellows-blown bagpipe, widely recognised as the forerunner and ancestor of the 19th-century Union pipes, which became the Uilleann Pipes of today...
sometimes termed in Edinburgh as the “flat-set of pipes” and Union pipes.
Robertson instruments
The first commercial bagpipe makers were prior to 1750 in Edinburgh and Glasgow and skilled musical instrument makers were often wood turners by profession, and began to craft instrument to a design individual to the makers style and innovations. Several well established 18th century instrument makers are recorded at this time; i.e. Donald MacDonald of EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and Malcolm MacGregor of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
diversifying and making a variety of pipes. Robertson was no exception and in his designs, added decoration of 'beading' and 'combing' style on Highland Bagpipes which in turn was adopted as standard by the late 18th century and has remained unchanged since then. He crafted the Edinburgh prize Great Highland pipe of 1802, which was later played at the battle of waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
by piper John Buchanan, pipe major
Pipe Major
The Pipe Major is the director of bagpipe music in a Scottish or Irish pipe band. Like Drum Major, the position of Pipe Major is derived from British Army traditions. During the early twentieth century, the term Sergeant Piper was used for the role in place of "Pipe Major".Civillian and military...
of the Black Watch
Black Watch
The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The unit's traditional colours were retired in 2011 in a ceremony led by Queen Elizabeth II....
.
Due to the popularity of plays and playlets of the time and interests and patronage of amateur gentleman pipers of the l8th-19th centuries, master craftsman like Robertson crafted high quality instruments including bellows blown Pastoral and Union pipes. Predominately more examples survive in considerable quantity bearing the Robertson hallmark, more-so than his contemporaries (e.g. James Kenna) and in surviving numbers represents the most of his production and contribution to the development of this genre. Using native hardwoods such as laburnum
Laburnum
Laburnum is a genus of two species of small trees in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae, Laburnum anagyroides and L. alpinum . They are native to the mountains of southern Europe from France to the Balkan Peninsula...
, boxwood
Buxus
Buxus is a genus of about 70 species in the family Buxaceae. Common names include box or boxwood ....
and elder
Elderberry
Sambucus is a genus of between 5 and 30 species of shrubs or small trees in the moschatel family, Adoxaceae. It was formerly placed in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, but was reclassified due to genetic evidence...
, Robertson diversified in his materials and workshop was well situated to obtain raw materials from ships trading into the river Clyde and Forth, and tropical hardwoods including cocus wood from the Caribbean and African Continent, suitable for turning into musical instruments, that were preferred for bagpipe making.
Ever the innovator, he was not restricted to the sole use of hardwoods alone, and experimented in ivory sets of bass, baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
and tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
drones in an ivory common stock with characteristic “lotus-top” style of tuning. Many of the surviving Robertson pastoral and union pipe sets displayed a U-bend in the bass drone; that bends back into the stock of the instrument, to reduce the length and stretch to tune the bass drone. Other modifications of Scottish-made Union pipes of this period, included the addition of a third drone and model the drone stock into a separate chamber for the drone and regulator reeds, instruments of this period regularly attached the regulators above the stock. Robertson attached the regulators to the front of the stock to achieve a better balance or greater volume with double regulator reeds and the drones. Pastoral sets with one or two regulators are common in Roberstson’s sets as well as keyed Pastoral and shortened union chanters. Such developments were driven by experimentation as musical styles changed, diversifying the instruments by the maker or the particular tastes of the customer. Leading as musical instruments advanced from an open pastoral bagpipe chanter, to a staccato or closed union pipe in the mid-18th century. Robertson was one of the contemporary innovators of the pastoral and union pipes, as with other instrument makers in the mid-18 to 19th centuries across Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Makers would regularly exchange ideas, innovations and knowledge in the development of these pipes well into the 19th century, as well as their own unique styling and craftsmanship and sophisticated development of the instrument.