John Dunn (bagpipe maker)
Encyclopedia
John Dunn was a noted pipemaker, or maker of bagpipes
. Born in Newcastle upon Tyne
, England, Dunn was a cabinet maker by profession, initially a junior partner with George Brummell . In the trade directories, he also appears in his own right as a turner (Whitehead 1790) and a plumb maker and turner (Mackenzie & Dent 1811). His address was Bell's Court, off Pilgrim Street. He was buried on 6th February 1820 in St. John’s, Newcastle. His father may have been one John Dunn of Longhorsley; if so, he was born on 3rd September 1764. He should not be confused with one M. Dunn, the maker of several surviving sets of Union pipes
.
and is regarded as the first to have added keys to the chanter, (c. 1800 AD), extending the range of the instrument from an octave to a twelfth. He may thus be regarded as the inventor of the modern instrument.
The earliest evidence of such a keyed chanter is the illustration and fingering chart in
John Peacock
's tunebook, A Favorite Collection of Tunes with Variations Adapted for the Northumberland Small Pipes, Violin, or Flute, , first published by William Wright, of Newcastle, in about 1800. This depicts a simple keyless chanter with an octave range from G to g, as well as J. Peacock's New Invented Pipe Chanter with the addition of Four Keys, these keys were for the notes low D, E, F sharp, and high a.
Subsequent makers, particularly Robert Reid
, added more keys to extend the range further, and include chromatic notes.
A set of pipes with a single-octave chanter was presented by John Dunn
to John Peacock
in 1797; this set now lacks the original chanter, but still carries the original engraved ferrule on the drone-stock reading: 'The Gift of John Dunn to John Peacock Newcastle 1797'. The engraved inscription is generally thought to have been done in the workshop of Thomas Bewick
. It was acquired by the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne
, with the support of the Victoria and Albert Museum
in 2004, and is now in the Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum
.
Several sets survive made by Dunn;
one is the set he made for Robert Bewick
which is now in the Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum
.
After John's death in 1820, his son, also named John, continued the business, and an entry in Thomas Bewick
’s cash book in October 1822 states that 'Dunn', evidently the son, was paid five shillings for a ‘job at pipes’ . This son was still listed as a cabinet maker in trade directories up to 1855.
Bagpipes
Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...
. Born in Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, England, Dunn was a cabinet maker by profession, initially a junior partner with George Brummell . In the trade directories, he also appears in his own right as a turner (Whitehead 1790) and a plumb maker and turner (Mackenzie & Dent 1811). His address was Bell's Court, off Pilgrim Street. He was buried on 6th February 1820 in St. John’s, Newcastle. His father may have been one John Dunn of Longhorsley; if so, he was born on 3rd September 1764. He should not be confused with one M. Dunn, the maker of several surviving sets of Union pipes
Uilleann pipes
The uilleann pipes or //; ) are the characteristic national bagpipe of Ireland, their current name, earlier known in English as "union pipes", is a part translation of the Irish-language term píobaí uilleann , from their method of inflation.The bag of the uilleann pipes is inflated by means of a...
.
Work with bagpipes
Dunn was a maker of Northumbrian smallpipesNorthumbrian smallpipes
The Northumbrian smallpipes are bellows-blown bagpipes from the North East of England.In a survey of the bagpipes in the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford University, the organologist Anthony Baines wrote: It is perhaps the most civilized of the bagpipes, making no attempt to go farther than the...
and is regarded as the first to have added keys to the chanter, (c. 1800 AD), extending the range of the instrument from an octave to a twelfth. He may thus be regarded as the inventor of the modern instrument.
The earliest evidence of such a keyed chanter is the illustration and fingering chart in
John Peacock
John Peacock (piper)
John Peacock was one of the finest Northumbrian smallpipers of his age, and probably a fiddler also, and the last of the Newcastle Waits. He was born in Morpeth about 1756, and died in Newcastle, 'in distress'...
's tunebook, A Favorite Collection of Tunes with Variations Adapted for the Northumberland Small Pipes, Violin, or Flute, , first published by William Wright, of Newcastle, in about 1800. This depicts a simple keyless chanter with an octave range from G to g, as well as J. Peacock's New Invented Pipe Chanter with the addition of Four Keys, these keys were for the notes low D, E, F sharp, and high a.
Subsequent makers, particularly Robert Reid
Robert Reid (pipemaker)
Robert Reid is widely acknowledged as the creator of the modern form of the Northumbrian Smallpipes. He lived and worked at first in Newcastle upon Tyne, but moved later to the nearby town of North Shields at the mouth of the Tyne, probably in 1802. North Shields was a busy port at this time...
, added more keys to extend the range further, and include chromatic notes.
A set of pipes with a single-octave chanter was presented by John Dunn
John Dunn
John Dunn may refer to:*John Dunn , English professional footballer for Aston Villa and Charlton Athletic*Jack Dunn , minor league baseball owner and manager*Jack Dunn , British figure skater...
to John Peacock
John Peacock (piper)
John Peacock was one of the finest Northumbrian smallpipers of his age, and probably a fiddler also, and the last of the Newcastle Waits. He was born in Morpeth about 1756, and died in Newcastle, 'in distress'...
in 1797; this set now lacks the original chanter, but still carries the original engraved ferrule on the drone-stock reading: 'The Gift of John Dunn to John Peacock Newcastle 1797'. The engraved inscription is generally thought to have been done in the workshop of Thomas Bewick
Thomas Bewick
Thomas Bewick was an English wood engraver and ornithologist.- Early life and apprenticeship :Bewick was born at Cherryburn House in the village of Mickley, in the parish of Ovingham, Northumberland, England, near Newcastle upon Tyne on 12 August 1753...
. It was acquired by the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne
Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne
The Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne, the oldest provincial antiquarian society in England, was founded in 1813..It has had a long interest in the archaeology of the north-east of England, particularly of Hadrian's Wall, but also covering prehistoric and mediaeval periods, as well as...
, with the support of the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
in 2004, and is now in the Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum
Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum
The Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum is located in Morpeth Chantry, Morpeth, Northumberland, England.The museum, founded in 1987, contains a large collection of historic bagpipes, especially, but not exclusively, historic Northumbrian smallpipes and Border pipes, mainly based on the collection of...
.
Several sets survive made by Dunn;
one is the set he made for Robert Bewick
Robert Bewick
Robert Bewick was the son of the engraver Thomas Bewick. Thomas had wished to encourage the Northumbrian smallpipes, and to support the piper John Peacock; in his autobiographical Memoir, written in the 1820's, he wrote Some time before the American War broke out, there had been a lack of...
which is now in the Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum
Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum
The Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum is located in Morpeth Chantry, Morpeth, Northumberland, England.The museum, founded in 1987, contains a large collection of historic bagpipes, especially, but not exclusively, historic Northumbrian smallpipes and Border pipes, mainly based on the collection of...
.
After John's death in 1820, his son, also named John, continued the business, and an entry in Thomas Bewick
Thomas Bewick
Thomas Bewick was an English wood engraver and ornithologist.- Early life and apprenticeship :Bewick was born at Cherryburn House in the village of Mickley, in the parish of Ovingham, Northumberland, England, near Newcastle upon Tyne on 12 August 1753...
’s cash book in October 1822 states that 'Dunn', evidently the son, was paid five shillings for a ‘job at pipes’ . This son was still listed as a cabinet maker in trade directories up to 1855.