John Weston Thomas
Encyclopedia
John Weston Thomas revived the tradition of Welsh
harp
making. After spells in the merchant navy
, and teaching carpentry
, he began making harps, originally with the aid of old instruments and illustrations, as there was no existing harp maker to teach him. Althugh the harp is firmly associated with Wales, at the time he was the only harp maker in Wales, and one of three in the whole of Britain
. John Weston Thomas had three students, these were Alun Thomas (his son), Bryan Blackmore (in Pembrokeshire
) and Allan Shiers (in Llandysul
) all three are still working as harp makers. John Weston Thomas died in 1992 having worked until shortly before his death.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
making. After spells in the merchant navy
Merchant Navy
The Merchant Navy is the maritime register of the United Kingdom, and describes the seagoing commercial interests of UK-registered ships and their crews. Merchant Navy vessels fly the Red Ensign and are regulated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency...
, and teaching carpentry
Carpentry
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
, he began making harps, originally with the aid of old instruments and illustrations, as there was no existing harp maker to teach him. Althugh the harp is firmly associated with Wales, at the time he was the only harp maker in Wales, and one of three in the whole of Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. John Weston Thomas had three students, these were Alun Thomas (his son), Bryan Blackmore (in Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
) and Allan Shiers (in Llandysul
Llandysul
Llandysul is a small town in the county of Ceredigion, Wales. The community of Pont Tyweli lies directly across the Teifi River in Carmarthenshire. It is in the valley of the River Teifi and is visited for its fishing and canoeing....
) all three are still working as harp makers. John Weston Thomas died in 1992 having worked until shortly before his death.