Beasemore

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1842 London Directory
Blazdell , Alex. 34, Charlotte Street
1850 London directory
Alexander Blazdell,
31 Newman St

Click here to see a delightful Blazdell miniature harp

Anna Jean Taylor sent me the following message and some pictures of a Blazdell harp:

Alexander Blazdell, Harpmaker to the Courts of England, France and Belgium Circa 1800

Searching for my grandmother Rosa Priscilla Terry led me to Alexander Blazdell the harpmaker. She left without a trace! Rosa immigrated to Canada 1899 to marry my grandfather Thomas Madden from Southampton. They both died young, leaving few clues as to their beginnings. To complicate matters I knew only she was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, 1866. I was delighted to learn my new found cousin had in her possesion family photos and a publicity poster of our great grandparents - Sidney William and Priscilla Garey.

They appeared young, handsome and ready to play for the world. I learned they were known as "The Vesseys", a minstrel act and had performed in all the large European cities from 1860 - 1890's. That explained why my grandmother had been born in Russia and her sister Unity born in France.

Their three children, Sidney, Rosa and Unity were also child entertainers. Only one of the children, Unity Alexandra Priscilla (nee Terry) Hume continued on stage. From a family letter written 1915, we know she was working as a concert artist in Sheerness, Kent, and known as "The White Lady of Blue Town."

My small contribution to this search has been to add the name of my ggggrandfather, Alexander Blazdell to Moira's list of harpmakers of London.
I will continue to "harp on" for information on the family of Alexander Blazdell.
Were there other Blazdell harpmakers?
Did he have children other than Unity Elizabeth born 1806?
Did he make the instruments in the pictures I have?
Was someone left to carry on his skilled trade?

The names associated in the greater London area

BLAZDELL/GAREY/TERRY/GREETHURST and HUME from Sheerness and Sussex

Many thanks to Moira for her unique interest in Harpmakers from London

Anna Jean Taylor, Washington State, USA. For more information please contact AJTaylor@prodigy.net

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Browne

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Browne

Bruzaud/Bruzand

Delveau

Delveau/Delveaux

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Dodd

Kents Directory 1810

Dodd 92 St Martins Lane

1833 directory
Dodd and Son 3, Berners Mews
Pigots Directory 1839

Edward Dodd

Violin and bow maker

112 Vauxhall gardens

Dodd Edw.
harp manufacturer
3 Berners srtreetr Oxford street

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London Street Directory 1842
Dodd Edward and Sons 3, Berners Street

1833 directory
Dodd and Son 3, Berners Mews
Pigots Directory 1839

Edward Dodd

Violin and bow maker

112 Vauxhall gardens

Dodd Edw.
harp manufacturer
3 Berners srtreetr Oxford street

London Street Directory 1842
Dodd Edward and Sons 3, Berners Street

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Post Office London trades Directory for 1851
Erard Seb and Pierre 18 Gt, Marlborough Street

Sébastien Erard was born in Strasbourg on 5th April, 1752. His father was from Switzerland and he made ecclesiastical furniture.
Erard went to Paris in 1768 and began working under the patronage of The Duchesse de Villeroy (1731–1816).
She She provided him with workshop premises at her mansion in the rue de Bourbon, and in 1777 he made for her an impressive five-octave bichord piano modelled on a Zumpe square.
In 1779 he built his only known harpsichord, the clavecin mécanique, which is now in the Musée de la Musiquein Paris.
Erard called on the help of an older brother, Jean-Baptiste Erard (b Strasbourg, 7 July 1749; d Passy, 10 April 1826) and they moved to 109 Rue de Bourbon, and in November 1781 to 13 rue de Mail, which remained the headquarters of the firm until its eventual closure.
The guild of Parisian luthiers became jealous of Erard's success but Louis XVI awarded Sébastien Erard a special dispensation dated 5 February 1785.
The special transposing piano Erard designed for Marie Antoinette has not survived, but the instrument he made for her in 1786–7 is, without doubt, the finest extant French 18th-century piano is now in the Cobbe Collection at Hatchlands in Surrey.
Erard did not many harps in France before , but he was becoming interestied in them as he wrote ‘the mechanism of this instrument is too complicated; I have changed and much simplified it; this means it doesn't break strings like before. Once I have obtained the right to show my discovery, I will bring out my harps’.
Then in 1790 or 1791 that hehe fled from the French Revolution finally and set up his business at 18 Great Marlborough Street in 1792.
In November 1794 he filed the first patent for a harp in England.(Improvements in Pianofortes and Harps, patent no.2016).
He strengthened the neck by laminating the wood with the grain running in the same direction, and his new rounded soundbox replaced the previous staved construction. The tuning mechanism, instead of being enclosed within the neck, was placed between two brass plates and attached to it, thus giving the instrument additional rigidity. Most remarkable was the new fork mechanism, which, when engaged by the pedal, brought two forked pins into contact with the strings, thus shortening them the degree of a semitone; the sharpened strings remained parallel with the others, causing fewer breakages, and accuracy of intonation was greatly improved (see Harp, §V, 2(i)). The harp was tuned in E, and could be played in eight major and five minor keys. Erard introduced his new single-action harp to Paris on his return to France in 1795; his first French harp patent, however, dates only from 1798.
The Princess of Wales statred a fashion trend when she purchased an Erard harp in 1800 and between 2 February 1807 and 24 April 1809, single-action harps amounting to £20,152 14s. 8d. were sold. By September 1810 Erard's London outlet had sold 1374 harps.
In the same year that Erard perfected the first double-action mechanism based on the fork principle (patent no.3332). Tuned in C this harp could be played in 15 major keys and 12 minor ones, and with little modification Erard's principles are still used by modern pedal-harp makers. 3500 of the 43-string ‘Grecian’ model, so-called because of its ornamentation, were sold between 1811 and 1820. (See Harp, §V, 2(ii) for a more detailed technical description). The Story of Erard can be seen in full in Grove's Dictionary of Music and on the UK Piano Pages.

Found on the Internet!

Dit is een antieke dubbelpedaalharp van Sebastian Erard. Uit de onlangs vrijgegeven Londonse archieven blijkt dat deze specifieke harp in maart 1823 werd verhuurd aan R.N.Ch. Bochsa, in de harpwereld een vermaarde figuur. Bochsa schreef veel muziek voor de harp, o.a. een serie 'Célèbres Études' die tot het standaard studierepertoire van elke harpist behoort.

Post Office London trades Directory for 1851
Erard Seb and Pierre 18 Gt, Marlborough Street

Sébastien Erard was born in Strasbourg on 5th April, 1752. His father was from Switzerland and he made ecclesiastical furniture.
Erard went to Paris in 1768 and began working under the patronage of The Duchesse de Villeroy (1731–1816).
She She provided him with workshop premises at her mansion in the rue de Bourbon, and in 1777 he made for her an impressive five-octave bichord piano modelled on a Zumpe square.
In 1779 he built his only known harpsichord, the clavecin mécanique, which is now in the Musée de la Musiquein Paris.
Erard called on the help of an older brother, Jean-Baptiste Erard (b Strasbourg, 7 July 1749; d Passy, 10 April 1826) and they moved to 109 Rue de Bourbon, and in November 1781 to 13 rue de Mail, which remained the headquarters of the firm until its eventual closure.
The guild of Parisian luthiers became jealous of Erard's success but Louis XVI awarded Sébastien Erard a special dispensation dated 5 February 1785.
The special transposing piano Erard designed for Marie Antoinette has not survived, but the instrument he made for her in 1786–7 is, without doubt, the finest extant French 18th-century piano is now in the Cobbe Collection at Hatchlands in Surrey.
Erard did not many harps in France before , but he was becoming interestied in them as he wrote ‘the mechanism of this instrument is too complicated; I have changed and much simplified it; this means it doesn't break strings like before. Once I have obtained the right to show my discovery, I will bring out my harps’.
Then in 1790 or 1791 that hehe fled from the French Revolution finally and set up his business at 18 Great Marlborough Street in 1792.
In November 1794 he filed the first patent for a harp in England.(Improvements in Pianofortes and Harps, patent no.2016).
He strengthened the neck by laminating the wood with the grain running in the same direction, and his new rounded soundbox replaced the previous staved construction. The tuning mechanism, instead of being enclosed within the neck, was placed between two brass plates and attached to it, thus giving the instrument additional rigidity. Most remarkable was the new fork mechanism, which, when engaged by the pedal, brought two forked pins into contact with the strings, thus shortening them the degree of a semitone; the sharpened strings remained parallel with the others, causing fewer breakages, and accuracy of intonation was greatly improved (see Harp, §V, 2(i)). The harp was tuned in E, and could be played in eight major and five minor keys. Erard introduced his new single-action harp to Paris on his return to France in 1795; his first French harp patent, however, dates only from 1798.
The Princess of Wales statred a fashion trend when she purchased an Erard harp in 1800 and between 2 February 1807 and 24 April 1809, single-action harps amounting to £20,152 14s. 8d. were sold. By September 1810 Erard's London outlet had sold 1374 harps.
In the same year that Erard perfected the first double-action mechanism based on the fork principle (patent no.3332). Tuned in C this harp could be played in 15 major keys and 12 minor ones, and with little modification Erard's principles are still used by modern pedal-harp makers. 3500 of the 43-string ‘Grecian’ model, so-called because of its ornamentation, were sold between 1811 and 1820. (See Harp, §V, 2(ii) for a more detailed technical description). The Story of Erard can be seen in full inGrove's Dictionary of Musical Instruments and on the UK Piano Pages.

Dit is een antieke dubbelpedaalharp van Sebastian Erard. Uit de onlangs vrijgegeven Londonse archieven blijkt dat deze specifieke harp in maart 1823 werd verhuurd aan R.N.Ch. Bochsa, in de harpwereld een vermaarde figuur. Bochsa schreef veel muziek voor de harp, o.a. een serie 'Célèbres Études' die tot het standaard studierepertoire van elke harpist behoort. UK Piano Pages
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Erat

Kents 1814

Erat 100 Wardour Street

Kents Directory 1821

Erat and son Patent Harp makers 180 Wardour Street
Pigots directory for London 1839.

Jacob and James Erat
Patent harp makers
23, Berners Street.

1850 London Directory

Jacob & James Erat
38 Berners St

The following information was taken from advertisements.

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The following information was taken from advertisements.

An attractive Grecian Concert Harp by I. & I. Erat, Manufacturers 23 Berners St., London, no. 2201, overall height 67in. (171cm.), overall width 35in. (89cm.)The attractive birds eye maple soundbox with seven folding brassed pedals at the base each with three positions and separate working swell pedal, complete with five original swell doors, the arm with 44 string pins, each with various and extended rotating mechanisms, the capital of the column with elaborate gilded Caryatid figures after the Acropolis, the fluted column with Anthemion leaf decoration, the whole raised upon a gilded decorated base, the table with foliate decoration, the whole with gilt line decoration, of an all-over golden yellow colour, requires mostly cosmetic restoration rather than structural

A Regency Harp by J. Erat, Maker, Wardour St., Soho, London, no. 945, overall height 67in. (170cm.), seven brassed pedals, each with two positions, the arm with 43 string pins, the capital with Egyptian figurative and rams' head decoration, of an all-over yellow gilt colour, in good and immediate playing condition

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Post Office London trades Directory for 1851
Gilkes ,William. 30, Dartmouth Street.
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Robsons London Directory 1822

Schwieso and Grosjean 11, Soho Square

Pigots 1823-4

Schwieso , Grosjean and Co, ( inventor and manufacturer of the cambrian double and single action pedal harp with 2 rows of streings and double sounding board also of improved double and single action harps )11 Soho Square London Street Directory 1842
Grosjean, Frederick. 11, Soho square.
Post Office London trades Directory for 1851

Frederick Grosjean
11 Soho Sq

Grosjean harp

Grove Dictionary states that: "Elias Parish Alvars,the harpist and composer studied with Francois Dizi and worked with Theodore Labarre in London. For some time in the 1820s he was employed by the harp manufacturers Schwieso and Grosjean at their Soho Square premises."

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Haarnack

Hart

London Street Directory 1842

Hart, John. 14, Princes Street, Leicester Square.
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London Street Directory 1842

Hastrick, Henry, 35/33 Holborn Hill.
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Holcombe

Post Office London trades Directory for 1851

Holcombe, Phil .G. 13, Grafton Street East.
1862 London Directory
Holcombe Phil Geo, 38 Berners Street,
1874 London Directory
43, Berners Street,Holcombe Walter. Prof of Music and Holcombe Phil harp maker London Street Directory 1880
Holcombe ,Philip George,43, Berners Street
Dwelling: 43 Berners St
Census Place: St Marylebone, London, Middlesex, England
> Philip G. HOLCOMBE aged 67 M Portsmouth, Hampshire, England
Occ: Harp Maker (Employing 2 Men)

From the 1881 census

Dwelling: 77 Leverton St West Side
Census Place: St Pancras, London, Middlesex, England
Source: FHL Film 1341049 PRO Ref RG11 Piece 0223 Folio
11 Page 15
Marr Age Sex Birthplace
John WALKER M 58 M Surrey, England
Rel: Head
Occ: Traveller
Edward HOLCOMBE U 27 M St Pancras Rel: Lodger
Occ: Harp Maker

Post Office London trades Directory for 1851
Holcombe, Phil .G. 13, Grafton Street East.
1862 London Directory
Holcombe Phil Geo, 38 Berners Street,
1874 London Directory
43, Berners Street,Holcombe Walter. Prof of Music and Holcombe Phil harp maker London Street Directory 1880
Holcombe ,Philip George,43, Berners Street
Dwelling: 43 Berners St
Census Place: St Marylebone, London, Middlesex, England
> Philip G. HOLCOMBE aged 67 M Portsmouth, Hampshire, England
Occ: Harp Maker (Employing 2 Men)

From the 1881 census
Dwelling: 77 Leverton St West Side
Census Place: St Pancras, London, Middlesex, England
Source: FHL Film 1341049 PRO Ref RG11 Piece 0223 Folio
11 Page 15
Marr Age Sex Birthplace
John WALKER M 58 M Surrey, England
Rel: Head
Occ: Traveller
Edward HOLCOMBE U 27 M St Pancras Rel: Lodger
Occ: Harp Maker

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Holderness

Holdernesse G. W. 57, Upper Charlotte Street.
From the IGI
Alexander HOLDERNESS
Spouse: Frances HOLDERNESS
Marriage: 2 Oct 1856
All Souls, St. Marylebone, London.
London Street Directory 1880

Listed as harp malers! Holdernesse and Holdernesse 44, Oxford Street and 6, Lawrence Street, Bloomsbury
From the 1881 census
Dwelling: 11 St John The Evan
Census Place: St Pancras, London, Middlesex, England
Marr Age Sex Birthplace
Charles HOLDERNESS M 52 M Camberwell, Surrey, England
Rel: Head
Occ: Pianoforte Maker
Edward H. WOOD M 27 M Plymouth, Devon, England
Rel: Brother In Law
Occ: Pianoforte Salesman

Dwelling: 9 Charlton St
Census Place: St Marylebone, London, Middlesex, England
Marr Age Sex Birthplace
Richard HOLDERNESS M 23 M Marylebone, Middlesex,
England Rel: Hd
Occ: Furniture Showroom Man

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Langlois