The earliest surviving
English spinet
In March 2008 the London auction house Bonhams sold an historic spinet, thought to be the earliest surviving English instrument of this type. The spinet, made by Charles Haward about 1668, may be the one mentioned by diarist Samuel Pepys in an entry for April 4, 1668: “. . . called upon Hayward, that makes Virginnals and did there like of a little espinette. I had mind to a small harpsichon, but this takes up less room.”
The winning bidder for the historic instrument was none other than American collector Charles West Wilson of Red Lion (near York, Pennsylvania). Mr. Wilson, who specializes in early British keyboards, has assembled an amazing collection, of which this latest acquisition may well be the “crown jewel.”
I met Mr. Wilson during a recent recital trip to eastern Pennsylvania; an invitation to visit him and experience his beautifully kept instruments was a rare privilege. At Christmas 2008 Mr. Wilson sent me news of his latest find, as well as a copy of the letter he had written to the editor of The Gramophone. He has given his permission to publish his informative communication (slightly revised from the version printed in the English magazine). Here follows Wilson’s report on a painstaking investigation into both the history and the current state of this unique survivor from the 17th century.
Dear Sirs:
As the winning bidder for the Haward spinet that sold at Bonhams last March, perhaps I can comment on Michael Johnson’s letter [Gramophone, July issue, p. 7]. His letter was in response to several press releases which came perilously close to claiming this was the Haward spinet that was originally purchased by Samuel Pepys in 1668. A. J. Hipkins, William Dale, and W. S. Rockstro also came close to making this claim about 125 years ago. There is no evidence for this, and I think the “line” has never been crossed by anybody—yet!
It seems, in mid-1661 Pepys acquired what we now call a polygonal virginal that he still had two years later. Hipkins and Dale were mistaken: this [instrument], not the stand under his 1668 spinet, was his “triangle” (mentioned in the Diary entries for March 18 1663 and April 1 of the same year). Pepys had used the term “triangle virginal” two years before. After he was taught how to tune [the instrument] he bought a “rest” (tuning hammer) as well as a stand for it. But he seems never to have played it [the 1663 virginal]. Nevertheless this amazing polymath played the viol, the flageolet, and the lute. He also sang and wrote several songs.
In 1668, the day after buying Descarte’s “little treatise of Musique,” [Pepys] ordered, then had second thoughts about, but finally purchased his Haward spinet—an instrument he intended for his own use. Then, a week later he went to an “ironmonger” and bought another “rest.” Unfortunately there were no more entries concerning this spinet in the Diary’s few remaining months.
Since Pepys’ house may have burned down five years later, as Mr. Johnson wrote, the Haward could have been destroyed then; but one source, at least, states that some of the instruments apparently survived. (See The Musical Times for March 1, 1881, p. 117).
With or without a Pepys provenance, the importance to England’s musical history of this little spinet cannot be minimized. Its earliest date would have to be 1664, the year Zentis, King Charles’ “virginal maker” is believed to have brought this new spinet form (a form of his invention), to England. It was new to Pepys four years later. The stand, which close examination shows to be original, has Cromwellian bobbin turnings that suggest a date before circa 1670, as does its intricate iron hardware. (There is no brass.)
What we do know about this spinet is that it allegedly was found in Bildeston Hall in Suffolk. William Dale apparently bought it from Carl Engel, probably in the 1870s, and Dale and Hipkins both took a particular interest in it. Three woodcuts have been made of it, two of them by Hipkins’ son. It has been written about and illustrated in every edition of Grove’s Dictionary of Music from 1878 to 1980. It was pictured (under Piano-forte) in The Encyclopedia Britannica from the 1880s for, perhaps, 40 years. It was pictured in The Dictionary of English Furniture in 1926, and even in a furniture-mover’s ad in Antiques [Magazine] in 1927. It was displayed and even played at several exhibitions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The spinet’s interior was pictured in the original edition of Donald Boalch’s Makers of the Harpsichord and Clavichord 1440–1840, published in 1956.
The instrument has exceptional integrity, even the lid stick appearing to be original. Reflecting a highly rational design layout, it has a remarkably fine tone throughout its four-octave compass. Recordings are now being made of all my early English keyboard instruments, and this will certainly be included.
—Chas. West Wilson
Comments or news items for these pages are always welcome. Please address them to Dr. Larry Palmer, Division of Music, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas 75275;
<[email protected]>.
