Highland bagpipes, Nominal pitch: B♭.

John Cameron

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Alternative Title

Great Highland bagpipe (<i>piob mho*/r</i>).

Instrument

Bagpipe

Instrument Family

Wind

Maker

John Cameron

Place Made

Scotland ; Europe ; United Kingdom ; Dundee

Description

Set of Highland bagpipes by John Cameron of Dundee (c.1801-1850), chanter with 3 keys (2 removed and holes plugged, inscribed plate: 'R Millar / Fofar Regt.', Technical description: Set of Highland bagpipes, full size, with chanter, blowpipe, mouthpiece, bass and tenor drones, stocks. Cocus with ivory ferrules, tops and sole.Chanter: chanter with 3 keys (2 removed and holes plugged with wood). Seven finger-holes and one thumb-hole. Ivory bulb at throat is turned with decorative, ink-stained lines. Surviving key mounted on wood blocks with pin. Silver key with square head with leather pad between the fifth and sixth finger-holes. Ivory sole. Chanter stock: silver escutcheon with engraving. Ivory receiving ferrule.Blowpipe/mouthpiece: original mouthpiece on blowpipe. Bass Drone: three sections; green ribbon wrapped around top section. One band of combing on the second section was either poorly executed or filed down.Tenor drone 1: two sections.Tenor drone 2: two sections.Measurements: chanter length 375, conical bore beginning at 4.0. and ending at 21.0; bass drone length c 765, bore at top 14.7; tenor drones length c 350, bore at top 14.7. Repair History: The ferrule on second section of tenor drone 2 is probably a replacement: it is the only ferrule with only one decorative line, all others having two. Cracks on the bass drone stock and the second section have been repaired with wood filler.

Other Information

Specific usage history: These pipes belonged to the piper and musician, Robert Millar, who started his military service in 1798 and continued until 1829. The pipes bear an engraved escutcheon which reads "R. Millar Forfar Regiment". It is possible that the instrument was presented to Millar in honour of his military service. The chanter of the pipes seems to be the result of a collaboration between Millar and the bagpipe maker John C. Cameron. The chanter is keyed and this development is mentioned in a newspaper article from 4 February 1836 from the <i>Edinburgh Evening Courant</i>. According to Keith Sanger (2008), Cameron began making bagpipes around 1836. In 1838 Millar dedicated the manuscript entitled `A Collection of National Music for the Great Highland Bagpipe, Set by Mr Robert Miller, Musician, for John C. Cameron, Piper & Pipe-Maker, Dundee, 1838' to Cameron, possibly after he married Cameron's daughter. The Dundee City Archives have Cameron listed in 1840 as a bagpipe maker at 26 Hawkhill and in 1850 as a regimental bagpipe-maker at 44 Scouringburn. These two neighbourhoods are in the Blackness area of Dundee. This area had the largest concentration of mills and industrial buildings in the city.

Notes

Sarah Deters Richardson, 15.4.13.

Provenance

Formerly owned by Robert Millar (1789-1861). ; On loan to the Collection.

Signature

'R Millar / Fofar Regt.'

Collection

MIMEd

Accession Number

6027

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