Fawcett (musical family)

The Fawcett musical family, most active in 19th and early 20th century England, came from Yorkshire. ^[1] At least 36 professional orchestral players were the descendants of John Fawcett of Tadcaster (c.1770-1855) and his wife Elizabeth Cowell (1772-1845) in the West Riding of Yorkshire. ^[2] They were often named after composers and included many amateur musicians as well as full professionals. ^[3] The family became well known all over the North of England, but none rose to eminence. ^[4] Some were members of the Carl Rosa Opera Company, others toured regularly, performing with spa orchestras (Llandudno, Douglas, Saltburn, Blackpool) ^[5] and participating in chamber music concerts. ^[6]

Family members

• William Fawcett (1812-1879) was born in Chapel Allerton and married Martha Smith. He died in Horsforth. ^[7]
  • William's son Benjamin was a violinist and music teacher.
    • Benjamin's sons included William (cello, bass, born 1864) and John (bass player at the Grand Theatre, Leeds, born 1869).
      • William's sons included Verdi (cello) and Arthur (violin).
      • John's sons included Harold Rossini (sub-principal bassist of the London Philharmonic Orchestra in the 1950s) ^[8] and Elgar Arnold (bass). ^[5]
• Thomas Fawcett (1815–98), younger brother of William, worked as a weaver in Horsforth. In 1840 he moved to Eccleshill where he became involved with the New Connexion Chapel. He sang tenor in the choir and became choirmaster, also playing violin and cello. He was singing with the Bradford Festival Choral Society when it appeared before Queen Victoria at Buckingham Palace in June 1858. ^{[9] [10]}
  • Mary Fawcett (born 1833–4) married Sam Fawcett Midgley, a bassoonist.
  • John Fawcett (1837–1919) was an alto trombonist.
    • John's sons were Harry (violin), Mendelssohn (clarinetist, 1869–1940, played at Covent Garden Opera, was deputy conductor, Scarborough Spa Orchestra), ^[5] Handel (trombone, born 1875), William (double bass) and Tom (flute)
      • Harry's son Norman was a bassoonist.
      • Mendelssohn's son Frederick was a clarinetist. Another son, Derek, was a player in the Spa Orchestra
      • Tom's son Reginald was a cellist.
  • Samuel Fawcett (1837–1898) was a bass trombonist, Bradford Permanent Orchestra. ^[11]
    • Samuel's sons were Charlesworth (clarinet, played at Crystal Palace), Verdi (violin, played with Thomas Beecham from 1907) ^[12] and Weber (oboe, Riviere Orchestra, Llandudno, and The Hallé, born 1874). ^[11]
      • Weber Fawcett had an oboist son.
  • Joseph Fawcett (1840–1915) was a tenor trombonist, organist, choral and brass band conductor (including three years conducting the Black Dyke Band). ^[10]
    • Joseph's sons were Charles (violin, born 1871), Herbert (trombone) and Haydn (violin, Haydn Fawcett and his Orchestra, 1930s).
  • Thomas Fawcett (1852–????) was a pianist and organist.
  • Handel Fawcett (1861–1940) played the double bass and was one of the first members of the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra. ^[13]

The Lancashire Fawcetts

The Lancashire composer John Fawcett (1789–1867) and his son John Fawcett (1824–1857), appear to be unrelated. Fawcett senior was a composer and writer, born in Kendal, who taught music in Bolton and composed sacred music and hynms. His son was a composer and organist born in Bolton. He composed anthems, glees, songs and piano music. ^[14]

See also

• List of musical families (classical music)
• Grimson (musical family)
• Fawcett family

References

1. Gordon Wright. The Fawcetts of Horsforth and Eccleshill (Cambridge 1974)
2. J Sutcliffe Smith. The Music of the Yorkshire Dales (1930)
3. South and West Yorkshire Federations of Women's Institutes. South and West Yorkshire Village Book (1991)
4. Nicholas Temperley. 'Fawcett family', Grove Music Online (2001)
5. Kenneth Young. Music's Great Days in the Spas and Watering-places (1968), p. 203-4
6. James Duff Brown, Stephen Samuel Stratton. British Musical Biography (1897), p. 143
7. H. A. Chambers, H. R. Fawcett, G. H. Wright. 'The Fawcett Family', Musical Times, Vol. 113, No. 1556 (October 1972), p. 972
8. Robert Meyer. Musical Families: The Fawcetts, December 2007
9. 'The Fawcett Family', Musical Times Vol. 108, No. 1492, (June 1967), p. 520. Brown and Stratton (wrongly) confuse him with his son Joseph Fawcett
10. J. Spencer Curwin. 'A Musical Village in Yorkshire', Littell's Living Age, Vol. 188, No. 2434, 21 February 1891, pp. 510-512
11. 'Death of Mr Samuel Fawcett', Bradford Daily Argus, 25 July 1898, p. 3
12. John Lucas. Thomas Beecham: An Obsession with Music (2008), p. 40
13. 'Mr Handel Fawcett', Bournemouth Times and Directory, 5 April 1940, p. 1
14. Brown and Stratton, pp. 143-144