Miscellaneous Waits

Snippets of history concerning various Waits

Aberdeen Alnwick Bath Berwick Boston Chester Copenhagen Dublin Durham

Early Waits Exeter Glasgow Haarlem Hackney Hexham Lichfield Linlithgow Newark

Northampton North Shields Prague Plymouth Salisbury Scarborough Vienna Viljandi York Wakefield

Aberdeen

In 1593 we find the Magistrates ordering ‘ane garment of reid Inglis flaning’ for the Town Drummer. This is our first reference to an office which was to survive till 1878, announcements in the 15th century having been made by a Bellman with a handbell.
One of the most colourful characters of the time was the Town Piper, who played for the entertainment of citizens and visiting dignitaries. In 1630 however, the Council dispensed with his services describing his performance as ‘ane incivill forme to be usit within a famous burgh’.
(Originally gleaned from: http://www.british-publishing.com/Pages/AberdeenOG/history.html, although this website appears to no longer exist today (4 August 2009).

James Allan, Alnwick Wait

from a list of official pipers to the Percys of Alnwick on a website on the history of the Northumbrian pipes at http://www.northumbrianpipes.com/DucalPipers.htm

1746-7   James Allan played for the Countess of Northumberland

1752   Walpole records that "the Countess has her pipers"

1760   James Allen accompanied the Countess to the Coronation of George III

1766   In the publication "The Life of Allan" it states that James Allan wore the Percy's crusade trophy on his right arm

1769   James Allan appointed town waite by the Chamberlain of Alnwick

1769   James Allan dismissed as town waite of Alnwick and from the castle for stealing

1803   James Allan convicted at Durham Assizes of horse stealing. He escaped hanging and deportation, and died in 1810. His pardon, signed by the Prince Regent, arrived two days after his death.

There's more on James Allan at http://www.farneweblog.com/stories/storyReader$193 including a picture and details of the biography mentioned above.

Another eighteenth century Alnwick Wait:

"John Young was dismissed in 1749 as an Alnwick Town Wait."

"Three Youngs are known to us, all living in Alnwick. One, John, was dismissed in 1749 as the last of the Town Waits. The other names are George, and James, his son. The family were pipemakers, James supplying Robert Reid's father (also Robert) with his first set of 'large' Northumbrian pipes. Little else is known of them."

Bath Waits

"By and by comes music to play to me, extraordinary good as ever I heard at London, or anywhere."
Samuel Pepys Diary, Bath, 1668. (In context, these strolling musicians could only have been the Waits of Bath.)

"The city fathers were not slow to cash in on the prestige accorded to an on-tap musical establishment and, in 1733, re-established the City Waits, whose business was "to attend the Corporation on all occasions" for which the remuneration was four guineas per annum. They may have had second thoughts as to the wisdom of this action when, in 1773, a refusal to desist from playing in Lodging Houses "to the great disturbance of the sick" led to their stigmatisation as "vagrants and extortioners"."
(A quote on Bath Waits from http://www.bathbaroque.com/history.htm).)

"The customs that particularly relate to the Strangers be welcoming with them to the city, first by a Peal of the Abbey Bells and, in the next place, by the Voice and Musick of the City Waits ... the Waits seldom miss their fee of a Crown, Half-a-Guinea, or a Guinea, according to the Rank of the People they salut.”
John Wood, 'Description of Bath', (1769)

Berwick Waits

Waits are discussed and the following waits are mentioned in: Roz Southey 'Music-making in North-East England during the eighteenth century' (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2006), as well as many other local musicians, fiddlers, pipers etc (some of whom may have been waits)

BERWICK
McGill, David fl.17--
Oswald, John fl.1735
Tate, Henry d.1784

Music for civic ceremonies from 16th-19th Centuries were provided in Berwick by the town 'waites'.
Early on some of these were quite talented - for example between 1735 and 1758 John Oswald from Crail was employed to lead the waits. His son James Oswald (1710-1769) became one of the leading composers of his day in the Scots/Italian style eventually ending up at the court of George III. Oswald's music is now enjoying something of a revival.
But by the 19th.century the waits' lack of talent had become an embarrassment and the post was abolished.
http://www.exploreberwick.co.uk/ArtsInBerwick/Music/6_04.htm

Boston Waits

From: "The History and Antiquities of Boston", by Pishey Thompson, 1856.

In 1573, "Edward Astell, of Boston, musician, with his several apprentices, were appointed the 'waytes' of the borough, to play every morning throughout the borough, from Michaelmas until Christmas, and from the twelfth day until Easter (certain holidays and Fridays excepted), unless reasonable cause be to the contrary. It was, therefore, agreed by the Mayor and burgesses, that for and towards their paynes and travail in this behalf, every alderman shall pay to the said Edward yearly, so long as he shall continue to be wayte of this borough, 4s., by equal payments at Christmas and Easter, and each of the common council, 2s. annually in like manner. All other inhabitants to pay yearly to the said Edward in like manner, such sums as they shall be taxed by the Mayor, recorder, and aldermen."

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Chester Waits

The city waits performed the music at official and private events and gave public recitals; some also taught music and dancing. Their rivals locally were the minstrels licensed by the Dutton family, and there was a fracas between the two in 1610. (fn. 8) From: 'Early modern Chester 1550-1762: Economy and society, 1550-1642', A History of the County of Chester: Volume 5 (i): The City of Chester: General History and Topography (2003), pp. 102-09. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=19195&strquery=waits .

Copenhagen

Johann Schop (1590-1664) became a member of the Royal Danish Court musicians in Copenhagen and, in 1621, leader of the Ratsmusik (municipal musicians) group in in Hamburg, Germany. There's an engraving of him at http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/s/c/schop_j.htm

William Brade (1560-1630) whom we know as a court musician in Denmark and Brandenburg and a composer of consort music, was a stadtpfeifer in Hamburg from 1608-1610 and again 1613-1615. Subsequently he worked as a stadtpfeifer in Gottorp, Copenhagen, Halle, Güstrow and Berlin. http://www.hoasm.org/IVM/Brade.html

"Only very rarely does one get to hear a cornettist. I myself have only heard one who knew how to play this instrument well: a musician who, like myself was serving with the city musicians in Copenhagen."
Lorentz Nicolaj Berg, "Den forste Probe for Begundere ude Instrumental-Kunsten", 1782.

Dublin Waits

On 7 July 1591 regarding the city waits of Dublin, it was unanimously agreed by the city corporation "that every alderman shall pay eighteen pence yearly; every of the number of XLVIII shall pay twelve pence yearly; and every of the four score and sixteen shall pay nine pence yearly; and every house in the city other than the houses of the said persons shall pay four pence yearly; the same to be paid every half year during our good liking of the said musicians.

Grattan Flood's paper on the Dublin waits.

Durham Waits

Waits are discussed and the following waits are mentioned in: Roz Southey 'Music-making in North-East England during the eighteenth century' (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2006), as well as many other local musicians, fiddlers, pipers etc (some of whom may have been waits)

DURHAM
Blenkinsop, Peter d.1778
Bone, Peter fl.1788
Burlingson, William fl.1778
Young, Philip d.1788

Early Waits

“By that was the day don: dymmed the skyes, Merked montayns and mores aboute, Foules fallen to fote and here fethres rysten, The nyght-wacche to the walle and waytes to blowe.”
Siege of Jerusalem. Anon., circa 1390-1400, edited by Michael Livingston, Kalamazoo, Michigan: Medieval Institute Publications, 2004.

"When the table was y-drawe, Theo Wayte gan a pipe blawe".
Kyng Alysaunder, 14th cent.

Exeter Waits

1590
The shall vppon euerye pryncipall feast Daye attende the mayor vnto St. Peters Churche and goe before hym too & too [there were 4 of them] next before the Sergeantes.
The shall trewlye & in salffitie redelyver at all tymes when the same shalbe required of theym suche settes & Noyses of Instrumementes as they have of the Citie aswell Recordes as others Bought at the Cities charges ... Whiche sayde Instrumentes ar as followethe A Doble Curtall A Lyserden, Too tenor hoyboyes, a Treble hoboyes A Cornet A sett or case of ffower Recorders Bowght by mr. Nicholas martyn.

http://www.exeter.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=2910 says:
"The waits were the city Chamber's own band of musicians, who wore these chains over fine cloaks provided by the Chamber. They performed in the streets, and outside the Mayor's house at Christmas; they also celebrated coronations, victories and anniversaries. Three of the silver waits' chains were made in the 15th century; they are believed to be those re-made in 1476-7 at a cost of 14s (70p); the fourth is of the early 16th century. Each chain consists of alternating letters X and R, each enclosed in a circle and joined to its neighbours by rings. They are now amongst the city's greatest treasures. In 1957 a replica set was made, since the originals are irreplaceable. These are now worn by the Mace Sergeants."

There's a picture of a badge and part of the chain at http://www.exeter.gov.uk/media/image/2/j/waits_1.jpg

http://www.worldmilitarybands.com/The%20Waits.htm says:
"Three of four beautiful silver waits chains, believed to date from 1476, are comprised in Exeter City regalia."
"John Hooker (1525-1601 ), the town-clerk historian of Exeter, left a valuable manuscript 'Description of the Citie of Exeter', in which he gives the composition of the waits band in 1575 as "A Doble Curtall, a Lyserden, Two Tenor Hoyboyes, a Treble Hoyboyes, a Cornet, a set or case of fower Recorders". "
"In 1602 the Exeter Waits agreed to buy a set of "vyalls"."
"At Exeter in 1602 the four waits each received yearly wages and their accustomed livery. A curious privilege allowed one of the waits, with consent of his fellows, to keep at his sole cost two boys trained up in music to join with the waits. "
and
"The Municipal Reform Act Of 1835 led to the disbanding of the waits in nearly every case but as at Exeter and elsewhere, financial stringency arising from the Napoleonic wars had led to the waits' dismissal as early as 18l5."

http://genuki.cs.ncl.ac.uk/DEV/History.html gives the following reference:
Draisey, John. Discordant Notes or A Broken Consort; Exeter's Waits in 1631.
In Devon Documents (ed. T. Gray). Tiverton: Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries, Special Issue (1996) [ISBN 0925836203] pp.62-66.

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Glasgow

"There was never but one concert during the two winters I was at Glasgow, and that was given by Walter Scott, ... his band of assistants consisted of two dancing-school fiddlers and the town-waits," complained one writer.
from http://www.theglasgowstory.com/story.php?id=TGSBB01

A Haarlem stadtpijper

Jan Willemszoon Lossy, a town piper from Haarlem, (1545-1629) was a countertnor and shawm player at Haarlem. Nowadays he is best known as one of Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck's music teachers.

Hackney Waits

Three waits were licensed by Francis Tyssen in 1704 to play within the manor of Hackney, in an attempt to control revelry which had become a cloak for crime.
From: 'Hackney: Social and Cultural Activities', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 10: Hackney (1995), pp. 65-73.
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=22705&strquery=waits.

Hexham Waits

Waits are discussed and the following waits are mentioned in: Roz Southey ‘Music-making in North-East England during the eighteenth century’ (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2006), as well as many other local musicians, fiddlers, pipers etc (some of whom may have been waits)

HEXHAM
Fairweather, John fl.1788
Hull, William fl.1724
Kell, Jasper fl.1711-33

Lichfield

A History of the County of Stafford: Volume 14: Lichfield (1990)
Certain aspects of the festivities, such as the [Bower] procession, the morris dancing, and the bower itself may have derived from earlier folk customs. In 1698 Celia Fiennes referred to the occasion as the Green Bower; the main attractions were then the dressing of the dozeners' pageants (which she called 'babys') with garlands, and the procession to Greenhill. Besides the bailiffs' bower there were then smaller ones in which fruit and sweetmeats were sold. In the 1730s or 1740s Richard Wilkes, the antiquary, noted how people flocked from the neighbouring villages to see 'this gaudy show'; each ward had its own mawkin (doll) or a posy of flowers carried in the procession, with the city drummers providing music.
The bishop's minstrels played at the Whitsuntide inspection of the watch at Greenhill in 1421, and in 1449 histriones (either minstrels or dramatic performers) from Lichfield entertained Sir William Vernon, possibly when he was visiting his manor of Wall. A fiddler was enrolled as a member of St. Mary's guild in 1488-9. Minstrels played for the shoemakers' company at their feasts in the later 16th century. The Lichfield waits were mentioned in 1572 when they travelled to Wollaton Hall (Notts.) to play for the Willoughby family. Praised by visitors who heard them at the Swan in 1634, the waits then wore the badge of Robert Devereux, earl of Essex, who held a life interest in Lichfield manor. Trumpeters and drummers played at the feasts of the smiths' company in the late 17th century and in the later 1730s, and drummers played at the Greenhill Bower festivities in the earlier 18th century.
It seems that supporters of parliament against Charles I achieved prominence under the patronage of Robert Devereux, earl of Essex (d. 1646). From 1604 Essex held a lease of Lichfield manor for life, and the Lichfield waits wore his badge.

Linlithgow

"The Life of Marmaduke Rawdon of York", ed. Robert Davies, The Camden Society, 1863, relating to Rawdon's travels in Scotland in 1664, specifically to Lithgoe (Linlithgow):
"The waites of this towne, as likewisse of most greate townes in Scottland, is a drume and a bagpipe."

Newark

From "The History of Newark" by Cornelius Brown. ISBN 0900943 70x publ. 1904 and 1995. Available online at http://www.nottshistory.org.uk/Brown1896/brown.htm

Vol 2, pp 10, 11.
Newark 1565: It was ordered that "Any person nowe inhabitinge or which hereafter shall inhabit within the town of Newark and liberties of the same shall pay towards the wage of the waites that now be and that hereafter shall be appoynted such sum or sums of money as shall be assessed and set upon than by the Alderman and assistants; and further that at any marriage or feasting no inhabitants should have any other musicians but the waits of the said town. (source not given

Vol 2, p11.
Brown references Nottingham Borough Records, IV pp137, 140:
1571: "Item gevyn to the Weytes of Neworke viiid."
1572: "Item gevyn to the Weytes of Neworke the 29 of July, vid."
Both payments were for performing in Nottingham Guildhall.

Vol 2, p149.
Brown references Lincoln accounts: "In Lincoln City records, under date 1695/1696, is this entry:- 'For putting the reception of the king, when he came into this city, in the Gazette, 15s'; and there are various payments on the same occasion to the King's servants and to the Newark Waits.

Vol 2, p270.
"The insignia consists of 2 maces, a Mayor's wand, a Mayor's chain and badge, 4 Waits' badges, a Mayor's badge of gold and enamel and the town seals."

Vol 2, p271.
"The Waits' badges, two of which are now worn by the Sergeants-at-Mace, are silver chains with pendant shields of the towns arms. They are engraved on the back with the initials and dates of various wearers, the earliest being 1713."

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Northampton

"Glossary of Northamptonshire Words and Phrases" by Anne Elizabeth Baker (1854)

WAITS. The Corporation of Northampton, within the remembrance of my informant, had a band of musicians called the corporation waits, who used to meet the judges at the entrance into the town at the time of the assizes. They were four in number, attired in long black gowns, two playing on violins, one on the hautboy, and the other on a whip and dub, or tabor and pipe.

North Shields Waits

Waits are discussed and the following waits are mentioned in: Roz Southey 'Music-making in North-East England during the eighteenth century' (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2006), as well as many other local musicians, fiddlers, pipers etc (some of whom may have been waits)

NORTH SHIELDS
Allan, James fl. 1770s (the well-known piper)

Simon Reicha, Town Piper of Prague

The Bohemian-born composer Anton Reicha (1770-1836) was father of the wind quintet; the ensemble of flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and French horn. Reicha's father, Simon, was the town piper of Prague - this was a paid municipal position that required the piper to climb the town tower at various times of day to announce the hour by tootling. He died when his son was one year old.

Plymouth

Plymouth Borough courts etc., First Folio
ref. 1/359/53 - date: 17cent
Petition of the waytes of the borough of Plymouth to the Mayor, Aldermen and Magistrates regarding the payment of waytes.

Salisbury

A History of the County of Wiltshire: Volume 6 (1962)
Appointments of lesser city officials were only occasionally recorded. Three minstrels were regularly paid for livery in the 15th century, and were allotted a dwelling place in Rollestone in 1479. Their successors were no doubt the four waits who had silver chains in 1572.

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Scarborough

From The London Gazette(1688)

Scarborough, 3 July [1688] - On Sunday last, the day of publick Thanksgiving for the Birth of the Prince, Mr. Mayor, with the Aldermen and Commons, were in the Evening invited to the Castle by Capt. Wolsley, who commands in chief there, where they were, with divers Gentlemen, very generously entertained; the great Guns firing, and the Soldiers giving Vollies at the drinking Their Majesties' and the Prince's Healths: After which the Officers and the rest of the Company went with Mr. Mayor to his House, (the Town Musick playing all the way before them,) where they repeated the Royal Healths:

[This was of course the birth on June 10th that year to King James II and Queen Mary of a Catholic heir, James Francis Edward Stuart, subsequently to be known as The Old Pretender - Alan Radford.]

York Waits

Once a year on the Feast of St. John the Evangelist a special and impressive Installation of the Grand Master took place. Following Divine Service, conducted in the church in Coney Street by the Grand Chaplain, election to the office was confirmed by the Master Masons in the Lodge meeting at their usual Inn. From here,around midday, a procession of the Lodge members in full regalia was formed undertheir banner and, led by the Town Waites, they marched to either the Hall of the Merchant Adventurers in Piccadilly or of the Merchant Taylors in Aldwark. Here the full and formal Installation took place after which there was a proper banquet.
From: GRAND LODGE OF ALL ENGLAND AT YORK AND ITS PRACTICES, V.W. Bro. the Revd. Neville Barker Cryer, P.G.C.

Letter from Sir William Robinson, York, to his son Metcalfe at Tom's Coffee House, Covent Garden, London Date 4 Jun 1716
Gout has made him lame, but hopes to be out and about for the thanksgiving celebrations [on the suppression of the Jacobite rebellion]: 'our town designs to be very loyall, having orderd 40 pounds out of the public stock to be laid out in wine and bisket, in order to intertain the clergy and gentlemen at the Common Hall, from whence we are to proceed to the Minster in our formalitys, with drums, trumpets and the waits'; the celebrations on 28-29 May

West Yorkshire Archives

Vienna - Collection of Old Musical Instruments including zinken of town pipers

Among the brass wind instruments are a richly ornamented trumpet made for Duke Ferdinand of Tyrol in 1581 and silver trumpets from Maria Theresa's Court Band, The woodwind collection includes "Zinken" (lit. cornets) used by the town pipers.

Extant Viljandi Town Waits (Estonia):

http://festivitas.ee/?id=2163 contains "Tarmo Tabas studied singing at Tartu College of Music, and has sung in the early music ensemble Via Sonora. At the same time he was for many years a member of the Viljandi Town Waits." contact: tarmota@gmail.com

Wakefield

QUARTER SESSIONS RECORDS OF THE WEST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE
Date Oct 1724
Description includes petition of "one of Wakefield Waits" re harassment by attorney

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