The artistic establishment: Trumpeters

Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (Revised), Court Officers, 1660-1837. Originally published by University of London, London, 2006.

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'The artistic establishment: Trumpeters', in Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (Revised), Court Officers, 1660-1837, (London, 2006) pp. 200-205. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/office-holders/vol11/pp200-205 [accessed 12 April 2024]

In this section

Sergeant Trumpeter 1660–1837

The sergeant trumpeter regulated not only the trumpeters in ordinary, but all trumpets, fifes and drums in the country as a whole. Often, the holder was not a musician. (fn. 1) He was appointed by the lord chamberlain and held his place for life under Charles II, during pleasure thereafter. (fn. 2) He received £100 per annum out of the treasurer of the chamber' s office and a livery payment of £75 14s 3 1/2d. at the end of Charles II's reign. The sergeant trumpeter was also entitled to collect fees for performance at court ceremonials and creations. Gervase Price received an additional £60 'for breeding and instructing of boies'. (fn. 3) At the end of the period this officer made £72 10s plus £65 10s 6d in fees of honour, £29 10s in fees from great officers, £20 in lieu of clothing and £5 10s in licenses. (fn. 4)

1660 11 June Price, G.
1687 5 Oct. Shore, M.
1700 21 May Shore, W.
1708 13 Jan. Shore, J.
1753 5 Feb. Snow, V.
1771 24 Jan. Harris, T.
1774 23 Nov. Toms, E.
1775 11 May Probart, J.
1785 26 July Fitzherbert, R.
1803 9 Jan. Crowle, J. C.
1811 8 Mar. Rooke, C.
1827 27 Feb. Parker, T. L.

Trumpeters 1660–1837

The trumpeters were appointed by the lord chamberlain. They played on ceremonial occasions, including coronations, funerals, installations and proclamations of war, peace and new reigns. At the Restoration, fifteen trumpeters (in addition to the sergeant trumpeter) were established at a salary of £60 per annum apiece. (fn. 5) By the reign of William III this figure had risen to £91 5s. (fn. 6) The number of trumpeters was reduced to eleven in 1702, rose again to sixteen from 1727 to at least 1770, but fell to eight by 1782. According to an establishment of that year, their pay had fallen to £51 per annum. These officers also received their trumpets, livery every three years worth £8 6s 8d. apiece; fees of honour; and fees for performance at court ceremonials and creations. (fn. 7) By the end of the period, each trumpeter made £46 plus £6 8s 2d in fees of honour, £1 1s 7d from great officers of state and £10 in lieu of clothing. (fn. 8)

1660 11 June Ragois, B.
1660 11 June Chaperoon, N.
1660 11 June Goldt, M.
1660 11 June Fitchert, H.
1660 11 June Beale, S.
1660 20 Aug. Hopkins, W.
1660 20 Sept. Sculthorpe, T.
1660 30 Nov. Meares, M.
1660 30 Nov. Jones, J.
By 1661 Franks, A.
1661 21 Jan. Homerston, E., sen.
1661 16 Mar. Thewer, H.
1661 22 Sept. Bounty, W.
1661 22 Sept. Deane, R.
1661 22 Sept. Knollys, T.
1661 22 Sept. Peacock, W.
1661 22 Sept. Symson, E.
1661 19 Dec. Baker, J.
1662 24 June Whitmeale, S.
1664 1 Feb. Walker, J.
1664 16 May Crowther, J.
1674 6 May Thompson, A.
1674 18 May Christmas, J.
1674 16 June Creswell, T.
1674 24 June Castle, J.
1677 5 June Barwell, T.
1677 23 Dec. Pearson, S.
1677 29 Dec. Homerston, E., jun.
1678 26 Jan. Bull, W.
1679 27 June Shore, W.
1679 13 Dec. Marsh, R.
1682 5 Jan. Shore, M.
1682 1 Mar. Barwell, T.
1683 16 Feb. Meire, M.
1682 8 Mar. Buckler, A.
1684 13 Feb. Stevenson, J.
1685 16 May Seignor, J.
1685 18 May Lefevor, D.
1685 18 May Walker, J.
1685 23 May Davant, H.
1685 12 June Monsett, P.
1687 22 Apr. Ragois, A.
1687 5 Oct. Loyscoean, F.
1688 30 Mar. Shore, J.
1689 21 Sept. Doorescourt, J.
1689 21 Sept. Batam, B. van
1689 21 Sept. Giddins, F.
1689 21 Sept. Perll, C.
1689 21 Sept. Dewell, N.
1695 28 Mar. Seignior, J., jun.
1698 7 Oct. Pike, W.
1700 5 Jan. Ernst, G.
1700 5 Jan. Richter, J. C.
1700 5 Jan. Williams, J.
1700 22 Nov. Boulanger J.
1700 19 Dec. St. Amant, J.
1702 9 July Vandenende, C.
1707 17 Mar. Sheppard, J.
1708 10 Nov. Goodman, J.
1708 16 Nov. Weir, T.
1708 16 Nov. Harris, J.
1708 16 Nov. Hopkins, D.
1710 20 Oct. Reason, J.
1714 31 Dec. Haslehurst, J., sen.
1715 28 Feb. Gosseth, B.
1715 17 Sept. C. Marsh
1717 29 Mar. Thomas, A.
1719 9 May Lenoir, P.
1722 24 Sept. Bedschnieder, R.
1723 3 Oct. Douglas, W.
1725 15 Mar. Uhl, A.
1725 20 Oct. Harris, W.
1726 25 May Abingon, J., sen.
1727 27 Apr. Haslehurst, J., jun.
1727 5 Dec. Lund, T.
1729 5 June Collet, R.
1730 27 Dec. James, J.
1731 8 May Harris, T.
1733 25 Apr. Jones, J.
1736 3 Apr. Snow, V.
1737 30 May Hopkins, H.
1737 18 Nov. Abington, J., jun.
1740 7 May Smith, F.
1740 24 June Ward, W.
1741 6 Jan. Willis, J.
1742 27 May Webb, H.
1742 30 Sept. Rowland, W.
1745 2 Nov. Abington, L.
1745 14 Nov. Snow, C.
1745 14 Nov. Lawson, H.
1746 13 May Köpp. H.
1748 18 Mar. Miller, J. W.
1750 24 Dec. Adcock, A.
1754 4 Apr. Jenkins, W.
1756 15 Mar. Turner, J.
1756 15 June Wardle, D.
1756 7 July Snowe, J.
1757 9 May Abington, N. J.
By 1759 Vincicombe, R.
1759 27 Aug. Richards, J.
1759 8 Nov. Cumberlidge, J.
c. 1759 Marley, E.
1760 4 Aug. Gwatkin, T.
1762 26 Apr. Toms, E.
By 1767 Browning, W.
By 1770 Sarjant, J.
By 1771 Macham, T.
By 1771 Yates, J.
By 1773 Jones, W.
1773 26 Mar. Hogg, T.
1775 11 Apr. Clarkson, D.
1777 4 Feb. Thompson, R.
1778 Sept. Dressler, J.
1780 Feb. Archall, T.
1781 13 Feb. Brown, J.
1782 10 Aug. Purney, L.
1784 21 July Bush, J.
1793 10 Oct. Grainger, A.
1795 Dec. Mash, T. B.
1795 19 Jan. Jones, G.
1795 6 Feb. Gardiner, T.
1795 23 Aug. Russell, T.
1796 Dec. Munro, S.
1800 20 Jan. Williams, E.
1801 6 Apr. Harding, R.
1804 23 Mar. Watkins, R.
1806 17 July Lacey, A.
1807 10 Sept. Lloyd, J.
By 1808 Priest, -
1808 28 Dec. Cooper, J.
1813 10 Mar. Greathead, B.
1815 6 Jan. Shailer, T.
1818 10 Dec. Baldwin, T.
1822 12 Sept. Davies, C.
1824 11 May Brookes, T.
1824 25 Nov. Kyle, J.
1830 10 Sept. Roberts, C.
1834 2 May Rivett, J.
1837 Jan. Tutton, J. R.
1837 10 May Grist, T.

Trumpeters in Extraordinary 1661–1685; 1696–1698

1661 Nov. Whitmeale, S.
1662 27 Jan. Walker, J.
1663 23 May Christmas, J.
1663 23 May Crowther, J.
1663 23 May Hall, F.
1663 23 May Hopkins, E.
1663 23 May Humphryes, J.
1663 23 May Milward, W.
1663 1 June Christmas, T.
1665 8 Apr. Creswell, T.
1665 30 Apr. Remus, J.
1666 2 July Bull, W.
1668 17 Jan. Pearson, S.
1669 10 May Monroe, G.
1672 6 Nov. Christmas, J.
1696 14 Sept. Pike, W.

Footnotes

  • 1. See J. Harley, 'Music at the English Court in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries', Music & Letters L (1969), p. 340.
  • 2. LC 3/3, Places in the Disposal of the Lord Chamberlain'; RECM V, 33.
  • 3. See RECM II, pp. 132, 136, 151, 161; LC 5/160, pp. 48–50; RECM I, 25–26.
  • 4. LC 3/72, p. 474.
  • 5. According to Chamberlayne (1692), p. 145: 'There is Sixteen Trumpeters in Ordinary; the last of which is in the power of the Sergeant to place in whom he pleaseth, either his Servant or his Son.'
  • 6. See RECM I, 22, 27; LC 3/3, f. 24.
  • 7. LC 3/5, f. 16; LC 3/11, f. 16; LC 5/30, p. 15; Shelborne MSS 125, p. 181. For tables of fees, see LC 5/160, pp. 48–50; LC 5/201, pp. 456, 457, 464.
  • 8. LC 3/72, p. 552.
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