William Brewster, a minister and elder of the Separatist Church of England came to America on the Mayflower and his baggage included many books, as well as a lute (or two?) and Richard Alison's *The Psalmes of David in Metre* (1599). He lived for many years with other exiles in Leiden, a center of lute music in Holland (where fellow preacher Adrian Smout of the Thysius Lute Book lived as a student). By the way, Alison is a lutenist-composer whose harmonically intense works deserve attention. The solo works are available in an edition by John H. Robinson with fresh biographical notes by Bob Spencer. Publ. Lute Society (UK).
There is a very extensive list of musical instruments in New England in Colonial Society of Massachusetts, publ., *Music in Colonial Massachusetts, 1630-1820* 2 vols. (Boston 1980/1985), about 1200 pages. The census is drawn from probate and annual tax records of the day. (Some are reproduced in facsimile.) Personal property was inventoried annually and taxes assessed on that property. I recall as a child of a similar practice in the county where I lived. By far the most popular instrument was "cittern," more popular than harpsichord or flute or violin. Perhaps this is a euphemism for English guitar. Citterns were often stored with the linens. A practice observed in England. Of plucked instruments, I count 24 citterns, 2 lutes, 2 "gittorne" and 2 "guittawur." And 20 viols. Often cittern owners also owned viols for consort performances. There is similar book on colonial music in Virginia, but I have never seen it. In a small county museum in Virginia (?) is said to be "Thomas Jefferson's lute," but someone who examined it says it is an English guitar. His daughter and a granddaughter played English guitar. The Green Mountain Boy Ethan Allen's bride Fanny took an English guitar on their honeymoon. Arthur ----- Original Message ----- From: "cetter" <[1]cet...@centurylink.net> To: "Brad Walton" <[2]gtung.wal...@utoronto.ca>; "Lute List" <[3]lute@cs.dartmouth.edu> Sent: Sunday, June 23, 2013 12:01 PM Subject: [LUTE] Re: Lute in North America > On 6/21/13 7:32 AM, "Brad Walton" <[4]gtung.wal...@utoronto.ca> wrote: > >> It was interesting to read of records concerning lutes in ..... >> New England. > > What records are you referring to? Are there records, i.e. documents, that > mention a lute in present day New England, or in any of the British > colonies? > > I was once told that lutes were mentioned in a few probate records in > colonial Mass.. But that's so vague, and I have never found any detailed > information, like a name or date, or probate record book and page number, > for such records. > > Does anyone know a specific reference to documents that mention a lute in > the probate (or other) records of colonial Mass. (or any other colony)? I'd > really like to read these records for myself. > > I've been doing my own research into colonial records for a few years now > and have been on the lookout for any mention of musical instruments. I've > found a few, but nothing for any lute family instruments. > > I have found records, mostly in estate inventories, of fiddles/violins, > flutes, tin trumpets, a dulcimer, citterns, a hautboy - but nothing like a > lute. > > Just for fun, here's an on-line reference to two court cases involving > citterns in 1670's Maryland. If you want to read the full text of the court > cases, there's a search box in the upper right corner where you can search > on the page number or words. > [5]http://aomol.net/000001/000060/html/am60p--50.html > > > C.Etter > > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > [6]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html -- References 1. mailto:cet...@centurylink.net 2. mailto:gtung.wal...@utoronto.ca 3. mailto:lute@cs.dartmouth.edu 4. mailto:gtung.wal...@utoronto.ca 5. http://aomol.net/000001/000060/html/am60p--50.html 6. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
