Brampton School
John Forster
Brampton, c.1688–1781
John Forster (circa. 1688-1781) was the founder of the renowned Forster dynasty of violin makers. Born in Kirkandrews, Longtown, and later settling in Brampton, Carlisle, he was primarily a spinning-wheel maker and gunsmith. Although he occasionally made violins, his instruments are characterized by a high model, resembling Stainer's, and are described as rude and unfinished.
Maker Overview
Life
John Forster (circa. 1688-1781) was born around 1688 in Kirkandrews, Longtown, and passed away in October 1781 in Brampton, Carlisle, UK. He is recognized as the founder of the celebrated Forster dynasty of violin makers. Primarily, he was a maker of spinning-wheels and a gunsmith, described as a "very ingenious man" who occasionally made fiddles. William Meredith Morris also states that he made only an occasional instrument.
Characteristics
- Primary Occupations
- John Forster was primarily a spinning-wheel maker and a gunsmith.
- Violin Making
- He occasionally made violins.
- Model
- His violins were made on a very high model, resembling that of Stainer, although the outline was somewhat similar to the pattern of an Amati. John Dilworth also notes the model was "very high, resembling Stainer."
- Workmanship
- His work is described as "rude and unfinished" by Cecie Stainer and William Meredith Morris. Willibald Leo Lütgendorff observed that an instrument attributed to him was "sehr oberflächlich durchgeführt" (very superficially executed).
Influence and legacy
- Dynasty Founder: John Forster founded the celebrated Forster dynasty of violin makers.
Biographies
The overview above is drawn from the following published accounts. Read them in the original:
John Dilworth+
FORSTER, John Born circa. 1688 Kirkandrews, Longtown, died 1781 Brampton, Carlisle UK. Founder of the Forster dynasty of violin makers. Spinning wheel maker and gunsmith; occasional violin maker. Work unknown today but a description is found in Simon Andrew Forster’s History of the Violin (1864): ‘Rude and unfinished, model very high, resembling Stainer’. [Sandys & Forster]
George Hart+
A maker of spinning-wheels and Violins.
William Meredith Morris+
The first of this celebrated family to make fiddles. He made only an occasional instrument, on the Stainer model, and the work is rough and unfinished.
Cecie Stainer+
b. about 1688, at Kirkandrews, on the Esk; d. Oct., 1781, Brampton, Cumberland. He was the first member of the celebrated family of Forsters to make violins. He early settled in Brampton, and was a maker of spinning-wheels, also a gunmaker; “a very ingenious man, and occasionally made fiddles.” A violin, said to be his, is made on a very high model, resembling that of Stainer, although the outline was somewhat similar to the pattern of an Amati, but the work was rude and unfinished.
Willibald Leo Lütgendorff+
Der Stammvater der berühmten Geigenmacherfamilie seines Namens. Er
war eigentlich Spinnrad- und Büchsenmacher, aber in vielen Künsten beschlagen,
und machte gelegentlich auch Geigen. Ein ihm zugeschriebenes Instrument ist
sehr oberflächlich durchgeführt, hoch gewölbt und folgt einem Modell, das etwa
in der Mitte zwischen dem des Stainer und dem der Amatischule liegt.
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