William (III) Forster

FORSTER, William (III) Born 1764, died 1824 London UK. Son and pupil of William Forster (II). Known as ‘Young Forster’ or ‘Forster Junr’. Active from 1779; a partner in the business from 1800. In 1803 moved to York Street, in 1816 to 87 to The Strand, and finally in 1821 to 41 Lisle Street. Continued his father’s work and developed very impressive Stradivari models alongside the usual Stainer copies. Also various grades of work in competition with the cheap imports of German trade instruments at the time. Assisted at times by George Craske and Samuel Gilkes. William Forster Junr./ Violin, Violoncello, Tenor, and Bow Maker / 1810. Also Music seller No. 43. / to their Royal Highnesses the / Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cumberland. Made and sold at / Forsters Music Warehouse / 41, Lisle Street, Leicester Square, / London, 1824 [BVMA]

Son of William Forster, the second of the family. Although this maker did not attain to the celebrity of his father, his instruments are often fully as good. The workmanship is very neat, and the modelling excellent; the varnish being equal to that on his father’s instruments.

“Young Forster,” as he has been called, was the son of the great Forster. He was born Jan. 7, 1764, and died July 24, 1824. He maintained to some extent the traditions and reputation of his father, but he failed (or did not try) to maintain the same standard of excellence throughout. His work varies a great deal ; some of it is no better than the cheapest of the modern factory noise boxes, and some is fully as good as the best of his father’s.

Haweis says there was an erratic vein in the Forster family, which in “old” Forster took the shape of “amazing versatility,” but in the younger members degenerated into ” speculative eccentricity.” I prefer to think of ” old ” Forster as a genius, and of the sons and grandsons as the offspring thereof. And it is a well-nigh universal rule that the offspring of genius are the shipwreck of genius. Genius, as I conceive it, is the abnormal development of some particular gift or faculty, with the other faculties also sufficiently strong to give it support. The offspring of a genius often show the same gift developed in the same abnormal degree, but they have not the other powers of the mind in the necessary state of health and strength to give it equilibrium ; i.e. in other words, they have not sufficient ballast. Genius without the accompanying staying powers of the mind is like a vessel without a helm. We have the children of a dozen geniuses living amongst us to-day, nearly all of whom may be recognised as the sons of their fathers, but they are more or less rudderless sails in a stormy sea. It has been often said that the sons of great men elect to walk the quieter paths of mediocre distinction out of consideration for their fathers, but this is said more in charity than in sincerity. No man puts his candle under a bushel without at the same time extinguishing it, and suicide is not sacrifice. I have seen one or two violins by “young” Forster, which were excellent as regards finish and tone, and they had his father’s amber oil varnish, thinly laid on and well polished. He made a number of inferior instruments, some unpurfled, and with two or three coatings of a hard spirit varnish, which he let out on hire. Labels : —

(1) WILLIAM FORSTER, JUN., VIOLIN, VIOLONCELLO, TENOR, AND BOW MAKER 1815

(2) WILLIAM FORSTER, VIOLIN, VIOLONCELLO, TENOR, AND BOW MAKER TO THEIR ROYAL RICHNESSES THE PRINCE OF WALES AND DUKE OF CUMBERLAND, LONDON

The number of the instrument, the date, and the abbreviation ” jun.” were added in handwriting.

Son of William Forster (1739-1808), b. Jan. 7, 1764, London ; d. July 24, 1824. His instruments are good but not equal to those of his father ; the varnish is of good quality; some instruments have a fine tone; the work is well and neatly finished. A few double-basses, made chiefly for letting out on hire, were the same shape as a violoncello, and of inferior workmanship.
and “William Forster, violin, violoncello, tenor, and bow-maker to their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and Duke of Cumberland. London.”
To this latter label were added in manuscript the number of the instrument, the date, and the ‘jun.’ He married, 1786, and had two sons, both violin makers.

Sohn und Schüler von William II. F. Er. Kam in Arbeit und Lack seinem Vater sehr nahe und stand in hohem Ansehen. Er heirathete im Jahre 1786 und hatte zwei Söhne,
die beide Geigenmacher wurden.