Bow & Bridge

Kennedy, Thomas

1784–1870

As printed

  1. The Violin: Its Famous Makers and their Imitators (1875)

    KENNEDY, Thomas, London, born, 1784; died about 1870. Son of the above. This maker made probably more instruments than any two English makers that could be mentioned, if we except that prolific workman Craske.

    scan pages 253, 255 · line 17See the scans: 253, 255source record

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    scan page 253, line 17

    1. KENNEDY, John, London, born, 1730; died, 1816.
    2. Nephew of Alexander Kennedy. Made Violins and Tenors.
    4. KENNEDY, Thomas, London, born, 1784; died about 1870. Son of the above. This maker made probably more instruments than any two English makers that could be mentioned, if we except that prolific workman Craske.
    6. LENTZ, Johann Nicolaus, London, 1803. He used mostly one kind of wood, viz., close grained maple. Varnish nearly opaque.

  2. The violin: its famous makers and their imitators. : With several wood engravings from photographs of the works of Stradiuarius, Guarnerius, Amati, and others (1880)

    KENNEDY, Thomas, London, born 1784; died about 1870. Son of the above. This maker made probably more instruments than any two English makers that could be mentioned, if we except that prolific workman Craske.

    scan page 196, line 15See the scan

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    scan page 196, line 15

    2. KENNEDY, John, London, born 1730: died 1816. Nephew of Alexander Kennedy. Made Violins and Tenors.
    4. KENNEDY, Thomas, London, born 1784; died about 1870. Son of the above. This maker made probably more instruments than any two English makers that could be mentioned, if we except that prolific workman Craske.
    6. LENTZ, Johann Nicolaus, London, 1803. He used mostly one kind of wood, viz., close grained maple. Varnish nearly opaque.

  3. Old violins (1905)

    KENNEDY, Thomas, 1784-1870, London. Son of John Kennedy. Worked sometimes for William Forster; made at least 300 violoncellos, as well as other instruments. Good tone, fine finish.

    scan page 281, line 25See the scan

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    scan page 281, line 25

    2. KENNEDY, John. London, 1816. Buried in Shoreditch Church. Pupil of Alexander Kennedy. Violins and violas, all very arched; Stainer pattern.
    4. KENNEDY, Thomas, 1784-1870, London. Son of John Kennedy. Worked sometimes for William Forster; made at least 300 violoncellos, as well as other instruments. Good tone, fine finish.
    6. KERLINO, Joann.
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  1. The violin: its famous makers and their imitators (1884)

    KENNEDY, Thomas, London, born 1784; died about 1870. Son of the above. Probably made more instruments than any English maker, with the exception of Crask.

    scan page 397, line 9See the scan

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    scan page 397, line 9

    2. KENNEDY, John, London, born 1730; died 1816. Nephew of Alexander Kennedy. Made Violins and Tenors.
    4. KENNEDY, Thomas, London, born 1784; died about 1870. Son of the above. Probably made more instruments than any English maker, with the exception of Crask.
    6. LENTZ, Johann Nicolaus, London, 1803. He used mostly one kind of wood, viz., close-grained maple. Varnish nearly opaque.

  2. The violin: its famous makers and their imitators (1909)

    KENNEDY, Thomas, London, born 1784; died about 1870. Son of the above. Probably made more instruments than any English maker, with the exception of Crask.

    scan page 384, line 9See the scan

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    scan page 384, line 9

    2. KENNEDY, John, London, born 1730; died 1816. Nephew of Alexander Kennedy. Made Violins and Tenors.
    4. KENNEDY, Thomas, London, born 1784; died about 1870. Son of the above. Probably made more instruments than any English maker, with the exception of Crask.
    6. LENTZ, Johann Nicolaus, London, 1803. He

  3. Les ancêtres du violon et du violoncelle, les luthiers et les fabricants d'archets (1901)

    KENNEDY (THOMAS). — Londres, 1784 † 1870. Fils du précédent. Il a fait quantité d’instruments.

    scan page 286, line 22; scan page 292, line 17See the scans: 286, 292source record

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    scan page 286, line 22

    2. KENNEDY (JOHN). — Londres, 1730 † 1816. Neveu du précédent.
    4. KENNEDY (THOMAS). — Londres, 1784 † 1870. Fils du précédent. Il a fait quantité d'instruments.
    6. LENTZ (JOHANN-NICOLAUS). — Londres, 1803. Vernis presque opaque:

  4. An encyclopedia of the violin (1925)

    KENNEDY, THOMAS, London, b. 1784, d. 1870.

    scan page 55, line 24; scan page 57, line 22See the scans: 55, 57source record

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    scan page 55, line 24

    1. KEMPTER, ANDREAS, Dillingen, b. Lechbruck, about 1700, d. Denklingen, 1786.
    2. KENNEDY, ALEXANDER, London, b. Schottland, about 1695, d. London, 1785.
    3. KENNEDY, JOHN, London, b. about 1730, d. London, 1816.
    4. KENNEDY, THOMAS, London, b. 1784, d. 1870.
    5. KIRCHSCHLAG, LOUIS, 1790 to 1796.
    6. KLEIN, ALOYS, Rouen, 1884.
    7. KLOTZ, AEGIDIUS I, Mittenwald, 1675 to 1711. There are in existence a large number of old violins under the name of Aegidius Klotz. His work is similar to the work of Aegidius II of the eighteenth century, but his violins are much better and worth about three times as much as those of his namesake. He must have been a pupil of Stainer. One of his violins may be found in a collection at Berlin.

Named in 7 books printed between 1875 and 1925. Read by software from scans of those pages, not yet checked by a person against the page. Entries from 7 books stand under this name, and the software judged them likely the same person. Tell us if that is wrong and we will split the record.

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Details and sources

Record note

What this record rests on is An encyclopedia of the violin (1925); An Encyclopedia of the Violin (1926); Les ancêtres du violon et du violoncelle, les luthiers et les fabricants d’archets (1901); Les ancêtres du violon et du violoncelle, les luthiers et les fabricants d’archets; (1901); Old violins (1905); The Violin: Its Famous Makers and their Imitators (1875); The violin: its famous makers and their imitators (1875); The violin: its famous makers and their imitators. : With several wood engravings from photographs of the works of Stradiuarius, Guarnerius, Amati, and others (1880); The violin: its famous makers and their imitators (1884); The violin: its famous makers and their imitators (1909), naming this maker and nothing more. Printed under this name in 8 different volumes and treated as one person on a station reading before merge; the volumes share no distinctive printed word, so whether they name one man is an open question on this record, for a person to settle. Nothing else on this site confirms it and no claim has been invented beyond that naming — not established, until someone can tell us more.

What the books say

Places and dates of work
KENNEDY, THOMAS, London, b. 1784, d. 1870. reported1
Places and dates of work
KENNEDY, THOMAS, London, b. 1784, d. 1870. reported1
Places and dates of work
KENNEDY (THOMAS). — Londres, 1784 † 1870. Fils du précédent. Il a fait quantité d’instruments. reported1
Places and dates of work
KENNEDY (THOMAS). — Londres, 1784 † 1870. Fils du précédent. Il a fait quantité d’instruments. reported1
Places and dates of work
KENNEDY, Thomas, 1784-1870, London. Son of John Kennedy. Worked sometimes for William Forster; made at least 300 violoncellos, as well as other instruments. Good tone, fine finish. reported1
Places and dates of work
KENNEDY, Thomas, London, born, 1784; died about 1870. Son of the above. This maker made probably more instruments than any two English makers that could be mentioned, if we except that prolific workman Craske. reported1
Places and dates of work
KENNEDY, Thomas, London, born, 1784; died about 1870. Son of the above. This maker made probably more instruments than any two English makers that could be mentioned, if we except that prolific workman Craske. reported1
Places and dates of work
KENNEDY, Thomas, London, born 1784; died about 1870. Son of the above. This maker made probably more instruments than any two English makers that could be mentioned, if we except that prolific workman Craske. reported1
Places and dates of work
KENNEDY, Thomas, London, born 1784; died about 1870. Son of the above. Probably made more instruments than any English maker, with the exception of Crask. reported1
Places and dates of work
KENNEDY, Thomas, London, born 1784; died about 1870. Son of the above. Probably made more instruments than any English maker, with the exception of Crask. reported1
Born (date and place)
Born 1784. As printed in the cited source: “KENNEDY, THOMAS, London, b. 1784” reported1
Died (date and place)
Died 1870. As printed in the cited source: “KENNEDY, THOMAS, London, b. 1784, d. 1870” reported1

How the pages were read

12 of the 12 lines here were read from machine text (software that turns a photo of a page into words), not by a person looking at the page image. 6 of them rest on a section heading above a list of names, not on a trade word printed on their own line: “VIOLIN MAKERS IN EUROPE”, “DICTIONARY OF VIOLIN MAKERS”, “ENGLISH MAKERS.”, “Italian Makers.”, “SECTION XII.—ENGLISH MAKERS.”, “German Makers”.

Notes

  1. Read from machine text (software that turns a photo of a page into words, or a typed transcription), not by a person looking at the page image. ↩

The books behind this record

This record draws on 7 sources. Each is listed below with how it was read, because a claim read from a photo of the page is stronger than one read from machine text.

  1. Alberto Bachmann, An encyclopedia of the violin (1925). archive.org, encyclopediaofvi0000albe_h3k7. https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofvi0000albe_h3k7.machine textcited for 3 linessource record

    scan page 55, line 24

  2. Alberto Bachmann, An Encyclopedia of the Violin (1925). archive.org, encyclopediaofvi0000albe_u1d5. https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofvi0000albe_u1d5.machine textcited for 1 linesource record

    scan page 57, line 22

  3. Les ancêtres du violon et du violoncelle, les luthiers et les fabricants d’archets (1901). archive.org, lesanctresduviol02gril. https://archive.org/details/lesanctresduviol02gril.machine textcited for 1 linesource record

    scan page 286, line 22

  4. Les ancêtres du violon et du violoncelle, les luthiers et les fabricants d’archets; (1901). archive.org, lesanctresduvi02gril. https://archive.org/details/lesanctresduvi02gril.machine textcited for 1 linesource record

    scan page 292, line 17

  5. Haweis, H. R. (Hugh Reginald), 1839-1901, Old violins (Edinburgh, Grant, 1905). archive.org, oldviolins00hawe. https://archive.org/details/oldviolins00hawe.machine textcited for 1 linesource record

    scan page 281, line 25

  6. The Violin: Its Famous Makers and their Imitators (1875). archive.org, bwb_W9-CSA-425. https://archive.org/details/bwb_W9-CSA-425.machine textcited for 1 linesource record

    scan page 253, line 17

  7. Hart, George, 1839-1891. [from old catalog], The violin: its famous makers and their imitators (London, Dubau and co. [etc.], 1875). archive.org, violinitsfamous01hartgoog. https://archive.org/details/violinitsfamous01hartgoog.machine textcited for 1 linesource record

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  8. Hart, George, 1839-1891, The violin: its famous makers and their imitators. : With several wood engravings from photographs of the works of Stradiuarius, Guarnerius, Amati, and others (London: Dulau, 1880). archive.org, violinitsfamousm00hart_0. https://archive.org/details/violinitsfamousm00hart_0.machine textcited for 1 linesource record

    scan page 196, line 15

  9. Hart, George, 1839-1891, The violin: its famous makers and their imitators (London, Dulau and co. [etc.], 1884). archive.org, violinitsfamousm84hart. https://archive.org/details/violinitsfamousm84hart.machine textcited for 1 linesource record

    scan page 397, line 9

  10. The violin: its famous makers and their imitators (1909). archive.org, violinitsfamousm00hartuoft. https://archive.org/details/violinitsfamousm00hartuoft.machine textcited for 1 linesource record

    scan page 384, line 9