Books › the history of the violin, 1864 › scan 363
Scan 363
the history of the violin, 1864
4 lines. Read by computer on 28 September 2026. Printed page 341. See the scan on archive.org.
1knowledge. The consequences may be arrived at very easily. These misfortunes compelled the sacrifice of the freehold and leasehold property, also what money remained in the funds, all of which descended to him from the father, and were absorbed to liquidate large debts, greatly to the detriment of a family of thirteen children then living, consisting of nine daughters and four sons; one son had died in the early part of this century by an accident through the carelessness of the nurse. A broken spirit and the despondency which existed in the latter years of the life of W. Forster (3), were very painful to witness; and at length death relieved him of mental and bodily sufferings on the 24th July, 1824, and he was buried a few days afterwards in the family grave, in the churchyard of Saint Martin's in the Fields.
3We have now arrived at the fourth and last of the name of William Forster that have been makers of violins, tenors, and violoncellos. He was the eldest son of the previous W. Forster (3), and was born the 14th of December, 1788, at No. 348, Strand; he possessed good mechanical abilities, with mental endowment for invention; but this last qualification was chiefly employed upon articles of pleasure and enjoyment, although many branches of the business were improved and facilitated by him. He little cared whether it was wood or metal he was working, all were made obedient to his manipulation. He was an excellent workman, and the instruments he made were beautifully finished. But the workroom had little inducements for him; athletic and rural sports absorbed his thoughts, and having a hasty temper little could be accomplished with him at home. He was instructed in violin-making partly by his grandfather and father; but his wild career could not be subdued, and at length it was deemed advisable to place him
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