W.E. Hill & Sons

W.E. Hill & Sons (1880-1992) was a London-based firm, specializing in string instruments and bows. Also known as William Hill & Sons or William E. Hill & Sons.

Many fine craftsmen have worked for the firm, Hills were very famous of their bow makers. Also violins, cellos and cases were praised. Other famous products included varnish cleaner and violin e-string as well as books about violin making families.

Many of today's extant stringed instruments and bows at one time or another passed through the hands of Hill & Sons, the Alard Stradivarius, the Messiah Stradivarius and the Lipinski Stradivarius.

Hill & Sons apprentices

* Sam Allen (b.1838-d.?) - no marking
* Leslie Bailey (b.1919) - marked 4
* Arthur John Barnes (b.1888-d.1945) - marked 5
* Edgar Bishop (b.1904-d.1943) - marked 2
* Arthur Brown (b.? -d.?) - marked 10 or X
* Arthur Bultitude (b.1908-d.1990) - marked 6
* Arthur Copley (b 1903-d 1976) - marked 1
* William Grieve Johnston (b.1860-d.1944) - his bows before 1904 were marked with downward nicks in the head mortice, after 1904 the nicks became horizontal.
* Albert Leeson (b.1904-d.1946) - marked 3
* Charles Leggatt (b.1880-d.1917) - marked with two nicks in the centre of the mortice
* Frank Napier (b.1884-d.?) - marked with a pattern of three leaves
* William Napier (b.1848-d.1932) - no marking
* Colin G Nicholls
* William Charles Retford (b.1875-d.1970) - marked with single dot
* William Richard Retford (b.1899-d.1960) - marked with two dots
* Arthur Scarbrow (b.?-d.?) - marked 0
* Malcolm M Taylor (b.1933-d.?) - marked 8
* James Tubbs (b.1835-d.1921) - no marking (sometimes double stamped)
* William Watson (b.1930) - marked 7
* Sydney Yeoman (b.1876-d.1948) - marked with a single nick in the lower mortise

Bibliograpy

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External links

* [http://www.hillbows.com/ Hill Bows]
* [http://ealingstrings.info/Hill.html Books on W E Hill & Sons] (Ealing Strings)
* [http://www.cello.org/heaven/hill/index.htm Internet edition of the Hills' book on Stradivari] (Cello Heaven)
* [http://otherminds.org/shtml/Brantinterview2.shtml Anecdote about William Hill identifying a Stradivarius] from an interview with Henry Brant