Dallam was the surname of a family of English organ builders, active in England and Brittany. The first known member of the family, Thomas Dallam, originated from Dallam in Lancashire.

Thomas Dallam I

The first Thomas Dallam (1575; after 1620) left Lancashire, to establish himself in London where he became a member of the

Blacksmiths' Company The Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths is one of the livery companies of the City of London. The organisation was first mentioned in a court record in 1299. A Royal Charter officially granting it the status of Company was granted in 1571. The Com ...

. During 1599 and 1600 he went on a voyage from London to Constantinople in order to deliver an organ to the sultan Mehmet III. After his return to England Thomas Dallam married and built many important organs, including that of King's College Chapel, Cambridge.

Robert Dallam

Thomas Dallam's son Robert Dallam (born ca. 1602) became an important organ builder. He and his family relocated to Brittany during the

English Commonwealth The Commonwealth was the political structure during the period from 1649 to 1660 when England and Wales, later along with Ireland and Scotland, were governed as a republic after the end of the Second English Civil War and the trial and execut ...

, when it was impossible to pursue a career as an organ builder in England. In 1660, following the restoration of the monarchy, Robert Dallam and other members of the family returned to England. Robert and his sons Ralph and George built an organ for St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, which had been damaged during the civil war. Robert died while competing his organ at

New College, Oxford New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as its feeder school, New College is one of the oldest colleges at th ...

Thomas Dallam II

Robert's eldest son was called Thomas and was born around 1630. As a child, he moved to France with his family. Although his father returned to England in 1660, Thomas remained in France building organs, several of which have been preserved in more or less their original condition. His children included Toussaint Dallam who was an organ builder.

Location of Dallam organs

England

* Tewkesbury Abbey. This church has an organ with a case by Robert Dallam dated to the 1630s.

France

* Ergué-Gabéric. This church has an organ by Thomas Dallam II and his son Toussaint Dallam dated 1680. *

Guimiliau Guimiliau (; br, Gwimilio) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. It is noted for the Guimiliau Parish close. It should not be confused with the neighbouring commune and village of Lampaul-Guimiliau. Pop ...

. This church has an organ by Thomas Dallam II. *

Lanvellec Lanvellec (; br, Lanvaeleg) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department of Brittany in north-western France. Culture The commune has a rich architectural and cultural heritage. The parish church of Saint-Brandan was rebuilt between 1852 and 1 ...

. This church has an organ constructed by Robert Dallam (moved from the church of Plestin les Grèves) *

Ploujean Ploujean is a former commune of Finistère which is part of Morlaix since February 22, 1959. The church was built in the 15th century. It has been listed as a ''Monument historique'' since 1914 by the French Ministry of Culture, and its organ, buil ...

. This church has an organ by Thomas Dallam II. Dallam's contribution was the pipework rather than the wooden case. *

Saint-Pol-de-Léon Saint-Pol-de-Léon (; br, Kastell-Paol) is a commune in the Finistère department in Brittany in north-western France, located on the coast. It is noted for its 13th-century cathedral on the site of the original founded by Saint Paul Aurelian ...

. Saint Paul Aurélien cathedral has an organ by Robert Dallam.

References

External links

{{wikisource, Dallam,_Robert_(DNB00), Robert Dallam Business families Breton music British pipe organ builders English expatriates in France 16th-century English people 17th-century English people People from Warrington