Thomas Todd (c.1832 – 1908) was a noted player of the Northumbrian smallpipes, considered by
William Cocks to be 'of highest rank'. One account, from 1890, states that he learned the pipes from
Thomas Hair, a blind piper and fiddler of Bedlington, who also taught Todd's contemporary,
Old Tom Clough
Old Tom Clough (1828 – 1885), was an English player of the Northumbrian pipes, or Northumbrian smallpipes. He was born into a family of miners who had also been pipers for several generations; his son Henry, grandson Tom, and great-grandson 'Yo ...
. A photograph of him is in the Cocks Collection, and was visible online.
It is known that Todd taught the pipers
Tom Clough
Tom or TOM may refer to:
* Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name)
Characters
* Tom Anderson, a character in '' Beavis and Butt-Head''
* Tom Beck, a character ...
and
Richard Mowat
Richard Mowat or Mowatt (1865–1936) was a renowned and award-winning player of the Northumbrian smallpipes.
Biography
A miner, born in Backworth in 1865, Mowat studied the pipes with Thomas Todd, and played in public alongside Old Tom Clough at ...
to play, as well as Mary Anderson, known as 'Piper Mary'.
W. A. Cocks later noted that she was herself 'well known in her day as a piper of the first order'.
Biography
Todd can be tracked throughout his life through census records. He seems to be the same as the Thomas Todd who appears in 1841 in
Longframlington
Longframlington is a small village in Northumberland, England, located on the A697, north-west of Morpeth and south-east of Rothbury.
Longframlington is a former pit village and on the site of the pit now stands Fram Park, a log cabin holiday ...
, apparently aged 7; later census appearances are largely consistent with this, but with his being born in 1832, and there is a record of a Thomas Todd being baptised in Longframlington in 1832; later appearances show that he was a miner, living in pit villages in the
Bedlington
Bedlington is a town and former civil parish in Northumberland, England, with a population of 18,470 measured at the 2011 Census. Bedlington is an ancient market town, with a rich history of industry and innovative residents. Located roughly 1 ...
area, first
Nedderton (sometimes called Netherton), later
Bedlington
Bedlington is a town and former civil parish in Northumberland, England, with a population of 18,470 measured at the 2011 Census. Bedlington is an ancient market town, with a rich history of industry and innovative residents. Located roughly 1 ...
itself, then
Choppington Station, Northumberland. A vivid contemporary picture of the Choppington area is found online.
William Cocks noted that he was a favourite piper of Dr J. Collingwood Bruce, one of the editors of ''The Northumbrian Minstrelsy'', and that he played at Bruce’s lectures, for instance in 1888. He also played at the Crystal Palace, in London, and, late in his life, at the Riding of the Bounds, in Morpeth, in 1889; a photograph, one taken on this occasion, are in the Cocks Collection, and may be viewed at the Woodhorn archive website,.
He lived in or near Choppington for most of his adult life, but a few months before his death, he moved to live with his son-in-law at
Bedlington
Bedlington is a town and former civil parish in Northumberland, England, with a population of 18,470 measured at the 2011 Census. Bedlington is an ancient market town, with a rich history of industry and innovative residents. Located roughly 1 ...
. He died in July 1908 aged about 76, and is buried at Choppington. His obituary said that around 1880 "he was undoubtedly one of the ablest players of the Northumberland Smallpipes alive ..... His execution was remarkable, but he excelled more in the quality and sweetness with which he embellished the old and now nearly forgotten Northumbrian and Scottish airs". It also states that 'considerably over 50 years ago', he was host of the Shakespeare Tavern in Guide Post, Choppington, where he was certainly living in 1862. As the tavern was sold by auction in March 1860, and again had a different landlord by 1867, it seems he did not make a success of the business. The article continues that "many came long distances to hear him play", and "he played all over Northumberland and in many parts of Durham". One story told by Todd, and recorded in the obituary, and by Cocks, tells that 'Todd once was to play a concert at Allendale and lost his way on the fells. He played his pipes "for company", was heard by a shepherd and rescued.'
Repertoire
On several occasions, Todd is recorded as having played at benefit concerts; one, in Blyth, was for the widow of Mr. William Beadon, a fellow miner who had "distinguished himself at the
Hartley Calamity in trying to rescue the miners", one, in Sleekburn, was for the Teachers' Orphan and Orphanage Fund, and another in Cambois, for the widow and family of another miner, Mr. Forster. From these and other reports, as well as competition records, one can get a partial understanding of the kinds of tune he played, and some of their titles. Todd's repertoire included Northumbrian pipe variation sets, such as ''I saw my love come passing by me'', ''Wylam Away'', ''New Highland Laddie'', ''The Keel Row'', ''Meggy's Foot'' and ''Felton Lonnen'', Scottish dance tunes such as ''Monymusk'', song tunes such as ''Caller Herrin'', ''Auld Lang Syne'', ''Last Rose of Summer'', as well as more popular pieces, ''Carnival of Venice'', and an aria, ''Sweet Spirit, Hear my Prayer'', from the opera
Lurline. In the manuscripts of his pupil
Tom Clough
Tom or TOM may refer to:
* Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name)
Characters
* Tom Anderson, a character in '' Beavis and Butt-Head''
* Tom Beck, a character ...
, the setting of "The Suttors of Selkirk" is described as the "favourite tune of Thomas Todd". Clough also attributed the last two triplet variations on "Corn Rigs" to Todd, but this must be an error on Clough's part, for almost identical variations are found in the John Hall manuscript, dated 1833; Todd was born in about 1832. This firm but mistaken attribution of the piece to Todd, from his ablest pupil, does suggest that Todd knew, played and taught these variations.
Competitions
He entered the competitions organised by the
Newcastle Society of Antiquaries from 1877 onwards, which were won for three years by
'Old' Thomas Clough (II), the father of
Henry Clough - Todd was placed second in 1877 and the next two years. He won this competition in 1882, winning the substantial sum of eight guineas, (worth about £750 in 2015, based on
RPI). He was later a judge at the Northumbrian Smallpipes Society's Third Annual Contest, 1896, sitting with G H Thompson and Charles F Bowes.
Compositions
He also composed - ''The Barrington Hornpipe'', which requires fluent use of every key on a 7-keyed chanter, is his, and remains popular today. It is unusual for pipe tunes in G to require all seven keys, including c sharp and d sharp, so it may well have been composed as a test piece.
Forster Charlton, who knew Tom Clough, wrote that when learning from Todd, Tom had the ambition to play ''The Barrington Hornpipe'', but at first was forbidden to try it, instead being given exercises to practice on. After mastering these, he was allowed to tackle the hornpipe, and found "he could play'd straight away".
A manuscript of a setting in E minor of the jig ''The Laird of Cockpen'', suitable for smallpipes, is marked with his name and address, and is believed to be by him.
His pipes, a fine silver-mounted set in ivory, are in the Cocks Collection, and may also be seen at the Woodhorn museum website.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Todd, Thomas
1832 births
1903 deaths
Players of Northumbrian smallpipes
Northumbrian music
19th-century English musicians
Year of birth uncertain
People from Choppington