The HAYNES surname is synonymous with Boehm flute manufacture in the USA. But it’s all somewhat confusing – same name, no relation plus family ties and feuds. The main story is of course one of two brothers… isn’t it?

John C. HAYNES (1830-1907)

The first Haynes to mention is John C. Haynes who was a businessman who never actually made flutes himself. Instead, he was employed by the Oliver Diston Company, a music publisher. He would head up a new musical instrument manufacturing division with the name John C. Haynes & Co. The company imported and sold all manner of instruments and did repairs too. It also, for example, imported Rudall Carte & Company and Buffet Boehm system flutes before it branched out into flute manufacture, with a little help from two brothers.

Two brothers and flutes – George Winfield HAYNES & William Sherman HAYNES

With an identical surname but no blood relation, George Winfield Haynes (1866-1947) would eventually cross paths with John C. Haynes. He was a flutist and talented inventor with a love of design and motorboats! He worked first as a jeweller and toolmaker at the Gotham Silver Manufacturing Co.  He was involved in the music scene in Boston and it was local professional flutists (Boston Symphony Players) who inspired him to successfully experiment in the manufacture of the Boehm flute with his older brother William Sherman Haynes (1864-1939). [We’ll come to him in a moment.]

In 1887 he set up his own shop in Boston making and repairing flutes and was joined by William Sherman shortly afterwards. They worked together for around six years, until George left to pursue other projects in the sunshine in California in 1894. At that moment, he sold his part of the business and tools to the Oliver Diston Company… to John C. Haynes.

George made flutes in California. He wasn’t such an astute businessman, but with his obvious skill and intelligence, he tried to make improvements to flute-making and innovate. One such innovation was the “drawn tone-hole”. The drawn tone-hole process was quicker and less costly than using soldered tone-holes. It was also believed that with no leakage from the soldering, flutes with drawn tone-holes would have a superior tone quality. George also experimented making flutes with metals and lower voiced alto flutes, for which he because famous and market leader.

During this period, his older brother William Sherman moved into the limelight. He had worked as an apprentice silversmith at the same company Gotham Silver Manufacturing Co. When George left in 1894, William Sherman went to work for John C. Haynes & Co to set up his flute manufactory, making all styles and sizes of Boehm flutes and piccolos under the “Bay State” label. During this time in 1896, he created the first American-made gold flute. It was crafted in 18k gold, complete with an ivory embouchure and solid silver keys with gold inlays.

The business was a huge success – so much so, that William Sherman left in 1900 to set up on his own in Washington street, Boston.  His company went by the name of William S. Haynes Company of Boston. In 1913, the flutist, master jeweller and engraver, Verne Q Powell stared his employ at Wm. S. Haynes Co. becoming foreman. It would last until 1926 when he set up Verne Q. Powell Flutes, Inc. William Sherman filed a patent for drawn tone-holes in 1914 in several countries. There seems to have either been no communication or perhaps rivalry between the two brothers as the patent was useless since George had produced an instrument in 1898

In the meantime, in 1905 George had got itchy feet and moved this time to New York, where he set up a company making and selling flutes again. He started a business relationship with H & A Selmer and eventually sold the George W. Haynes Company of New York to the firm in 1920. He remained in charge of flute making. But things just went sour and neither party was happy. The Selmer company had benefited from George’s name and expertise for years and was not about to give it up that easily. Unfruitful lawsuits and court proceedings followed. George couldn’t even use his own name anymore. He eventually went back with his brother William Sherman. Selmer moved to Elkhart, Indiana.

In addition to the business in Boston, William Sherman opened an outfit in New York, where George spent some of his working time. George moved back and forth to Boston, working on projects such as a silver oboe. In the end, by the 1940s he was back again in California where he eventually retired. He had a wife called Leola and two children.

William Sherman’s business went from strength to strength with many innovations – even World War I had little effect on it. The company made its first cylindrical solid-silver piccolo in 1916. Its first A-flat piccolo for use in American military bands was made in 1918. By that year, it seems he was hardly making any wooden flutes. Then in 1919, Georges Barrère, then principal flutist with the New York Symphony, became the company’s Artist Advisor.

With so much success, it is not surprising that there were those who tried to copy and imitate, especially parts of the trademarks. The company trademark was changed to try to fight against this problem.

William Winthrop Haynes

William Sherman’s son William Winthrop (1890-1960) left the company in 1913 and set up a rival business. He was one of William Sherman’s five children with his first wife Capitola C Coveau – who he divorced. His son even went to the lengths of changing his middle name to that of his father’s to try to benefit from his father’s name, eventually giving up to set up another firm with a partner, John G. SCHWELM, to form HAYNES-SCHWELM.

When William Sherman died in Florida in 1939, he was succeeded by his second wife Lola Haynes, née Allison, who had been his secretary for many years.

The company Wm. S. Haynes still exists today and continues to craft exquisite handmade flutes, catering to the needs of the world’s finest flutists. More information on the company’s detailed history that followed can be found here.