This is a rare and beautiful English flageolet made by John SIMPSON (c.1800-1869). Little is known about John Simpson. He was a very important London flageolet maker, but also a player and teacher. It seems that he was a trained by William BAINBRIDGE (1768/9-1830) and perhaps married Bainbridge’s daughter. He wrote a tutor for the flageolet called ‘John Simpson’s complete Preceptor for the Improved Patent Single & Double Flageolet’ (London c. 1829).

This single flageolet features honey-coloured boxwood with five silver keys. The rings, spacing studs and beak are all made of ivory.

According to Waterhouse, William ‘A Dictionary of Musical Wind-Instrument Makers and Inventors’, John Simpson worked between around 1830 and 1869 at the address stamped on the instrument. We can therefore date this instrument to around 1840.

If you are looking for fingering charts or indeed historic tutors for flageolets, there are quite a few available on the wonderful flageolets.com website.