John MacDougall, Allan’s son, was born January 31, 1802. He took over his father’s bagpipe business around 1834 and was listed as a turner and bagpipe maker in the 1860 directory.
I am not aware of any bagpipe or chanter bearing a stamp that indicates that John MacDougall was the maker. We know of (supposedly) MacDougall bagpipes that are believed to have been made between 1834 and 1857, however we don’t have additional evidence such as a maker’s stamp or hallmarked silver, etc. To further confuse the matter, the style of MacDougall bagpipes seems to have changed after Allan’s death and then again numerous times during Duncan’s time. Duncan was helpful in that he included “Breadalbane”, “Edinburgh”, and “Aberfeldy” with his name stamp, giving us an idea of changes between 1857 and 1898. Not so with John.
Evidence supports that none of the MacDougall makers were 100% committed to a particular design or detail. We find MacDougall bagpipes with wide cord-holders and with more conventional spacing. Bead counts vary. Projecting mounts might have a round bead or they might have a cut-bead. There may be a cut-in atop the projecting mount or it might be smooth. Ferrules and rings might have scribe lines and raised beads, or they might not. Without hard evidence, we are forced to use our best information and judgement in assigning a bagpipe to a particular MacDougall maker.
The bagpipes in this exhibit are believed to be John’s work, based on many factors and our best judgement. We welcome information that will improve our understanding of John MacDougall bagpipes.
The bagpipe below came to me many years ago with a badly damaged bass drone. Fearing that the situation would worsen and split the ivory, I had the ivory removed and a new bass drone fashioned. Many years later, on a whim, I partnered the tenor drones with a Chris Terry bass drone and that experienced changed my perspective forever. The blend was absolutely seamless. I called Sarajane into the living room to have a listen and her comment was “I can’t hear the tenor drones.” I popped off the bass and she was astounded. The tenors were bold and ringing. They blended perfectly with the bass created a single seamless sound.
