I have not been able to find much on Richard Barnsley Gilmore (1839 – 1884) musician, violin and bagpipe maker in Melbourne in the 1870’s and 1880’s. He apparently learned violin making from John Devereux, who arrived in Melbourne around 1854. Devereux’s skills were abundant and duly noted however he is perhaps best known for cleverness in creating counterfeit violins.
One violin bears a label (made by) “Richard Gilmore 21 Cardigan St. Carlton, Melbourne Pupil of John Devereux violin maker to H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh.”
Gilmore worked in Footscray in 1875 and Carlton in 1881. He exhibited bagpipes in the 1875 Inter Colonial Exhibition in Melbourne. Note the cord guide immediately below the projecting mount on the bass mid-section. Interesting, uncommon…and clever.
Found on the Bob Dunsire Forum: “The Gilmore pipes on Ringos site are my set of Gilmores. When I got them they were stamped on the bottom of the bass drone R Gilmore Maker Melbourne. Whilst they look like a black wood they are actually a courser grained reddish timber probably an Australian native stained black. Unfortunately when they were refurbed some years ago the stamp was skimmed & removed. I was not happy about it.
It is interesting to see the extra cord groove on another set of pipes. I good idea in my opinion as it takes no more timber and only s little more work for the maker although not strictly necessary.”
