Fowey is a small town, civil parish and cargo port at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall
1834: The Royal Cornwall Gazette of the 13 September records that: “Upwards of two thousand were present [when] the Fowey Amateur Band added much to the gaiety and pleasure of the evening”. This early report undoubtedly refers to a band comprised of both brass and woodwind players as brass only bands were still a few years in the future.
1838: The Fowey Amateur Band assembled and in their usual good style played all their national and popular airs. (25 May 1838 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1838: Hunting on Lansallas Cliffs. The Fowey Amateur Band was there and played many favourite airs. (16th November 1838)
1846: We cannot be sure if the following story is entirely true but according to Arthur Quiller-Couch, when Queen Victoria visited Fowey, the men of Looe Band were invited to augment the Fowey Band who were to welcome her. The combined band was in place and ready for her arrival but it seems that she had been delayed. It was a hot day and the players adjourned to the nearest public house – all except one of their number. A very young member of the Looe Band was left in charge of the deserted instruments. The inevitable happened. The Queen arrived and there was no band to greet her except, of course, the young bandsman. He took up his bugle (probably a cornet) and played the National Anthem. Alerted by the sound of playing, the bandsmen returned, suitably embarrassed, and it is said that the Looe men looked “perfectly ridiculous with their anxious, much be-whiskered, faces surmounted by silly little pill-box hats”. True or not, it’s a good story.
1860: No. 5 Fowey & Par Volunteer Artillery formed – later the 31st Duke of Cornwall’s Artillery Volunteers (Fowey) – but Captain Reid resigned the captaincy of this corps in consequence of the bad attendance at drill of several members. (John Brush)
The Fowey Volunteer Artillery Band was formed and reports of the Amateur Band then ceased. It seems likely that the players chose to take the Queen’s Shilling and receive payment for their music making.
John Brush stated: “Another unit formed for National Defence – their band did not appear to be overly busy up to WW1.”
1861: “Volunteer Corps. … out of respect to their comrade, about 70 of the Polruan and Fowey Volunteers attended his funeral accompanied by the Brass Band of the Fowey Battery, which played the Dead March in Saul on their way to the churchyard. Rundle was a shipwright, …” (26 July 1861 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1869: James Vivian, No. 5 Fowey & Par Volunteer Artillery Band conductor. (John Brush)
1887: Fowey Volunteer Band contributed to their enjoyment by the excellent performance of music. (31 March 1887 – Western Morning News)
Fowey Volunteer Band did not appear to be overly busy in the period up to WW1. (John Brush)
1889: Fowey display of fireworks – the Brass Band of the local Volunteers was present under the leadership of bandmaster Prideaux. (15 August 1889 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)
1889: The local reporter, for some reason, did not appear to like the band. He wanted to know why, on a church parade, the band did not go into church and instead ‘dropped off and strolled around in various directions’. On another occasion he compared them with another local band and, “Wished our band would work and play in harmony, and not so often fall out”. (St Austell Star 1889).
1892: W Hawken, No. 5 Fowey & Par Volunteer Artillery Band conductor. (John Brush)
Fowey Town Band appears to have resurrected.
1892: “Fowey Town Band played to the pleasure of those on board.” (1 September 1892 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1892: W Hawken was waving the baton with the Volunteer Band but we find that he was also conducting the Fowey Independent Band. So, the amateurs were back on the scene again but could it have been the same players in different uniforms?
1892: Fowey Town Band, under Mr W Hawken, played at the Town Hall, Fowey. (6 October 1892 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1893: Fowey Town Band, under the conductorship of bandmaster W Hawken. (17 August 1893 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1893: Fowey Town Band played at Fowey Royal Regatta. (24 August 1893 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1893: Fowey Town Band at St Winnow Harvest Festival and Sports. (7 September 1893 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1893: Lerryn String Band and the Fowey Town Band mentioned. (21 September 1893 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1894: A cornet solo was admirably played by Mr. W. Hawkin, bandmaster of Fowey Town Band. (11 January 1894 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1894: Fowey Town Band under Bandmaster W. Hawken at Golant. (12 July 1894 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1894: Fowey Town Band, under Mr. William Hawken, at Primrose League Fete at Fowey. (2 August 1894 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1894: Fowey Town Band at Fowey Passage Annual Regatta. (27 September 1894 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1895: Fowey Volunteer Band at Wesleyan Sunday School. (20 June 1895 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1897: Fowey Volunteer Brass Band. (2 September 1897 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)
1902 to 1906: S Sweet, MD but of which band.
1903: Fowey Artillery Band. (27 August 1903 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)
1905: Fowey Brass & Reed Band formed. (John Brush)
1905: J Cleaves Fowey Brass & Reed Band MD. (John Brush)
1906: Troy Town Band mentioned. (24 May 1906 – Royal Cornwall Gazette) Assumed to be an alternative name for Fowey Town Band.
1906: Troy Town Band at Fowey Regatta. (31 May 1906 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1907: Troy Town Band at a smoking concert. (24 January 1907 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)
1907: Fowey Verger’s Theft. Defendant was also bandmaster of the Fowey Town Band and was regularly employed as stevedore on Fowey jetty. (18 April 1907 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)
1907: Troy Town Band leading a procession. (2 May 1907 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1908/09: Fowey Band [assumed Volunteers] reorganised and continued into WWI. (John Brush)
1909 to 1910: F G Isbell, Fowey Band MD but Volunteer or Town Band.
1912: Fowey Brass Band mentioned. (29 May 1912 – Western Daily Mercury)
1913: Fowey Territorial Army Band led the parade to celebrate the granting of a new municipal charter. (Around & About Fowey by Peter Bray)
It appears that the Fowey Town Band ceased playing.
1916: “Fowey Volunteer Band Brass & Reed combination Band overburdened with senior NCO’s indicating that by then it was a makeshift band of a training establishment. Even so, it is a well-balanced instrumentation.” (John Brush)
Fowey Territorial Band 1916
Fowey Band changed to an all-brass combination. (John Brush)
1919: Fowey Brass & Reed Band, by now a brass band, had continued in fits and starts but disbanded. (John Brush)
1919: Attempt to re-form Fowey Brass Band for peace celebrations but if it did then it was short-lived. (John Brush)
1960s: Fowey Secondary School Brass Band active and contesting under Frank Moore. (Contest Archive)
Compiled by Tony Mansell (Bardh Kernow)
This collection is a part of the Cornish National Music Archive (CNMA) project to Collect, Preserve and Share our Cornish Heritage and Culture.
It is based on location as each may have had more than one band.
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