1860s: Saltash Military Volunteer unit formed but it is unknown if it had a band for its early years. (John Brush)
1868: To provide a Brass Band for Saltash a subscription of £60 has been raised. (24 September 1868 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1868: Saltash Brass Band formed. (John Brush)
1869: Some portion of the time, while under drill, the Saltash Brass Band (recently formed; leader, Mr Cawse, of H.M.S. Implacable) played some appropriate airs. (17 July 1869 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1870: Mr Harvey, Saltash Brass Band MD. (John Brush)
22 Company Duke of Cornwall’s Rifles / B Company Duke of Cornwall’s Rifles / B Company 2nd Volunteer Battalion Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry / B Company 5th Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry (Territorial Force). “It is not known if this unit had a band in their early (1860’s) days, but there was certainly one helping with the celebrations of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1888. Readers may have noticed that all information discovered in these pages refer to Cornwall only. Saltash, being situated on the River Tamar, the band must have carried out a lot of their functions on the Devon side of the River. They carried on until 1914 and for the last five or six years were conducted E.O. Gregory, who also took them to two Cornish contests, St Austell in 1909 and Liskeard in 1914 where they gained a 1st in the second section.” (John Brush)
1888: Saltash Military Volunteers played for the celebrations of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. (John Brush)
1894: The hymns were accompanied by the Saltash Volunteer Band. (26 October 1894 – Cornubian and Redruth Times)
1909: Pentillie Castle. Saltash Territorial Band played during the day, and at two o’clock a capital luncheon was laid in a large marquee on the terrace below the Castle. (26 August 1909 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
Thought to be Saltash Band in 1911
1914: Saltash Military Volunteers disbanded. (John Brush)
1919: Saltash Town Band formed at the Working Men’s Club in Saltash. (Band’s website)
Saltash Brass Band – date unknown
1919 to 1939: Saltash Town Band Active. (Band’s website)
Saltash Working Men’s Club Band at Victoria Gardens in the summer of 1924
WWII: Instruments and equipment placed on a barge moored in the River Tamar and lost during a bombing raid.(Band’s website)
1974: Saltash Town Band re-formed. This entailed much fund-raising for new instruments, music and other equipment. (Band’s website)
1975 – 18th June: Saltash Town Band’s first rehearsal of the newly formed band which is now regarded as the band’s birthday. (Band’s website)
1976: Saltash Town unknown result (Episodes for Brass) in the Fourth Section at the SWBBA Contest under F J Price.
1977/78: Saltash Town Band Contesting under A Price. (Contest archive)
1978: Saltash Town withdrew from the Fourth Section at the SWBBA Contest.
1979: Saltash Town – unknown result in the Fourth Section at the SWBBA Contest under K Busby playing Rufford Abbey by Drake Rimmer.
1980: Saltash Town placed 3rd (Galantia) in the Fourth Section at the SWBBA Contest under K Busby.
1981: Saltash Town Band Contesting under A K Busby. (Contest archive)
1982: Saltash Town – unknown result (Cotswold Suite) in the Fourth Section at the SWBBA Contest under F Price.
1986: Saltash Town Band Contesting under B J Cole. (Contest archive)
1987: Roy Jones Saltash Town Band MD. (British Bandsman 21st March 1987)
1987 to 1989: Saltash Town Band Contesting under Roy Jones. (Contest archive)
1988: Saltash Town Band placed 3rd (Othello) in the Fourth section of the SWBBA Contest under R Jones.
1989: Saltash Town Band placed 1st in the Fourth section at the SWBBA contest under Roy Jones playing Stantonbury Festival.
Saltash Town Band at the SWBBA Contest in 1989
1992: Saltash Town Band placed 2nd in the Third section of the SWBBA Spring Contest under R Jones.(British Bandsman 22nd February 1992)
1992: Saltash Town Band advertising for a Musical Director. (British Bandsman 20th June 1992)
1995: Saltash Town unplaced (Mexican Fiesta) in the Fourth Section of the SWBBA Contest under S Puckett.
1996: Saltash Town Band contesting under John (or James) Forest. (Contest archive)
1996: Saltash Town Band placed 3rd in the Fourth section at the SWBBA contest under J Forrest playing West Sou’ West by D Stephens. (British Bandsman 23rd November 1996)
1997: Saltash Town withdrew from the Fourth Section of the SWBBA Contest.
1997: Saltash Town Band advertising for a new MD. (British Bandsman 1st November 1997)
1997 to 2003: Saltash Town Band contesting under Dave Dobson. (Contest archive)
1998: Saltash Town – unknown result (First Suite in Eb) in the Fourth Section of the SWBBA Contest under Dave Dobson.
(Courtesy British Bandsman 26 June 1999)
2000: Saltash Town Band placed 7th in the Fourth section of the Regional Championships under Dave Dobson playing The Haslemere Suite.
2001: Saltash Town Band placed 1st in the Fourth Section of the National Brass Band Regional Championships under Dave Dobson playing Sinfonietta Pastorale by Henry Geehl.
2001: Saltash Town Band placed 7th in the Fourth section of the National Championship of GB under Dave Dobson playing Attleborough Suite by Sir Malcolm Arnold.
2001: Saltash Town Band placed 2nd in the Fourth section of the SWBBA Contest under Dave Dobson playing Episodes for Brass by R Hamner.
2002 February: Saltash Town Youth Band formed. (Band’s website)
2002: Saltash Town Band placed 9th in the Third section of the Regional Championships under Dave Dobson playing St Austell Suite.
2002: Saltash Town Band placed 1st in the Third section at the SWBBA contest under David Dobson playing Promenade by F Bryce.
2002: Saltash Youth Band placed 3rd in the Junior section at the SWBBA contest under N Ellis playing a hymn tune and own choice.
2003: Saltash Town Training and Beginners’ Bands formed. (Band’s website)
2003: Saltash Town Band participated in the Third section of the Regional Championships under Dave Dobson playing Northern Landscapes by Peter Graham.
2003: Saltash Youth Band placed 2nd in the Junior section of the SWBBA Contest under Neil Ellis.
2004: Saltash Town Band placed 17th in the Third section of the Regional Championships under N Ellis playing Vizcaya by Gilbert Vinter.
2004: Saltash Youth Band placed 3rd in the Junior section of the 58th Annual Championships of the SWBBA at Torquay under P Jones playing The Young at Heart by Eric Ball. (British Bandsman 13th November 2004)
2005: Robert Julian Saltash Town Band MD. (Band’s website)
2005: Saltash Town Band placed 16th in the Third section of the Regional Championships under Robert Julian playing Tam O’Shanter’s Ride.
2005 July: Saltash Town Band 30th birthday celebrations. (Band’s website)
2006: Saltash Town Band placed 12th in the Fourth section of the Regional Championships under Robert Julian playing Anglian Dances.
2007 October: Saltash Town Band ensemble formed. (Band’s website)
2010 February: Saltash Town Training Band re-formed. (Band’s website)
2013: Saltash Town Band placed 13th in the Fourth section of the Regional Championships under Marcus Leveson Alleyne playing A Devon Fantasy.
2014: Saltash Town Band placed 21st in the Fourth section of the Regional Championships under Mike Faro playing Three Spanish Impressions.
2014: Saltash Town Band new uniforms. (Band’s website)
2015: Saltash Town Band placed 8th in the Fourth section of the Regional Championships under Mike Faro playing An English Pastorale by Dean Jones.
2016: Saltash Town Band placed 9th in the Fourth section of the Regional Championships under Robert Julian playing The Journal of Phileus Fogg.
2016: Saltash Training Band placed 3rd in the Training Band section of the SWBBA Championships under Lauren Rossiter-Thomas.
2017: Saltash Town Band placed 2nd in the Fourth Section of the National Brass Band Regional Championships under Robert Julian playing St Andrew’s Variations.
2017: Saltash Town Band placed 12th in the Fourth section of the National Championships of Great Britain under Robert Julian playing Petite Suite de Ballet.
2017: Saltash Town Band placed 2nd in the Fourth section of the SWBBA Championships under Robert Julian playing Petite Suite de Ballet.
2018: Saltash Town placed 13th in the Third Section of the Regional Championships under Robert Julian playing Napoleon on The Alps by Philip Harper.
2018: Saltash Town placed 6th in the Third Section of the SWBBA Championships.
2019: Saltash Town placed 7th in the Fourth section of the Regional Championships under Ross Farr-Semmens playing Stantonbury Festival by Ray Steadman-Allen.
2019: Saltash Town placed 3rd in the Fourth section of the SWBBA Championships.
2020: Saltash Town placed 10th in the Fourth section of the Regional Championships under Ross Farr-Semmens playing Neverland by Christopher Bond.
2022: Saltash Town placed 4th in the Fourth section of the Regional Championships under Robert Julian playing Argos by Stephan Hodel.
2022: Saltash Town placed 2nd in the Fourth Section at the SWBBA Championships under Neil Ellis playing Saint-Saens Variations by Philip Sparke. (own choice).
2023: Saltash Town placed 1st in the Fourth Section of the Regional Championships under Neil Ellis playing Hungerford Town by Darrol Barry.
2023: Saltash Town placed 18th in the Fourth Section of the National Championships under Neil Ellis playing A Saddleworth Overture by Goff Richards. Henry Thomas, aged 10, had a mention as the youngest player in the section.
2023: Saltash Town placed 4th in the Third Section of the SWBBA Championships under Neil Ellis playing Dark side of the Moon by Paul Lovatt-Cooper.
2023: Saltash Town placed 1st in the Fourth Section of the SWBBA Championships under Neil Ellis playing Dark side of the Moon by Paul Lovatt-Cooper.
2024: Saltash Town placed 4th in the Third Section of the Regional Championships under Neil Ellis playing Corineus by Christopher Bond.
2024: Saltash Town placed 2nd in the Third Section of the SWBBA Championships playing Olympus by Philip Harper..
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.
Our thanks go to all of the organisations and individuals, whether named or not, who have provided information and photographs for this archive.
If you own the copyright to any of the photographs included here then please let us know and they will be credited or removed.
If you are able to correct or update any information included here then please leave a comment.