Barnabas Brighton (1856-1919)
Barnabas Brighton was born in 1856 in Saxlingham Nethergate, a village due south of Norwich on the main Norwich to Ipswich road, where he lived all his life.
He was a bricklayer by trade and used to play the dulcimer for dancing in the village hall in Saxlingham Nethergate on a Saturday night, with a piano player, or sometimes and an accordion player.
The dulcimer was passed down to Barnabas’ son Leslie and then to Leslie’s nephew Jack Kirby, who kept it in his attic in Hempnall, a village a few miles further east. It had not been played since Barnabas died in 1919.
Barnabas Brighton’s dulcimer
His daughter believed he bought the dulcimer about 1895. It is a very typical Norfolk model. It has four strings per course over 20 bridges (at least one replacement made in late 20th century), and two soundholes decorated with stencilled gilt stars. It is in a wooden case, and has retained some original cane beaters.
A diagram of this instrument may be seen on the Dimensions page.
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