Alfred Quantrell (1875-1962)
The Norfolk Music History group, Rig-a-Jig, were given a dulcimer in 2015 by a descendant of a man known to have played it, Alfred George Quantrell from Norwich.
Alfred started out as a blacksmith, then worked as a whitesmith and spent most of his working life making knives for the Norwich boot and shoe industry. After marrying on 1st January 1900, he and his wife lived in Alma Terrace, in Norwich, where they remained for the rest of their lives.
There’s a possible link with Billy Cooper, as in 1921 Alfred’s son was working in the ironmongery department of Wallace Kings’ shop in Norwich, where Billy Cooper also worked – possibly this contact would have enabled or encouraged him to buy a dulcimer!
Nothing is known of Alfred’s musical life, and whether he played the dulcimer for domestic entertainment or in public.
Alfred Quantrell’s dulcimer
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