James Philpot (1841-1911)
James Philpot was born about 1841 in Cratfield, near Halesworth in northeast Suffolk where he worked as a carter on a farm (1861) and a general servant to a poultry dealer (1871). Following marriage and the birth of a son in 1878 the family moved to live in Halesworth itself, on River Lane. He worked on farms until at least 1891, by which time the family had moved to Chediston Street in the town centre. By 1901 he was working as a road labourer, which he continued to do for the rest of his life. The next ten years were quite eventful for James, as his first wife Sarah died, he remarried (in his sixties) in 1903 and moved to Quay Street, still in Halesworth by 1911.
James taught his only son, Charlie Philpot to play, who inherited the family dulcimer and later passed it on to his grandson, Reg Reader, who said:
‘I was told that my great grandfather used to play in local halls and he had a big dulcimer which he didn’t like carrying round. So he crazed this old boy in Halesworth, who actually made picture frames, to swap him this one for the big one and … a pair of boots.’
James died in October 1911.
There are no known recordings of James Philpot.
James Philpot’s dulcimer
More photos and information about James Philpot’s dulcimer
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