When 29-year-old Englishman Thomas Dadswell and his 26-year-old German wife Helena boarded the sailing ship John Linn in 1857 to sail to Australia, their possessions included a rare musical instrument.
It was a violin made by Irish luthier James Perry who made a name for himself as a maker of violins, violas and cellos.
Family folklore has it that Thomas Dadswell bought the violin at an insolvent's auction sale in London. Inside the violin was a label:
Made by James Perry
Back Lane
Kilkenny 1783 No 129.
The Dadswell luggage must also have included tools and timber, as Thomas Dadswell is believed to have spent much of his time on the three-month voyage hand-making two replicas of this violin. The original James Perry violin and one of the replicas remains in the family today, more than 150 years after the voyage.
James Perry (born about 1759, died 1810) was well known for making violins, violas and cellos. His workshop was based in Kilkenny and it also produced instruments such as guitars, German flutes, fifes and tenors (drums). He is credited with making more than 1000 instruments.
He was a brother and apprentice to Dublin luthier, Thomas Perry, and a protégé of the Ormonde family of Kilkenny Castle.
James Perry's father was John Perry who was an instrument maker and land owner in Tinnakill in County Laois in the eastern and midland area of Ireland. The family was well steeped in instrument making. In addition to the father's talent, the oldest son Thomas and second son John were skilled in the craft along with other family relations.
James Perry would have been surrounded by instrument making as he grew up, and he eventually became apprenticed to his older brother Thomas.
James moved to Kilkenny in 1781 and set up his own shop on a street known as Back Lane (now Saint Kieran's Street). His instrument output was substantial, and possibly numbers around 1,000 instruments.
The violin carried to Australia by Thomas Dadswell is one of seven James Perry violins known to still exist.
Thomas is known to have played the violin even during the months just before his death (1908). Subsequently it was acquired and played by Thomas' grandson, Tom Dadswell (1900-1985) who in his latter years sold it to a great grandson of the original Thomas Dadswell.
Further reading
James Perry - luthier, Wikipedia entry by Mick Crosse
Sailing the John Linn to Australia - the Hazardous Trip
Tom and Helena Dadswell.
- Information compiled January 2025 Return to Family Stories Index Page
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