A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Urquhart, Thomas

by Edward John Payne

URQUHART, Thomas, an early London violin-maker, who worked in the reign of Charles II. The dates on his violins are chiefly in the seventies and eighties. The model superficially resembles Gaspar di Salo; it is high, straight, and flat in the middle of the belly, and has a rigid and antique appearance. The corners have but little prominence. The soundholes are 'set straight,' and terminate boldly in circles, the inner members being so far carried on and introverted that the straight cut in each is parallel to the axis of the fiddle. This is Urquhart's distinctive characteristic. The purfling is narrow, coarse, and placed very near the edge. The violins are found of two sizes; those of the larger size would be very useful chamber instruments but for the height of the model, which renders them somewhat unmanageable. The varnish, of excellent quality ('equal to that on many Italian instruments,' says Mr. Hart), is sometimes yellowish brown, sometimes red.

[ E. J. P. ]