By Sam McLaren Blade | From the March/April 2025 issue of Strings
Photos courtesy of W. E. Hill & Sons
An archive is simply a series of spreadsheets containing raw data: names, addresses, dates, places, prices, descriptions, and instruments—all rather uninteresting in isolation. However, when this database is truly understood, we can use it to follow the life of a specific person or instrument, and it can help to uncover hidden secrets and previously unknown stories.
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W. E. Hill & Sons, the historic fine instrument and bow firm in London, possesses one of the largest archives in the violin world, stretching back to 1850 and chronicling the histories of a vast number of the world’s finest instruments. It is a magnificent set of documents. When W. E. Hill & Sons purchased an instrument, it was assigned a unique code, often still to be found stamped on the end of the fingerboard on the bass side, serving as a direct link to the Instrument Index. This comprehensive index, with its enigmatic and ever-evolving shorthand, captures each instrument’s characteristics and history. This meticulous recordkeeping extended throughout an instrument’s relationship with W. E. Hill & Sons, often involving multiple owners and sales, ensuring a comprehensive provenance still used to this day.
By following these detailed records, the lives of these exceptional instruments can be traced, offering a glimpse not only into their existence, but also into the lives of their owners, players, and collectors. Famous names like Kreisler, Elgar, Baron Knoop, Heifetz, Sauret, Henry Ford, and even the King of Spain surface repeatedly over time. However, the archive also sheds light on less familiar individuals whose contributions to the violin world were equally significant. One such collector was Richard Bennett.
The Early Years and First Foray into Collecting
The 1881 UK census records Richard Bennett, at 32 years old, residing at Great Lever Hall and employed as the managing director of John Smith Junior and Co., a bleach manufacturing company based in Horwich near Bolton. Employing over 200 people, Bennett’s success in the industrial world coincided with the beginning of his first violin collection. His interactions with prominent figures in the violin world, including Manchester-based dealers like G.A. Chanot, Frederick Smith, David Laurie, violinist Siegfried Jacoby, and London-based George Hart led to the formation of a remarkable collection.
Bennett’s initial collection comprised instruments that had once been part of the collection of John Adam, a fruit merchant from Blackheath in southeast London, purchased through Laurie. These included two 1714 Stradivari violins—the “ex-Quersin,” and the “Dolphin,” later owned by Jascha Heifetz and currently played by Ray Chen. He also acquired the 1672 “Mahler” Stradivari viola, currently played by Antoine Tamestit, and the 1744 “Leduc” Guarneri del Gesù, now in the hands of Augustin Hadelich.
Bennett’s early collection extended beyond these exceptional instruments, encompassing the “ex-Aylesford” Stradivari cello of 1696, the 1734 “Gillot” and 1741 “Carrodus” del Gesù violins, a 1695 Giovanni Battista Rogeri cello known as the “Lancashire Strad,” and a Gasparo da Salo double bass previously owned by Luigi Tarisio.
Toward the end of the 1880s and into the 1890s, Bennett began to sell these instruments, mostly through W. E. Hill & Sons. The da Salo double bass became a source of concern for Bennett, prompting Arthur Frederick Hill, son of William Ebsworth Hill and the real driving force behind W. E. Hill & Sons, to note in his diary: “Mr. Bennett . . . had made one very bad purchase in buying the Tarisio Gasparo Double Bass as [there] is no possibility of his ever seeing his money again . . . He is prepared, as he said, to take anything.” By 1894, Bennett had sold his collection, marking the end of his first foray into the world of instrument collecting.
Between 1892 and 1913, Bennett’s passion for collecting proceeded through two further phases. The first was for incunabula, primarily religious manuscripts and texts dating from around 1400–1600, the majority of which were sold to J.P. Morgan, the New York financier, around 1902. The second was Famille Noire, a type of 16th–18th century Chinese porcelain, popular in England during the Victorian era, most of which was sold to John D. Rockefeller in 1912–13, before Bennett’s interests returned to the violin.
The Second Violin Phase: The “Messiah” and Beyond
By the time he began his second violin collection, Bennett had developed a more refined taste for only the finest objets d’art money could buy. 1913 saw Bennett acquire the legendary 1716 “Messiah”Stradivari violin from W. E. Hill & Sons. In his diary entry dated February 21, 1913, Arthur Hill documented the occasion, writing, “The event of our business career, the sale of the most famous of all Stradivari instruments, the violin known as the ‘Messie’ for £9,000.”
Later that same month, Arthur Hill detailed Bennett’s continuing acquisitions, writing: “Mr. Richard Bennett called yesterday and agreed to purchase from us the following instruments:
“The inlaid Strad viola bequeathed to the nation by Mr. Charles Oldham of Brighton, but subsequently declined by the authorities of the British Museum, which is, in my mind, one of the most picturesque and beautiful instruments in existence, and as regards beauty of wood, colouring, and everything else, is by far the most handsome of Strad’s violas.
“The Nicolaus Amati violin which formerly belonged to Alard, Vuillaume’s son-in-law, an instrument as remarkable as the ‘Messie.’
“The violin by Maggini which formerly belonged to Mr. F.L. Bevan, the finest example by this maker known to us, for, although something like 300 years old, it has sustained no damage, and is almost in the same state as a violin made but yesterday!”
In addition, Bennett’s purchases in 1913 and 1914 included the following instruments:
• 1719 “MacDonald” Stradivari viola
• 1700 “Dragonetti” Stradivari violin
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• 1698 “Baron Knoop” Stradivari violin
• 1694 “ex-Caterall Baillot-Pommereau” Stradivari violin
• 1714 “Long” Stradivari violin
• 1628 “ex-Read” Nicolo Amati violin
• 1734 “Violon du Diable” Guarneri del Gesù violin
• “Dumas” Maggini violin
• 1703 “Dancla” Stradivari violin
• 1716 “Cessole” Stradivari violin
• 1715 “Baron Knoop, ex-Bevan” Stradivari violin
• 1693 “Harrison” Stradivari violin
• Unnamed 1733 Stradivari violin
• 1690 “Medici, Tuscan” Stradivari viola
• c. 1734 Guarneri del Gesù
• A Peter Guarneri of Mantua violin
• A 1650 Nicolo Amati violin
• “Marquis d’Uria” Maggini violin
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• A fine Lupot violin
• At least three Tourte violin bows
In 1915, art dealer Edgar Gorer, who was handling the sale of Bennett’s Famille Noire porcelain collection and reportedly still owed Bennett £100,000, was killed in the sinking of the RMS Lusitania. That year, Bennett only purchased three violins, all by Stradivari. One was the 1692 “ex-Askew, Bennett” violin, now played by Hanna Weinmeister. The other two were of even greater significance. The second, and probably his most notable purchase since the Messiahonly two years previously, was the 1721 “Lady Blunt.”
Arthur Hill wrote in his diary: “Mr. Richard Bennett, who usually calls here every Tuesday to know what is going on and ascertain if anything fresh has ‘turned up’ and whose desire to buy further fine Stradivari and Guarneri fiddles seems to be insatiable, went down to Hanwell [W. E. Hill & Sons’ workshops in west London] today to see the fine Stradivari which formerly belonged to Lady Ann Blunt . . . Mr. Bennett tells me that all the fine instruments we have sold him will eventually come back to us, and I sometimes think that he really feels kindly disposed towards us. He also says that he will never buy a fiddle except through us.”
The third Stradivari Bennett bought in 1915 was a reacquisition: the 1714 Dolphin, which he had sold through W. E. Hill & Sons more than two decades prior. Compared to his extravagant collecting sprees of 1913 and 1914, 1915 seemed relatively modest. The sinking of the Lusitania, resulting in Gorer’s death, appears to have significantly impacted Bennett’s purchasing power, at least for a time.
The Distillation of the Collection
These years of intense buying were followed by a period of relative quiet. He occasionally traded instruments back to W. E. Hill & Sons, suggesting a discerning eye for quality and a desire to possess only the very best. The Hills, while recognizing Bennett as a valuable client, were also wary of his collecting habits. They were increasingly concerned about the future of his collection, should his health fail, and the potential loss of these instruments to foreign buyers.
1916 only saw three purchases, although again quite significant ones: the 1733 “Junot, ex-Mountford” Guarneri del Gesù, the 1690 “Medici, Tuscan” Stradivari violin (brother of the 1690 “Medici, Tuscan” viola he had purchased as part of his spree in 1914), and the 1734 “Lord Amherst of Hackney” Stradivari violin. In 1926, violinist Fritz Kreisler would part-exchange his own 1735 “Plowden” del Gesù to buy the Mountford, and in 1936 he would part-exchange his 1733 Stradivari (now known as the “Hubermann”) to purchase the Amherst.
With his collection ever expanding, Bennett part-funded his 1916 purchases by exchanging back the c. 1734 del Gesù that he had purchased just two years prior. Was this decision financial, or was it motivated by a collector’s instinct to only keep the finest instruments?
Bennett’s acquisitions in 1917 may give an indication of the answer, as this is the first year in some time that he purchased no instruments by Stradivari. He did, however, carry on collecting instruments, purchasing the 1741 “Kochanski” del Gesù, a “superb” (according to Arthur Hill) c. 1732 Carlo Bergonzi violin, the 1574 “ex-Bowles” Andrea Amati violin, and the “ex-Heath, ex-Cramer” Brothers Amati violin of 1616. Bennett also purchased three Tourte violin bows with octagonal sticks, mounted in gold, for the princely sum of £80 each. Bennett typified the mentality of the collector. These instruments may not have been as valuable as the Strads he had been purchasing in previous years, but they represented the finest examples of their type.
In 1918, Bennett again was comparatively sparse in his purchases. He bought the 1708 Stradivari violin now known as the “Strauss”; two Amati violins—a Brothers of 1620 and a Hieronymous of 1692; and a Pietro Guarneri of Mantua from 1707 (Kreisler, again, would later own this). And of course, to consider “only” purchasing one Strad, one Guarneri, and two Amatis as a “slow year” is quite remarkable.
1919 marked Bennett’s 70th birthday, and between 1919 and 1920, Bennett made only three purchases—the 1744 “Sainton” del Gesù, making it the fourth in his collection; the 1715 “Alard” Stradivari, again requiring a part-exchange; and another fine Tourte violin bow.
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As Bennett’s collection grew, so did the Hills’ anxieties about his health. Arthur Hill expressed his concerns in his diary, writing: “He is over 70 years of age, and we view with disfavour the passing into one man’s hands of so many fine instruments for, should anything happen to him, we should be forced to buy the Collection in order to prevent its passing into the hands of any other rivals. This, of course, necessitates our keeping certain funds available, and an eye on the changing situation . . . for the present is by no means a favourable moment for the sale of such instruments, unless of course we let them go to America!”
The Hills’ anxieties extended beyond the potential financial burden of repurchasing the collection. They feared that the instruments would leave England, depriving the nation of these cultural treasures. The rise of American collectors, eager to acquire these masterpieces, added another layer of anxiety. Arthur Hill lamented the “ever increasing demand for the best instruments arising in the United States” and accused American dealers of “ . . . continually attacking our sources of supply, and are doing their utmost to filch from us our accumulated treasures by fair or foul means.”
Despite their reservations, W. E. Hill & Sons continued to sell instruments to Bennett. In 1924 he bought the “D’Egville” del Gesù of 1735, though, as a result, W. E. Hill & Sons had to take back the “Rode” Stradivari and the “Sainton” del Gesù. The Hills’ neurotic desire to keep these instruments in England had become so strong that they resorted to direct swaps, accepting these instruments previously sold to Bennett in lieu of cash. Arthur Hill admitted, “Our hand was forced in this matter as we did not wish the fiddle [the D’Egville] to go to America.” He allowed Bennett to run a tab, stating “his income, like that of other wealthy men, ceased to be elastic in consequence of the heavy taxation to which it is subjected.” In 1925, they sold Bennett the “King”Guarneri del Gesù of 1735 and the decorated “Hellier” Stradivari of 1679.
In April 1926, Bennett declared to the Hills that his health was declining. To try to ensure that Bennett’s collection remained in England, Arthur Hill made the extraordinary decision to buy back every single instrument. He wrote: “The breakdown in Mr. Richard Bennett’s health has brought about an unexpected and startling change in our business relations, for he has decided to sell back to us his entire collection of instruments. This Collection contains more Masterpieces than have ever belonged to anyone interested in our subject! For some time past, we have felt a little uneasy about selling him more violins and on this account we have refrained from showing him our subsequent purchases on the occasion of his weekly visits, for in view of his age, we realised that the Collection might suddenly be thrown on the market and, as we cannot afford to play second fiddle and let anyone else acquire these instruments, we are brought face to face with a big outlay! Mr. Bennett, appreciating our position and the pleasure we had afforded him by enabling him to secure the finest violins and violas in existence, has now agreed to sell us back the collection for the sum of £77,135, giving us the necessary time in which to complete the payment. Apart from the above, we have acquired his Collection of Tourte bows for the sum of £1,000.”
The Collection’s Ultimate Fate
In January 1930, Bennett moved to a nursing home in Wimbledon. On the 17th, Arthur Hill visited him there to give him a check for £4,000 toward the debt still owed on the collection of instruments, which he hoped to pay off by Easter that year. However, Richard Bennett passed away on March 23, aged 81. Arthur Hill, in his diary entry, reflected upon Bennett’s life and collecting habits, describing him as “a typical Lancashire man, very determined and self-willed, and a martinet even in his own house . . . a splendid client and latterly a friendly one to boot!”
Richard Bennett’s story, as pieced together from the W. E. Hill & Sons archives, is a fascinating glimpse into the mind of a collector driven by passion and an eye for the extraordinary. His collection, while a testament to his desire for only the finest, became a source of concern for those determined to preserve cultural heritage within their national borders. On Bennett’s passing, Arthur Hill wrote the following obituary in his diary: “With the passing of Mr. Richard Bennett, we lose the best customer we have ever had. There was a time when he would have bought every fine violin and viola by the great makers he could have laid his hands upon . . . For many years, he was in the habit of calling here in his ‘Rolls Royce’ car on Tuesdays at the same hour . . . He was a born collector . . . he had the sense to buy only the ‘best’ for which he was prepared to pay top prices, realising that only by such means could he obtain what he wanted.”
Bennett’s collection has one final story to tell. Tucked in the back of the W. E. Hill & Sons Purchase Ledger, 1919–39, is the following entry: “The Richard Bennett Collection of instruments, purchased by us in Sept 1926. No entry was made at the time of purchase in compliance with the wishes of Mr B. who had presented the insts. to his wife and seeing that his health was precious he wished to avoid the possible death duties. The collection consisted of thirty four insts, all examples were of the highest order. After some discussion with Mr Bennett he offered to accept £85,705 which sum represented the price paid by him & I made a counter offer of 10% less which he accepted without hesitation, this costing us the sum of £77,135. January 1940.”
It is curious that after making vast sums of money selling his incunabula and ceramic collections that Bennett would not seek the greatest profit from his violin collection. Perhaps he considered instruments his true passion; perhaps this was purely due to his loyalty to W. E. Hill & Sons.
The sale of Richard Bennett’s collection back to W. E. Hill & Sons marked the end of an era. This was probably the finest 20th-century collection of instruments owned by a single individual. Bennett left behind a legacy of ambition, connoisseurship, and a deep appreciation for the art of violin making.
There is a certain irony that, in their desperation to retain Bennett’s instruments in England, W. E. Hill & Sons almost certainly facilitated their dispersal around the world. Arthur Hill was right—no buyers like Bennett existed in England anymore, and W. E. Hill & Sons relied heavily upon dealers such as Würlitzer in New York and Hamma in Stuttgart to sell these instruments to players and collectors. The sole remaining jewel-in-the-crown, though, was the Messiah. Such was the Hills’ concern over seeing the Messiah disappearabroad, they would rather see it imprisoned behind glass in Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum, permanently unplayed.
Sam McLaren Blade is Archivist for W. E. Hill & Sons.
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