John (I) ROSE (ROSS, ROSSE)

John Dilworth

ROSE (ROSS, ROSSE), John (I) Born circa. 1520, d.c.1562 London UK. Recorded in many historical sources as living in Bridewell Palace in rooms bestowed by the City of London. The earliest trace of him may be a ‘Jo:Rose’ who repaired lutes for Sir Thomas Challoner in 1552, and also seems to have received a commission for ‘vyall of the finest sort’ in the same year. Subsequently recognised as the leading viol maker of his time and, according to his tenancy agreement, ‘his fame spread through Christendom’. Nevertheless, a document of 1615 (Stow) states that in 1562 John Rose ‘had left a son far excelling himself in making Bandores, Voyall de Gamboes and other Instruments ’, implying that the father had died by this date, and that John (II) had succeeded to the business and exceeded his achievements. Thomas Mace (1676) declared that he (whether father or son is not indicated) was one of five English viol makers of whom ‘there are no better in the world’. Viols attributed to Rose have appeared in foreign collections; two bass viols dated 1585 and 1587 currently in The Hague are attributed to ‘John Roos’, and a ‘Johan Roos’ is recorded in Sweden. These would presumably be by John (II), below. Most of the 10 extant viols attributed to him have been questioned and few are completely secure. [Fleming, Woodfield]

Cecie Stainer

A maker of viols and lutes in London about 1560 to 1600. In a collection of airs called ” Tripla Concordia,” published m London, 1667, by John Carr, is the following advertisement: “There is two chests of viols to be sold, one made by Mr. John Ross, who formerly lived in Bridewell, containing 2 trebles, 3 tenors and one basse: The chest was made in the year 1598.” In the instrument known as Queen Elizabeth’s lute, in reality a species of guitar known as cither, with ten strings to be tuned in five pairs of unisons, is the inscription : “Johannes Rosa, Londini fecit, in Bridwell, the 27th of July, 1580.”

Willibald Leo Lütgendorff

Berühmter altenglischer Lautenmacher, dem Hawkins die Erfindung der Pandore (einer Zitherart, die im 17. Jahrhundert in Aufnahme kam) zuschreibt.Bei John Mace in seinen »Musicks Monument« (erschienen London 1676) wird er neben Bolles als einer der besten Lautenmacher gepriesen. R. North in seinen »Memoirs of Music« (London 1846) macht auf eine Anzeige in John Carr’s Ariensammlung »Tripla concordia« (erschienen 1667) aufmerksam, durch welche eine Viola von J. Ross vom Jahre 1598 ausgeboten wird. Auch das Selhof’sche Auctionsverzeichniss (Haag 1759) führt eine Gamba von John Rose Brattwell 1599 auf. Das als »Laute der Königin Elisabeth« bekannte Zitherinstrument trägt den Zettel:

Biographies

John Dilworth

Cecie Stainer

Willibald Leo Lütgendorff

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