John Dilworth
FORSTER, William (I) Born circa. 1713, died 1801 Brampton, Cumbria UK. Son of John Forster, above. Also a maker of spinning wheels and amateur luthier. Few instruments known, of fairly crude Stainer model with painted purfling and thin textured dull iron-oxide red varnish. Made on the old method without a separate top block, the upper ribs being set into the side of the extended neck root. William Forster / Violin Maker / in Brampton [BVMA]
George Hart
The family of the William Forster, Forsters have played Violin Maker, no unimportant part in in Brampton. the history of Violins. The attention they commanded as makers, both, from artists and amateurs, has probably never been equalled in England. Their instruments claimed attention from the moment they left the makers’ hands, their construction being excellent in every way. William Forster was a native of Brampton, in Cumberland, where he followed the trade of a spinning-wheel maker, occupying his spare time in the making and repairing of Violins and musical instruments generally. His labours, as far as they relate to Violinmaking, appear to have been of a very unpretending nature, but they served to impart a taste for the art to his son William, who was the best maker of the family.
William Meredith Morris
He was the son of John Forster, and, like his father, made and repaired an occasional fiddle. The workmanship is a little better than his father’s, but the tone is about the same. His instruments are unpurfled, and spirit varnished.
Cecie Stainer
Son of John Forster, b. 1713-14 ; d. March 4, 1801. He was a maker of spinning-wheels in Brampton, Cumberland, merely occupying his spare time in making and repairing instruments; but his work shows a considerable improvement on that of his father. He used spirit varnish, and did not purfle his instruments ; the work altogether is not highly finished, but the tone is fairly good.
Willibald Leo Lütgendorff
Sohn von John F. Er nennt sich auf seinen Zetteln zwar ausdrücklich
Geigenmacher, war aber gleich seinem Vater eigentlich Spinnraddrechsler und hat auch als Spielmann sein Brod verdient. Seine Geigen sind roh gearbeitet, haben schlechten Spirituslack, klingen aber meist gut.
