Edward Betts

He was the nephew of the above, and worked a great deal for him. Like his uncle, he was a pupil of Richard Duke, and produced work which has many of the characteristics of the master. The date of birth is unknown, but he died in 1817 — six years before his uncle. His workmanship is excellent. Its only fault is that it lacks in individuality, and is over-mechanical in its general appearance. He adhered to the Amati model throughout, and copied it with an exactness which has not been surpassed in Britain. Had he been so successful in reproducing Amati's tone as Banks and the other copyists had been, he would rank much higher in the estimation of posterity. But the tone is not bad ; it is round, sweet, and moderately powerful. It did not strike me as being sufficiently clear to carry far, and there was something rather viola-like about it. That might be due in part to long disuse. I have never seen a label of his.