Charles Cramond

History

Charles Cramond (circa 1800-1845) worked in Aberdeen, Scotland, UK, and later in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada. He was trained by Joseph Ruddiman and assumed Ruddiman's business in 1810, operating from 27 Netherkirkgate, Aberdeen. Evidence of this early collaboration includes one violin jointly labelled by Ruddiman and Cramond. In 1826, Cramond relocated his workshop to 32 Yeats Court in Aberdeen. Sources contain conflicting information regarding his emigration; according to John Dilworth in The Brompton's Book of Violin & Bow Makers, he emigrated to Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, in 1834, leaving his Aberdeen shop to Thomas Jamieson. However, Willibald Leo Lütgendorff's Die Geigen- und Lautenmacher vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart states he emigrated to St. John, Neu-Schottland (New Scotland, referring to New Brunswick), in 1843. Cecie Stainer's A Dictionary of Violin Makers notes his activity in Aberdeen between approximately 1821 and 1834. Lütgendorff also mentions that Cramond came from the plough and was an extremely diligent violin maker, completing a violin every week for years. After emigrating, he made gunstocks in St. John.

Craft

• General Style: Charles Cramond was a prolific maker, generally working in the London Stainer style, though William Meredith Morris in British Violin Makers notes he also worked on an original model.
• Arching: His plates were rather highly arched, and his cellos were flatter-arched.
• Volute & Pegbox: He employed a distinctive small volute atop a swan-necked pegbox with fluted sides.
• Soundholes: His soundholes were set close to the edges of the instrument.
• Purfling: Cellos were frequently unpurfled.
• Wood Quality: The wood used was usually of good quality, though sometimes it could be poor and plain in figure.
• Varnish: Dilworth describes his varnish as red-brown and of good quality. Morris characterizes it as a spirit varnish, hard and dry, but thinly laid on, with colors ranging from dark yellow to dark brown. Lütgendorff noted that his violins were not bad unless he made them too thin in wood and varnished them poorly.
• Tone: The tone of his instruments is described as not overly strong, but clear, sweet, and penetrating.
• Construction Flaws: Many of his instruments were left too thin in wood, which, according to Morris, caused them not to improve with age and use.

Influence

• Training: Charles Cramond received his training from Joseph Ruddiman.

Further Information

• Branding: Instruments were branded on the upper back with 'Cramond Aberdeen'.
• Labels: Dilworth notes a printed label reading: "Chas. Crammond / Maker / Aberdeen, 1819". Morris provides a label example: "CHAS. CRAMOND, MAKER, ABERDEEN, 1815". Lütgendorff states that his labels often lacked a year and that he also used a brand stamp "Cramond, Aberdeen".
• Workshop Locations: He worked at 27 Netherkirkgate, Aberdeen, and later at 32 Yeats Court, Aberdeen, before emigrating to Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.

Summary

Charles Cramond was a prolific violin maker who worked in Aberdeen, Scotland, from approximately 1800 to 1834, and later in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, until around 1845. Trained by Joseph Ruddiman, he took over Ruddiman's business in 1810. Cramond's instruments, often in the London Stainer style, featured distinctive elements like a small volute on a swan-necked, fluted pegbox and soundholes set close to the edges. While his red-brown spirit varnish was generally of good quality, some instruments suffered from being made too thin in wood. He used both printed labels and a brand stamp, 'Cramond Aberdeen'.