James Findlay

He was born at a farm near Brechin, in Forfarshire. He made about five hundred instruments, mostly violins on the Guarneri model. I have seen only three of his violins, which were on the Stradivari model, one being well-made, of good wood, with a large tone. He made several copies of a very old violin in the possession of Mr. J. Michie, Brechin, and these are said to be his best, both in workmanship and tone. The said old fiddle is on an original model, something between the models of Strad and Joseph, and has a sweet and mellow tone. It is nearly black through oxidation, and is very correctly christened " Black Meg," as it is a fiddle with a character, and deserves a name. It was down here for inspection some two years ago, and both its nationality and parentage are still a puzzle to me. There is a characteristic quaintness about the work of Findlay, as may be inferred from the fact that he copied an unconventional instrument of the type of the old fiddle just named. His wood is mostly plain, and the varnish usually a spirit one. He had two or three labels ; the one in the instruments examined by me ran : — JAMES FINDLAY, PADANARAM, 1870 This was handwritten ; others are printed.