John Hare

History

John Hare (1672-1725) was apprenticed to Rebecca Miller, the widow of George Miller in the Draper's Company. He established himself independently from 1694 at the Fleece Tavern, located near the Royal Exchange, Cornhill, and subsequently moved to Freeman's Yard the following year. John Hare also maintained a business in St Paul's Churchyard as a bookseller, operating under the sign of 'The Golden Violin' or 'The Golden Viol', which was later acquired by Richard Meares in 1706. Around 1703, he formed a partnership with John Walsh to publish inexpensive editions of music. The musical instrument business in Cornhill employed three craftsmen: his son John, Tristram Huddlestone, and Benjamin Boston. According to George Hart, John Hare's label indicates a partnership with Freeman, with the address given as "Near the Royal Exchange, Cornhill, London." William Meredith Morris also notes a label for "HARE & FREEMAN, NEAR THE ROYAL EXCHANGE, CORNHILL, LONDON." Sources contain conflicting information regarding his identity, as Willibald Leo Lütgendorff notes that many consider John and Joseph Hare to be the same person, a notion he disputes due to the noticeable differences in their work.

Craft

• Violins: The violins bearing John Hare's label are considered remarkably advanced for their period, representing intelligent imitations of instruments by Amati and Stradivari, particularly his 1690-1700 'long pattern', which would have been a very new design at the time, as noted by John Dilworth.
• Varnish: George Hart describes the varnish used on his instruments as being of fine quality.
• Workmanship: Both George Hart and William Meredith Morris state that John Hare's work resembles that of Urquhart.
• Connections: John Dilworth suggests that some connection appears to exist with Daniel Parker, whose work is very similar to Hare's, though Parker's is considered more sophisticated.

Influence

• Apprenticeship: John Hare was apprenticed to Rebecca Miller, the widow of George Miller, within the Draper's Company.

Further Information

• Labels: An example label cited by John Dilworth reads: "Jo.Hare at Y. Viol & Flute / Near the Royal Exchange / In Cornhill London / 1708".
• Partnership Label: William Meredith Morris provides an example of a partnership label: "HARE & FREEMAN, NEAR THE ROYAL EXCHANGE, CORNHILL, LONDON".

Summary

John Hare (1672-1725) was a London-based instrument maker and bookseller who was apprenticed to Rebecca Miller. He established his own business in 1694, initially at the Fleece Tavern and later in Freeman's Yard, also operating a bookselling business in St Paul's Churchyard. He formed a partnership with John Walsh for music printing around 1703. His musical instrument workshop in Cornhill employed craftsmen including his son, John, Tristram Huddlestone, and Benjamin Boston. His violins are noted for being advanced for their time, intelligently imitating Amati and Stradivari, particularly his 'long pattern' instruments from 1690-1700. His work is often compared to that of Urquhart, and he is also noted to have had a partnership with Freeman.