Robert Nicholson (piper) facts for kids

Robert Nicholson (1798–1842) was a talented musician from Northumberland. He played the Northumbrian smallpipes, which are a special type of bagpipes from the North East of England, and also the fiddle. Robert was the nephew and student of William Green, who was the official piper for the Duke of Northumberland. Robert later became William's assistant.

Robert's Early Music Career

Robert Nicholson started playing music in public with his uncle, William Green, around 1816. One of their first performances together was for a group called the Society for the Improvement of the English Marygold.

Performing Alone

Even at a young age, Robert was skilled enough to perform by himself. When he was just 18, his uncle William Green was sick and couldn't play at an event. Robert stepped in and performed alone for the first time. People were very impressed, comparing him to another famous young piper, William Lamshaw. This shows that Robert was already a recognized musician.

The next year, in 1817, Robert again filled in for his uncle at a celebration for Earl Percy's wedding. It's thought that William Green might have sometimes pretended to be busy or sick so that Robert could get more chances to perform and become well-known on his own.

Official Recognition

By December 1817, Robert was playing at important events, like Lord Prudhoe's birthday. He was even called "the Percy piper," which meant he was officially recognized by the Duke of Northumberland's family.

Robert continued to play with William Green for the Society for the Improvement of the English Marygold until 1823. In 1822, people said their playing was as good as the best pipers of the time. They also mentioned how the Northumbrian pipes had improved, likely referring to new pipes with keys made by Robert Reid. The Society was very keen on bringing back traditional northern music.

Duet Playing

In 1824, Robert and William Green played together at the Tynemouth Fair. People loved hearing "the ancient music of the Duchess of Northumberland's pipers." William Green's obituary (a notice of his death) later mentioned how special their duet playing was. One of them would play the main tune, and the other would play the accompaniment, like a background harmony. This was quite new for the Northumbrian pipes, as they used to be mostly solo instruments. Before the 1800s, the pipes could only play a single octave of notes, making harmonies difficult.

Later Life and Legacy

Information about Robert Nicholson's later life is harder to find. He was a witness at William Green's wedding in 1825. In 1826, both William Green and Robert Nicholson, as the Duchess's pipers, played at Ovingham Fair. After this, there aren't many records of him performing publicly as a piper.

Robert married Margaret Dodds in 1831 in Newcastle. William Green was a witness at his wedding.

Robert Nicholson passed away in Morpeth on October 11, 1842, at the Black Swan inn. He was remembered as an "unrivalled" musician on the Northumbrian smallpipes and one of the Duchess of Northumberland's pipers. His wife, Margaret, was listed as the innkeeper of the Black Swan in the 1851 census. Two years after Robert's death, another piper named Thomas Chisholm was appointed to take his place for the Duke of Northumberland.