A rare soprano cornet that has been in the Mortimer family for over 80 years is set to be sold on E Bay later today.

Crystal Palace Prize

The soprano is engraved ‘Crystal Palace Prize 1909’ and has been put up for sale through the family and local Saxon Cross Antiques in the Fodens hometown of Sandbach.

4BR has spoken at length with Saxon Cross owner John Jones who is keen to try and make sure the cornet goes to someone with a genuine interest in brass banding and the Mortimer family.

Worthy home

”The surviving Mortimer sisters have asked Saxon Cross to sell the cornet and other items on E Bay and try and find worthy homes for what are rare articles. The instrument is in quite remarkable condition and comes with the correct case and a later engraved Harry Mortimer mouthpiece.”

Investigation

4BR has investigated the instrument further with the help of Allan Littlemore, who wrote the official centenary history of the Fodens Band.

We have found that the cornet prize is most likely to have been one won by Fodens at the Crystal Palace National Championships of 1909 as part of the overall runner up prize at the contest that was won by the Shaw Band.

We have found that the cornet prize is most likely to have been one won by Fodens at the Crystal Palace National Championships of 1909 as part of the overall runner up prize at the contest that was won by the Shaw Band4BR

Programme

A 1909 programme, which is in the hands of 4BR, states that ‘Messrs Besson & Company Limited of 196 and 198 Euston Road, London NW, will present to the second prize band, one of their famous ‘Prototype’ or ‘Enharmonic’ valve instruments to the value of £20.’

As the Mortimer family was not associated with Fodens at the time, it would appear that instrument would have been presented to the band and was played by the famous Joseph Brooks, perhaps the leading soprano cornet player of the early 20th century.

Joe Brooks

Brooks himself played with the band for many years up to 1915 in fact, but died in 1936 conducting the Rivington & Adlington Band at the Junior Shield Contest.

When the Mortimers did finally arrive at the band in the 1920’s the instrument would likely have come into Fred Mortimer’s possession and them passed to Harry at a later date.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HARRY-MORTIMERS-BESSON-CO-SILVER-CORNET-IN-CASE-