Dallam was the surname of a family of English organ builders, active in England and

Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

. The first known member of the family, Thomas Dallam, originated from Dallam in Lancashire.

Thomas Dallam I

The first Thomas Dallam (1575; after 1620) left Lancashire, to establish himself in London where he became a member of the Blacksmiths' Company. During 1599 and 1600 he went on a voyage from London to Constantinople in order to deliver an organ to the sultan Mehmet III. After his return to England Thomas Dallam married and built many important organs, including that of

King's College Chapel, Cambridge King's College Chapel is the chapel of King's College in the University of Cambridge. It is considered one of the finest examples of late Perpendicular Gothic English architecture and features the world's largest fan vault. The Chapel was bu ...

Robert Dallam

Thomas Dallam's son Robert Dallam (born ca. 1602) became an important organ builder. His father died around 1630 and the first organ Robert made on his own may be the Milton Organ of Tewkesbury Abbey. Robert and his family relocated to Brittany during the

English Commonwealth The Commonwealth of England was the political structure during the period from 1649 to 1660 when Kingdom of England, England and Wales, later along with Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland and Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland, were governed as a republi ...

, when it was impossible to pursue a career as an organ builder in England. In 1660, following the restoration of the monarchy, Robert Dallam and other members of the family returned to England. Robert and his sons Ralph and George built an organ for

St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle St George's Chapel, formally titled The King's Free Chapel of the College of St George, Windsor Castle, at Windsor Castle in England is a castle chapel built in the late-medieval Perpendicular Gothic style. It is a Royal peculiar, Royal Peculia ...

, which had been damaged during the civil war. Robert died while completing his organ at

New College, Oxford New College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by Bishop William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as New College's feeder school, New College was one of the first col ...

Thomas Dallam II

Robert's eldest son was called Thomas and was born around 1630. As a child, he moved to France with his family. Although his father returned to England in 1660, Thomas remained in France building organs, several of which have been preserved in more or less their original condition. His children included Toussaint Dallam who was an organ builder.

Location of Dallam organs

England

Tewkesbury Abbey The Abbey Church of St Mary the Virgin, Tewkesbury, commonly known as Tewkesbury Abbey, is located in the town of Tewkesbury in the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, England. A former Benedictine monastery, it is now a parish church. Conside ...

. This church has an organ with a case by Robert Dallam dated to the 1630s.

France

* Ergué-Gabéric. This church has an organ by Thomas Dallam II and his son Toussaint Dallam dated 1680. * Guimiliau. This church has an organ by Thomas Dallam II. * Lanvellec. This church has an organ constructed by Robert Dallam (moved from the church of Plestin les Grèves) * Ploujean. This church has an organ by Thomas Dallam II. Dallam's contribution was the pipework rather than the wooden case. * Saint-Pol-de-Léon. Saint Paul Aurélien cathedral has an organ by Robert Dallam.

References

External links

{{wikisource, Dallam,_Robert_(DNB00), Robert Dallam Business families Breton music British pipe organ builders English expatriates in France English families People from Warrington