G W Price - South Africa

[father-willis]

Can anyone help with information concerning George William PRICE ? He was an organ builder who emigrated and set up business in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape, South Africa  c1880. He is listed as an organ builder, piano tuner and dealer and general music supplier. What we do know is that he was born c1846 in England and died 30th January 1924 in Cape Town. He had married Anne (Tapp) presumably before leaving England. She was born c1844 in England and died in Cape Town 21st December 1925.

Price appears to have been quite prolific in re/building instruments throughout his carrier all over South Africa. It would be very good to know where he trained. There are recorded two people (married) of the same name in Plymouth but both with birth years given as 1844 and 1842 respectively. That seems like too much of a coincidence . George is listed here as a wood worker.

Did he travel to SA as an agent or to oversea the construction of a particular instrument? we don't know. Anyone have any insights?

[Rowland Wateridge]

From my 1921 Dictionary of Organs and Organists there are (a surprising?) number of organs listed in South Africa by Hele’s who were, of course, based in Plymouth.  But there is something more definite.  From a website about Calitzdorp, in a general description of the Dutch Reformed Church there, “The organ was erected by G.W. Price and Son of Cape Town”.  That organ is listed in the 1921 Dictionary “Built 1912 by Forster & Andrews”.  Of course that does not necessarily imply any kind of sole agency, but it is the only specific instrument I have found, and none is listed in the Dictionary as being by Price himself.  

I suspect you may have covered this ground already but, from South African History Online, George William Price organ builder lived at a relatively affluent address 21 St Bede’s Terrace, Antrim Rd, Green Point in the Western Cape.  

So there are two possible clues, neither definite.  It may be that the best source will be South Africa itself.  Does it have an equivalent of the NPOR Directory of Organ Builders or ISOB?  Or, possibly, an enquiry to Cooper Gill & Tomkins of Cape Town (details on the Johannesburg City Hall thread).

[father-willis]

Thank you Rowland, your first paragraph may help (my ed of the Dictionary is in the UK!).