Clarinet in C

Richard Bilton claimed himself ‘late apprentice and foreman to Cramer’ and traded from 93 Westminster Bridge Road, London, between 1826 and 1856. (Waterhouse, NLI, 32)

Overall size: 583
Bore: c-hole 13.4; f-hole 13.6
Conical part: 106

Technical description: Boxwood with ivory ferrules and brass keywork. Six pieces: mouthpiece, barrel, upper section, middle section for the fingers of the right hand, lower section with keys, bell. Ebony, English socket type mouthpiece grooved for cord. English style tenon-type barrel. Speaker liner projects almost to the centre of the bore. Blocks pinned in order to prevent the wood from cracking. Levers for L4, tone-hole and key for R4 mounted in a bell-shaped swelling. Zig-zag F♯3/C♯5 lever guided in a block.

L0:   T; speaker.
L1:   T; throat A♮.
L2:   T.
L3:   T; E♭4/B♭5.
L4:   E3/B♮4; F♯3/C♯5.
R1:   T; trill key for throat A-B♮.
R2:   T; B♮3/F♯5.
R3:   T.
R4:   T; G♯3/E♭5.

Keyhead type: flat round
Keymount type: rudiments of turned wooden rings, blocks, swelling.
Inscribed on all pieces except for unstamped mouthpiece: "BILTON / LONDON" / unicorn head; on bell also "93 WESTMINSTER / BRIDGE ROAD"
Playing accessories: one reed and a cord (not original).
(Heike Fricke, 2014)