Corcoran, Matthew, comments

Little is known about Matthew Corcoran. The timing of city directory entries in Dublin and Philadelphia suggest that this is probably the same man. But I have come across no evidence which makes the connection certain. No marriage, citizenship or immigration records, no obituaries, no other biographical clues.

The University of Edinburgh Musical Instruments Museum has a bassoon by W. Milhouse, stamped "London, 337 Oxford Street," made circa 1840. It is also stamped "D / Corcoran / 20 Essex Quay / Dublin" Does "D" mean dealer? In a similar way, the possibility exists that Corcoran did not make the uilleann pipes now in Edinburgh but put his stamp on them as a dealer.

Corcoran's earliest city directory entry in Philadelphia describes him as "Manufacturer and Repairer of every description of Musical Instruments, Wood and Brass. Old Violins carefully repaired." He seems to have been a generalist.

He may or may not have made pipes during his time in Philadelphia. Francis O'Neill did not mention him. Until an instrument turns up marked "Corcoran Philadelphia" his status as an American pipemaker is unclear.

Nick Whitmer May 2020
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