James Early uilleann

Lives of the Pipers Home

James Early

policeman, performer; private recordings exist

b. Aughavas Parish, near Carrigallen, Co. Leitrim, Ireland June 11, 1846
d. Chicago, Illinois June 11, 1914


Ad for Early & McFadden from unknown publication, associated with Michael Dunn's copy of Francis O'Neill's Dance Music of Ireland book, in the Dunn Family Collection at the Ward Irish Music Archives, Milwaukee Irish Fest, Milwaukee.


See also the entry for Early as a pipemaker which has another photo of Early.


James Early was one of Francis O'Neill's musical informants and highly regarded as a piper. Fiddle player John McFaddden was Early's musical partner for many years and both of them contributed numerous tunes to O'Neill's collections of Irish music.

Early was born near Carrigallen, Co. Leitrim, probably in Aughavas Parish. His parents were Bernard and Cecelia Early. Early's death certificate says he was born June 11, 1846. US Census records indicate he emigrated to the United States about 1859. Little is known about his activities for the next twelve years. Francis O'Neill says he spent time "in the mining territories of the Northwest." He was in Montana in 1867 and in August 1871 he was at Deer Lodge, Montana Territory, and declared his intention to become a US Citizen in the District Court. If Early was there for mining, it would have been placer gold mining. Silver and copper extraction in that region came later, in the 1870s and 80s. Deer Lodge in 1870 would have been a fine example of the American "wild west;" cowboys, miners, a wide muddy main street and wooden buildings with false fronts.

Census and voter records also suggest Early was in Chicago by 1871 or 72. O'Neill says he joined the police force in 1874, rose to the rank of sergeant. About 1876 he married Jane Gilfillon, also born in Leitrim; they had no children. In 1886 Early bought a house at 2130 West Congress Street, which became a center of hospitality for musicians. He took what was probably a forced retirement from the police force in 1909. In 1912 O'Neill wrote "Sergt Early is nearly 70 and a little stiff from rheumatism." James Early died June 11, 1914 and was buried at Mount Carmel Catholic Cemetery, Hillside, Illinois.

Early played flute and fiddle as a boy, did not take up the pipes until after he moved to Chicago. There he met piper James Quinn (c. 1805-1888), who O'Neill describes as a "relative" of Early (Early's mother-in-law's maiden name was Quinn, so this may have been the connection). Quinn was a fine piper with a great selection of tunes, many of which became part of Early's repertoire. "Early" is named source for twenty one tunes in the great collection O'Neill's Music of Ireland (1903), many of them perhaps learned from Quinn. Early performed often - John Ennis says "always" in 1904 - with fiddler John McFadden. Newspaper references to public performances, many of them with McFadden, occur most often between 1900 and 1913. Performances were for Irish social and cultural events, often playing for dancers. Two examples: Early played with McFadden at the third annual Gaelic League Convention in Chicago, Aug. 26, 1901; Early and McFadden played for the dance competitors at the Chicago Feis, Aug. 3, 1913. There is no record of Early playing in theatrical productions or in bars or saloons.

James Early was sociable and in many ways generous. His house was a meeting place for musicians and he gave accommodation to out-of-town visitors, pipers Pat Touhey and Tarlach Mac Suibhne (Turlogh McSweeney) among them. O'Neill praised Early for his skills as a reedmaker and his willingness to help all comers in "having their instruments put in order."

Early's generosity may not have been unlimited when it came to sharing music. In a 1906 letter Francis O'Neill writes that "Rare tunes were looked upon as personal property by" Early and McFadden. Another Chicago musician, probably John Ennis, befriended the pair and, "Affecting unconcern," memorized the withheld tunes and promptly had them transcribed for O'Neill.

Early made pipe chanters, but only two sources suggest this: Pat Touhey and Patrick Hennelly. In his 1901 interview Touhey mentions "Sergeants James Cahill and James Early" as good players, then says "The sergeants mentioned also make first class chanters." In his writings Francis O'Neill mentions Cahill as a chanter maker but not Early.

Patrick Hennelly came to Chicago in 1928 and his knowledge of Early was second-hand, his sources not known. Kevin Henry, a Chicago musician, knew Hennelly well. Hennelly told him that Early "tinkered" in pipemaking for a while but his output did not amount to much. No examples of Early's pipemaking work are known.

There is a fine reel called "Boil the Breakfast Early." Piper Mattie Connolly once suggested to me that James Early was related to Francis O'Neill, perhaps by marriage (probably not so). Hence the tune name "Boil the Breakfast Early" might have two meanings: to have the breakfast soon, or first thing, or: "Boil the Breakfast, Early," a command or order to Mr. Early.


Selected References

"Chicago's Harbor Plans in Danger Police Sergeants Resign." Chicago IL Inter Ocean May 11, 1909 p. 5 column 4
Newspapers.com

Connolly, Mattie conversation Oct. 13, 2018.

"Deer Lodge, Montana" Wikipedia. Accessed May 2020
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deer_Lodge,_Montana

Ennis, John "Famous Irish Pipers of the Past and Present." Chicago Citizen April 9, 1904 p. 7 column 1
Microfilm from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, Springfield IL

Gaelic League. [the third annual Convention] NY Irish-American Aug. 31, 1901 p. 4 column 5
GenealogyBank.com

Graves, A.P. "Francis O'Neill's "Music of Ireland." [Early and McFadden withhold tunes] Journal of the Irish Folk Song Society vol. V 1907(?) p. 32
Hathi Trust:
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=inu.30000108642194&view=1up&seq=256

O'Neill, Francis Irish Folk Music Chicago 1910 p. 37 [John Ennis memorizes withheld tunes]

O'Neill, Francis Irish Minstrels and Musicians 1913 pp. 308-10 [Early's generosity; played for dance competitons at the 1913 Chicago Feis]

O'Neill, Francis letter to Patrick O'Leary Oct. 17, 1912 p. 2 [a little stiff from rheumatism] "Unpublished Letters of Capt. Francis O'Neill", Richie Piggott website accessed Oct. 2024
https://www.richiepiggott.com/o-neill-letters.html

Perkins, Alison (fiddle) and Nicolas Brown (pipes) "all covered with moss" 2016
Privately produced CD, with many tunes from the music of Early & McFadden. Helpful liner notes.
www.pipesandfiddle.com not active Oct. 2024

Piggott, Richie his description of a conversation with Kevin Henry, May 5, 2020

Ward Irish Music Archives The Dunn Family Collection Francis O'Neill Cylinders [James Early cylinder recordings]
https://archives.irishfest.com/dunn-family-collection/Music.htm

Nick Whitmer
May 2020 additions Oct. 2024