James J. Scanlon

performer, bandleader

b. Drumahaire, County Leitrim, Ireland circa 1865
d. Queens, New York Dec. 10, 1942

James Scanlon at home. Photo was published in the New York Irish American Advocate April 22, 1905 p. 1 column 5, earliest known appearance.

In 1922 a Brooklyn, New York, newspaper published an article about James Scanlon. In it Scanlon says, "Tommy Innis of Chicago, who is now conducting a music store over near Columbus Circle, and Mike Kearney of Brooklyn, with myself, are about the only professional Irish pipers in New York City today."

James Scanlon was right to name Tom Ennis and Michael Carney and himself as professionals, but there were at least three other Irish pipers active in New York at this time. Perhaps it was a matter of emphasis: in 1922 Patrick Fitzpatrick may have been better known as a bandleader; Francis X. Hennessy as a dance teacher; Hugh J. McDougal as an actor.

Scanlon was active in the New York City region from about 1899 at least through 1923, probably later. Almost all of his known engagements were playing for dancers. As was common in this era, at public or social dances for the Irish-American community he would provide the music for Irish dancing and another group would provide music for the "American dancing." Often he played with one or two other musicians, usually including a fiddler, and sometimes he was billed as the leader of a band or orchestra. For example, at a "Irish National Festival Entertainment and Ball" sponsored by the Ancient Order of Hibernians, March 17, 1911, music was by "Bayne's 69th Regiment Band [and] Irish Music by Scanlon's Orchestra of Pipes, Violin and Piano - Irish and American Dancing."

A report of a St. Patrick's Day celebration in Brooklyn, 1905, describes twelve members of the Gaelic Society dancing a four-hand jig under the leadership of "Prof. Scanlon, the celebrated bagpiper from the Irish village of the St. Louis Exposition." Perhaps. I have found no evidence of Scanlon in St. Louis for the World's Fair, which ran from April 31 to Dec. 1, 1904.

He may have been busiest from about 1910 to 1916. For stretches of times during those years he was advertised as playing for one or two dances a week. References to engagements fall off after 1916, pick up again to some degree 1921-23. He is sometimes mentioned among the lists of pipers performing at benefit dances for Michael Carney, an indication of acceptance by an active crowd of traditional musicians.

Scanlon was born in County Leitrim (an announcement for a dance in December 1914 claims he hailed from County Longford), Ireland, probably in 1864 or 1865. His parents were Michael and Mary Butler Scanlon. James J. emigrated to New York around 1882; the 1922 newspaper article says Scanlon "has been a musician in the city for forty years." Also from the article:

Mr. Scanlon was born in Ireland, and there mastered the pipes, the flute and the piccolo. Some years ago he was regarded as the best flute player of Irish airs in New York City. Besides the Irish pipes, Mr. Scanlon also plays the Scotch bagpipes.

He became a US citizen in 1890. Scanlon married Margaret Fallon, also born in Ireland, about 1889 and they had two surviving children, Harry, later known as James, and Lillian. By 1900 he owned his home at 57 Prospect Street, Long Island City, Queens, where they lived for many years. (Prospect Street is now probably 27th Street, Long Island City, and number 57 where what is now an on-ramp to the Queensboro Bridge to Manhattan.)

For a time Scanlon involved his children in musical activities. An account of an entertainment by the P. J. Fallon Association, April 1905, speaks well of the music of Prof. J. Scanlon and describes his son, about 14 years old, as "a remarkable piano player ... Last, but not least, Miss Lillian Scanlon although only ten years of age, gave one of the finest coon songs that one could hear." James Jr. is listed as a musician in US Census records to 1940. Lillian married James Norton, a lithographer by profession, about 1925. Both children lived at the same addresses as their parents through 1940.

In 1890 Scanlon, on the document he signed to become a US citizen, lists his occupation as "Pipe maker." The same for his 1925 New York Census entry. The meaning of pipe maker becomes clearer with the 1940 US Census: "Occupation Pressman Lead Pipe Co" In other censuses, 1900, 1910, 1930, he is listed as musician. It seems likely that he had training or experience in metal pipe making and returned to this kind of work when it best suited him.

The owner in 2018 of Scanlon's set of pipes recalls talking with Scanlon's great grandson who told him that Scanlon died in New York City in the 1930s, was hit by a truck crossing the street, killed. Had his pipes with him. They were thrown about 100 feet by the impact, ruined the case, but the pipes were in good shape.

A death certificate indicates Scanlon died December 10, 1942 in St. John's Hospital shortly after being "struck by automobile" in Long Island City. The location of the accident, "Bridge Plaza South," was in the neighborhood where he had lived for many years. He was buried in Calvary Cemetery, probably Queens, New York. Margaret Scanlon died June 1943.

Selected References

"County Longford Young Men's Annual Ball" [Scanlon hails from Longford] NY Advocate Dec. 12, 1914 p. 2 column 3
New York NY Irish American Advocate 1913-1915 - 0841

"Irish National Festival Entertainment and Ball" [Scanlon's Orchestra] NY Irish American Advocate March 4, 1911, p. 3 column 5
New York NY Irish American Advocate 1911 - 0517

"Jolly Closing of St. Patrick's Day" [claim to have played at St. Louis World's Fair] Daily Standard Union Brooklyn NY March 18, 1905 p. 12 column 1
Brooklyn NY Standard Union 1905 - 1019.pdf

"L.I. City Boasts of Genuine Irish Piper" Brooklyn NY Daily Star, Queens Borough February 24, 1922 p. 7 column 5
Brooklyn NY Daily Star 1922 - 0488.pdf

New York City Department of Health, Certificate of Death Dec. 11, 1942 Certificate No. 8929. James J. Scanlon. From NYC Municipal Archives. [The certificate gives his birthdate as March 30, 1875. This is at odds with his reported age in four censuses and his declaration in a US Naturalization and Citizenship document dated Oct. 16, 1890.]

"P. J. Fallon Association Regale the 9th Ward." [Scanlon's children perform] NY Irish American Advocate April 22, 1905 p. 1 column 5
Microfilm from NY State Library, Albany.

Scanlon, Mrs. Margaret [obituary] Long Island [NY] Star-Journal June 21, 1943 p. 11 column 3
Long Island City NY Star Journal 1943 - 2664.pdf

Nick Whitmer
November 2018