Richard Stephenson

performer

b. Clonakilty, County Cork, Ireland circa 1855
d. Rathkeale, County Limerick, Ireland May 17, 1897

From Francis O'Neill Irish Minstrels and Musicians Chicago 1913 p. 272

Richard Stephenson spent most of his life in Ireland, and probably a few years in England. He was well-known as a piper and his reputation as a player was very good; Francis O'Neill devotes a couple pages to him in Irish Minstrels and Musicians and tries to assess how his skills compared to other top-notch pipers of his day.

O'Neill says that Richard Stephenson preferred to be called "Dick," was born in Cork, spent early years in Limerick, and died in the workhouse at Rathkeale, Limerick in 1897. The Irish Civil Registration Deaths Index gives his estimated birth year as 1855. This birth year matches with two listings for a Richard Stevenson or Stephenson in the England Censuses. In 1871, age 16, born in Cork, unmarried, living with parents John and Honora and sister Honora in Bilston, Staffordshire. Bilston was in an industrialized area of coal mines and iron works. Father and son are listed as "Street Musician." In the 1891 Census, age 36, born in Limerick, married, as a "Visitor" in the house of Thomas Yates, Salford, Lancashire. Here his profession is "Theatrical."

Little is known about his early and middle years. An obituary says he learned piping from his father. O'Neill says 'It is known that he studied music under Owen and "Paddy" Bohan, natives of Clonbare, County Galway, and ... He served for a short time in the Cork Artillery Militia....' Research by Michael Kelly indicates that Stephenson was likely married twice and outlived both wives. Both marriages, to Katherine Kelly in 1877 and to Julia Donegan in 1885, were recorded in Cork city. An obituary says a son and daughter survived him.

In 1889 he was asked to tour in America with singer William Ludwig (1847-1923). This was the big time. Ludwig was most successful as an opera singer, a baritone, and was well regarded by composer Richard Wagner and singer John McCormack. He was born William Ledwidge in Dublin. Ludwig had been to America before. On this tour he was head of the Ludwig Concert Company, which consisted of himself and three singers, soprano, contralto and tenor, a piano accompanist, and Stevenson on Irish pipes. Most of the program was singing "Irish, Scotch and American airs and operatic selections." The tour ran from September to November 1889 and played towns and cities in the northeastern and north central US. Concerts were well attended and reviews positive.

If a concert program is any guide, Stephenson did not play with the other musicians but had two solo turns during the course of the evening. The audience responses were enthusiastic although newspaper reviewers were sometimes uncomprehending or condescending. At least three reviewers mention his playing of "The Fox Chase," a showpiece for the pipes, with dogs barking, horns blowing, the dying groans of the fox, etc. Stephenson may have been among the first to perform it in the United States.

O'Neill tells a story about Stephenson when the company was in Chicago, November 24. Police Sergeant James Early, a piper and one of O'Neill's friends, attended the concert. After the performance

... Early went around to the stage entrance, where he was cheerfully greeted by the piper.
"Are you acquainted around here, sir?" eagerly inquired Stephenson, producing a slip of paper: "here's a name-maybe you'd know him."
"I'm the man," said the sergeant, glancing at it.
"Oh, Mr. Touhey told me you were a grand gentleman, sir," exclaimed the stranger, delightedly.
"Then you've met Mr. Touhey?"
"Oh yes, he's a grand gentleman and a grand player, and I'm very glad to meet you, sir; I heard so much about you," replied the "Prince of Pipers." "I'm very dry, sir, can't we have a drink?"
The generous sergeant, although a Father Mathew man himself [did not drink alcohol], could not ignore the obligations of hospitality, but no sooner than Stephenson swallowed a bumper of bourbon than he pleadingly asked: "Will you let me have another one, sir?"

"Mr. Touhey" is probably Pat Touhey but could be James Touhey.

Concert tour publicity styled Stephenson as the "Kerry Piper." O'Neill referred to him as the "Prince of Pipers."

O'Neill says that after Stephenson returned to Ireland he toured the country with Thompson, a fiddle player, and Johnny Dunne, a banjo player. Exactly when and for how long is unknown. O'Neill has an image of Stephenson and Dunne in Irish Minstrels and Musicians. It is an engraving, probably taken from a photograph. The original source is unknown. Dunne is playing a five-string banjo, and this is one of the earliest references to the banjo in Irish music.

O'Neill also writes that Stephenson went 'to England as piper with the "Leaves of Shamrock Company" ' and incorrectly implies that this happened before his trip to America. "Leaves of Shamrock" was a play by J. P. Sullivan, also the leading man, probably first performed in Cork, Ireland June 1890, the beginning of a tour of Ireland and England, 1890-91. Michael Kelly has found references to Stephenson as a member of this company at least through March 1891, though not in the initial performance, playing the part of "the roving piper" Phelim Brady.

"Leaves of Shamrock" was on tour in America 1892-93, and back in Ireland in 1894. There is no evidence that Stephenson took part in these tours.

Stephenson died May 17, 1897, age 42. A civil death record says he had been suffering from pulmonary congestion for one year. O'Neill described him as "Broken in health and spirit at last, and unable to continue his wandering minstrelsy...."

An obituary published in a Cork newspaper describes his playing, "Like all good players of this ancient instrument, Stephenson depended almost entirely on the 'chanter', seldom bringing the keys [regulators] into requisition, while discarding the 'drones' altogether." Perhaps yes, perhaps no. Hard to imagine a performance of "The Fox Chase" without drones or regulators.

One last comment from O'Neill. "Stephenson had few equals and possibly no superior in playing hornpipes, but in jig and reel playing, according to competent judges in Chicago, he had no advantage over pipers familiar to people of that city. His execution was decidedly rapid."

Thanks very much to Michael Kelly of Dublin, Ireland, for sharing his careful research on Stephenson and permitting me to use it here.

Selected References

"Amusements." [Ludwig Concert Company, kinds of music played] Burlington [VT] Free Press and Times Nov. 6, 1889 p. 5 column 1
Newspapers.com

"Amusements." [Description of "The Fox Chase." Here Stephenson is mistakenly named Garrett O'Sullivan] Indianapolis [IN] Journal Nov. 23, 1889 p. 8 column 3
Library of Congress Chronicling America
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82015679/1889-11-23/ed-1/seq-8/

"Amusements." [names of members of the Ludwig Concert Company] Waterbury [CT] Evening Democrat Oct. 24, 1889 p. 4 column 5 ad column 4
Library of Congress Chronicling America
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn94053256/1889-10-24/ed-1/seq-4/

"Death of a Celebrated Irish Piper" [obituary] Cork, Ireland Southern Star June 12, 1897
From Michael Kelly

"For Five Nights Only, The Celebrated Irish-American Comedian and Vocalist, Mr. J. P. Sullivan ... LEAVES OF SHAMROCK" Dublin, Ireland Irish Times June 10, 1890 p. 4 column 1
Proquest Historical Newspapers

Kelly, Michael "Richard Stephenson (c. 1855-97) - Timeline" 2019 5 pp.
unpublished

"Leaves of Shamrock." Duluth [MN] Evening Herald Sep. 17, 1892 p. 3 column 1
Duluth MN Evening Herald 1892 (239).pdf

"The Ludwig Concert Company" [concert program] Utica [NY] Morning Herald Nov. 11, 1889 p. 5 column 4
Newspaper Utica NY Morning Herald 1890 - 1028.PDF

"Musical Melange." [Ludwig concert in Chicago] Chicago IL Sunday Inter Ocean Nov. 24, 1889 p. 13 column 4
World Newspaper Archive

"A Noted Irish Piper Dead." [obituary] NY Irish-American June 28, 1897 p. 4 column 6
GenealogyBank.com

O'Neill, Francis Irish Minstrels and Musicians Chicago 1913 pp. 271-73

Whitmer, Nick " 'Fox Chase' and Pat and James Touhey" 2017
http://www.whitmerpipes.com/foxchaseandpatandjames.html

"William Ludwig." The Gael (An Gaodal) New Series vol. 18 no. 7 Oct. 1899 p. 200
HathiTrust Digital Library
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044015365943;view=1up;seq=232;size=125

Nick Whitmer
Jan. 2019