John J. Cummings

player, performer

b. Athenry, County Galway c. 1828
d. San Francisco, California July 28, 1919

George A. H. Leech and John Cummings
from Francis O'Neill Irish Minstrels and Musicians Chicago 1913 p. 283

Much of this biography is based on the excellent article on Cummings by Rick Lines, published in An Píobaire Nov. 2017. See "Selected References," below, for link and full citation.

John J. Cummings lived a long life, stretches of it in Ireland, England and the United States. It was only in his last years, in San Francisco, California, that he was "discovered" as a piper of exceptional skill. Cummings was in his late 70s before anyone wrote about his life or musical abilities.

As with several other pipers of this era, most of what is known about Cummings' life is to be found in Francis O'Neill's book Irish Minstrels and Musicians (1913). This time around, though, O'Neill relies on information from San Francisco flute player George A. H. Leech. O'Neill never met Cummings or Leech, or so he implies in his book. O'Neill was usually quite perceptive and critical of players' skills. Here he repeats Leech's account of Cummings' life and his enthusiastic observations of Cummings' playing. O'Neill wrote, 'In execution and versatility he is classed by competent authorities with "Patsy" Touhey and "Barney" Delaney. In this generation no greater compliment could be paid him.' These comparisons also suggest that Cummings may have played in a style similar to these men, now widely known as an "American" style.

The name was spelled variously Cumming, Cummins, Cummings. He was born in Athenry, County Galway around 1828 to Patrick and Bridget Hanley Cumming. His father taught him pipes. When a young man, perhaps in his 20s, he went to England and stayed 40 years. "While in Liverpool he worked for builders, and later in the city of London he had much to do with the handling and care of horses. Only when thrown into the company of people whose tastes were similar to his own, did he indulge in his passion for music...." With his wife Mary and three surviving children he emigrated to the United States most likely in 1888, perhaps directly to San Francisco. He was about 60 years old.

In 1900 San Francisco was the largest city in the Pacific States (California, Oregon and Washington) and had a large well-established Irish community. One historian has described the city as an early example of "cultural pluralism," with less anti-Irish nativism and sectarian tension compared to cities in the eastern United States. Most of the Irish who came to San Francisco did not come directly from the Irish countryside. They emigrated from the countryside to urban areas, then to San Francisco. In Cummings' case, from Liverpool to San Francisco. For many others, from the cities of New York, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania to San Francisco, already acclimatized to urban life.

City directories 1897-1900 list John J. Cummings as a laborer or carpenter, and he and his family show up in the 1900 US Census. Next to nothing is found about him from then until 1907. By 1907 Cummings and his wife were living with Mary Hogan, their married daughter. The 1907 city directory lists him as a musician and the earliest newspaper mention of him as a player comes from July of that year. He played for dancers at a Gaelic Dancing Club picnic. Cummings played for the Gaelic Dancing Club in later years. Irish and Scottish dances and music were featured; an example of cooperation between cultural groups which would have been less common back East.

Leech writes only of Cummings playing at social gatherings at his daughter's home. Scattered newspaper references show that Cummings played in public, mostly for dancers, and occasionally in a concert setting. Most of his gigs were sponsored by Irish societies; the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Gaelic League.

Cummings often played with William McMahon, "the sweetest Irish violin player that ever came or will come to the Pacific coast," according to Mr. Leech. McMahon was in San Francisco at least by 1895, and from then until 1901 played often with piper Timothy McCarthy, who might be considered Cummings' predecessor as the region's public Irish piper. No information has been found about piper McCarthy after 1901. As far as is known, McCarthy's and Cummings' residence in San Francisco overlapped, but their years of playing publicly did not.

One story which survives in oral tradition is that Cummings was 'so old that his daughter would have to warm up his hands before he could play "like a house on fire." '

John Cummings died July 25, 1919, aged about 90 years. His wife had died earlier. Both are buried at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, Colma, California. As of this writing their graves are unmarked.

Cummings played on a remarkable set of pipes made by the Taylor brothers of Philadelphia, known today as the "Cummings set." It is regarded as one of the finest examples of the Taylor's work. The set passed through various hands and is now owned by a man in the United Kingdom.

Selected References

"Big Gaelic Event!" [earliest known music engagement] San Francisco [CA] Call July 18, 1907 p. 2 column 6
California Digital Newspaper Collection
http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=SFC19070718.2.15.2

Burchell, R. A. The San Francisco Irish 1848-1880 Univ. of California Press 1980 pp. 34, 180-83

"Gaelic League at Musical Festival" [last known music engagement] San Francisco [CA] Chronicle Feb. 23, 1914 p. 8 column 5
Newspapers.com

Lines, Rick "Seanchas Remembering Prof. John Cummings" An Píobaire Vol. 13 No. 4 Nov. 2017 pp. 13-17
https://pipers.ie/source/media/?galleryId=1138&mediaId=27618

O'Neill, Francis Irish Minstrels and Musicians Chicago 1913 pp. [Cummings] 282-84, [Leech and McMahon] 415-16, 481

Quinn, David M. "Passionate Industry:The Taylor Style." [the Cummings set] Seán Reid Society Journal vol. 2 March 2002 article 2.09 pp. 1-2
http://seanreidsociety.org/SRSJ2/passionate%20industry.pdf

Rietmann, Kevin L. personal communication June 2018 [warm up his hands]

"Revel of the Cork Rebels." [earliest mention of William McMahon] San Francisco [CA] Chronicle Aug. 5, 1895 p. 3 column 5
Newspapers.com

Nick Whitmer
June 2019, revision Nov. 2023