Dulcimer originally owned by Bernard Duffield now by Mike Cowling

Dulcimer owned by the family of William Couzens

William Couzens (1880-1949) spent his early life as a groom, working on country estates on the western outskirts of Norwich and later in life moved into the city itself and worked in insurance.

He bought a dulcimer at a house clearance sale in Norwich Corn Hall in the 1920s-30s, but according to family members, he wasn’t really very musical and didn’t get on well with it, so it went away in the attic. There it stayed until 2005, when the East Anglian Traditional Music Trust had a big piece in the Eastern Daily Press and his grandaughter, Sharon Wright contacted us.  Inside is a typewritten label which appears to say Mr W. Dennington – although it is more than likely to be Bennington, indicating that it was one of many instruments to have been through the hands of the master player Billy Bennington, who tuned and repaired dulcimers for other people as well as playing himself.

Dimensions of this dulcimer

Dulcimer owned by the late Alan Waller  (bought in an antique shop)

Dimensions of this dulcimer

Dulcimer owned by Nick & Jennie Roche