John Dunn (pipemaker)

Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Dunn was a cabinet maker by profession, initially a junior partner with George Brummell.

The earliest evidence of such a keyed chanter is the illustration and fingering chart in John Peacock's tunebook, A Favorite Collection of Tunes with Variations Adapted for the Northumberland Small Pipes, Violin, or Flute,[3] first published by William Wright, of Newcastle, in about 1800.

This depicts a simple keyless chanter with an octave range from G to g, as well as J. Peacock's New Invented Pipe Chanter with the addition of Four Keys, these keys were for the notes low D, E, F sharp, and high a.

Subsequent makers, particularly Robert Reid, added more keys to extend the range further, and include chromatic notes.

[5]After John's death in 1820, his son, also named John, continued the business, and an entry in Thomas Bewick’s cash book in October 1822 states that 'Dunn', evidently the son, was paid five shillings for a ‘job at pipes’.

Peacock's keyed chanter
The engraved drone-ferrule on Peacock's pipes.
These Northumbrian smallpipes were made by John Dunn, and belonged to Robert Bewick . They have an inscription on the dronestock ferrule stating their provenance. It is likely that this simple chanter is not the original, which was probably keyed.
Dunn's maker's stamp
Chanter and drones of a set of smallpipes by John Dunn, currently in the Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum