The first Tinwhistle was invented in the tiny village of Coney Weston, in England.
Robert Clarke, a poor farm labourer owned and played a small wooden whistle. He heard that a new material called tinplate had been invented. He asked his friend the blacksmith if he could obtain some tinplate and show him how to reproduce his wooden whistle, using this new metal product.
The new Tinwhistle played so well that Robert decided to begin a business manufacturing these instruments. He also heard that there were big opportunities for manufacture in Lancashire. Together with his son, he walked all the way from Coney Weston to Manchester, pushing his tools and materials in a handbarrow.
On the way he stopped in villages where there were markets and made the Tinwhistles. These he sold to villagers. Sometimes he met navigators, Irish labourers who were building railways and canals, and sold his Tinwhistles to them. These Irishmen took them back to Ireland, where the English Tinwhistles rapidly became Ireland's favourite folk instrument.
When Robert reached Manchester he set up his factory in a shed and soon became a successful manufacturer. Later he built two houses, a factory, and a church in New Moston, a nearby village.
By then he was a very wealthy man. All from making the instrument that everyone wanted to play.
CLARKE'S TIN WHISTLES |
Meg whistles colour range
|
THE "MEG"
|
| CTW-SMBC |
MEG WHISTLE KEY OF C BLACK |
C |
$6.95 |
| CTW-SMBLC |
MEG WHISTLE KEY OF C BLUE |
C |
$6.95 |
| CTW-SMGC |
MEG WHISTLE KEY OF C GOLD |
C |
$6.95 |
| CTW-SMGRC |
MEG WHISTLE KEY OF C GREEN |
C |
$6.95 |
| CTW-SMRC |
MEG WHISTLE KEY OF C RED |
C |
$6.95 |
| CTW-SMSC |
MEG WHISTLE KEY OF C SILVER |
C |
$6.95 |
| CTW-SMBD |
MEG WHISTLE KEY OF D BLACK |
D |
$6.95 |
| CTW-SMBLD |
MEG WHISTLE KEY OF D BLUE |
D |
$6.95 |
| CTW-SMGD |
MEG WHISTLE KEY OF D GOLD |
D |
$6.95 |
| CTW-SMGRD |
MEG WHISTLE KEY OF D GREEN |
D |
$6.95 |
| CTW-SMRD |
MEG WHISTLE KEY OF D RED |
D |
$6.95 |
| CTW-SMSD |
MEG WHISTLE KEY OF D SILVER |
D |
$6.95 |
| CTW-RTM |
MEG TIN WHISTLE DISPLAY OF 36 (12 x C AND 24 x D) MIXED COLOURS |
C/D |
$252.00 |
|
CLARKE'S VICTORIAN PENNYWHISTLE |
| CTW-VSG |
CLARKE'S VICTORIAN PENNYWHISTLE in presentation box with leaflet showing fingerings, music and dance steps for Victorian era singing games. |
D |
$19.95 |
|
THE "SWEETONE" |
| CTW-SSBC |
SWEETONE WHISTLE, TIN BODY w PLASTIC MOUTHPIECE, BLUE |
C |
$10.95 |
| CTW-SSBKC |
SWEETONE WHISTLE, TIN BODY w PLASTIC MOUTHPIECE, BLACK |
C |
$10.95 |
| CTW-SSGC |
SWEETONE WHISTLE, TIN BODY w PLASTIC MOUTHPIECE, GREEN |
C |
$10.95 |
| CTW-SSRC |
SWEETONE WHISTLE, TIN BODY w PLASTIC MOUTHPIECE, RED |
C |
$10.95 |
| CTW-SSNC |
SWEETONE WHISTLE, TIN BODY w PLASTIC MOUTHPIECE, NATURAL |
C |
$10.95 |
| CTW-SSBD |
SWEETONE WHISTLE, TIN BODY w PLASTIC MOUTHPIECE, BLUE |
D |
$10.95 |
| CTW-SSBKD |
SWEETONE WHISTLE, TIN BODY w PLASTIC MOUTHPIECE, BLACK |
D |
$10.95 |
| CTW-SSGD |
SWEETONE WHISTLE, TIN BODY w PLASTIC MOUTHPIECE, GREEN |
D |
$10.95 |
| CTW-SSRD |
SWEETONE WHISTLE, TIN BODY w PLASTIC MOUTHPIECE, RED |
D |
$10.95 |
| CTW-SSND |
SWEETONE WHISTLE, TIN BODY w PLASTIC MOUTHPIECE, NATURAL |
D |
$10.95 |
| CTW-SDU36 |
SWEETONE TIN WHISTLE DISPLAY OF 36 (12 x C AND 24 x D) ASSORTED COLOURS |
C/D |
$395.00 |
|
Clarkes Celtic Whistle
|
THE "CELTIC" |
| CTW-CWD |
CELTIC TIN WHISTLE, IN PRESENTATION BOX, w FINGERING CHART, MUSIC |
D |
$13.95 |
Clarkes Original Tin Whistle |
|
| CTW-SBDC |
ORIGINAL TIN WHISTLE KEY OF D BLACK AND GOLD in presentation box with fingering chart and music |
D |
|
| CTW-SBCC |
ORIGINAL TIN WHISTLE KEY OF C BLACK AND GOLD in presentation box with fingering chart and music |
C |
$22.95 |
| |
TUTORIAL SETS - BOOK & CD
|
| CTW-MTCD |
BEGINNER'S SET: MEG WHISTLE, BOOKLET + CD |
D |
$12.95 |
| CTW-AJTMG |
ANDREAS JOSEPH TUTOR BOOK, GOLD MEG WHISTLE + CD, available while stocks last |
D |
$25.00 |
| CTW-TCD |
80 PAGE TUTOR BOOK BY BILL OCHS + CD |
|
$24.95 |
| CTW-WTCD |
TEACHING SET: ORIGINAL WHISTLE (KEY OF D), 80 Pg BOOK + CD |
D |
$46.95 |
|
CLARKE'S METAL KAZOO |
| CTW-MKG |
METAL KAZOO, GOLD FINISH - BOX OF 24 @ $5.25 ea RRP |
24 Pack |
$126.00 |
| CTW-MKS |
coming soon: METAL KAZOO, SILVER COLOUR, COUNTER DISPLAY BOX OF 24 @ $5.25 ea RRP |
24 Pack |
$126.00 |
| CTW-MKSD |
coming soon: METAL KAZOO, GOLD COLOUR IN INDIVIDUAL CYLINDER with INSTRUCTIONS LEAFLET at $6.95 RRP ea |
20 Pack |
$139.00 |
| CTW-MKGD |
coming soon: METAL KAZOO, SILVER COLOUR IN INDIVIDUAL CYLINDER with INSTRUCTIONS LEAFLET at $6.95 RRP ea |
20 Pack |
$139.00 |
L to R: Silver and black Megs, Meg Display, Celtic and Original showing presentation boxes.
