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Practice chanter

This bagpipe practice chanter is made from an unknown wood, probably blackwood, with an ivory sole. The nickel silver ferrule has an inscription in dedication to Miss Bessie Watson, in recognition of her work for a military recruitment drive during World War I. Miss Watson was a remarkable figure in the suffragette movement; in 1909, when she was nine years old, she was playing at many demonstrations and parades, including a famous march October 9 that was led by Emmeline Pankhurst. The green, white, and purple sash, emblazoned with the words "Votes for Women", that Bessie wore on that day is still preserved in the National Museum of Scotland.

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  • Inscriptions:– Presented to –/– Miss Bessie Watson –/by the recruiting staff/as a memento of the recruiting campaign/– in Edinburgh 1915 - 18 –
  • Hornbostel-Sachs category:422.112 (Single) oboes with conical bore
  • Repository:College of Piping
  • Measurements:464mm