Foundation Musick's Monument
Le facteur de clavecins de plus grand mérité après eux, était J. D. DULCKEN; il était Hessois. A présent il y en a un fort-bon à Anvers, nommé Bull, qui a été élève et apprenti de DULCKEN, et qui vend ses doubles çlaveçins cent ducats chaque, avec une simple caisse peinte et sans renflement ou pédales. Les ouvrages de Vanden Elsche, un Flamand, ont aussi beaucoup de mérite. Mais en général, les clavecins d'à-présent, faits ici sur le modèle de Ruckers, sont minces, faibles en voix, et très-inférieurs à ceux de nosmeilleurs facteurs en Angleterre." De l'état présent de la musique, Charles Burney, 1810, p. 36
Dr. Burney's Musical Tours in Europe, Volume II. An Eighteenth-Century Musical Tour in Central Europe and the Netherlands
The harpsichord-maker of the greatest eminence was J. Dan. Dulcken; he was a Hessian. At present there is a good workman at Antwerp, of the name of Bull, who was Dulcken's apprentice, and who sells his double harpsichords for a hundred ducats each, with only plain painted cases, and without swell or pedals; the work too of Van den Elsche, a Flamand, has a considerable share of merit; but, in general, the present harpsichords, made here after the Ruckers model, are thin, feeble in tone, and much inferior to those of our best makers in England.
J. Lambrechts-Douillez, The History of Harpsichord Making in Antwerpen in the 18th Century, in Friedemann Hellwig (ed.), Studia organologica : Festschrift für John Henry van der Meer zu seinem fünfundsechzigsten Geburtstag.
JACOBUS VAN DEN ELSCHE (c. 1689 - ANTWERPEN, 2. 2. 1772)
is the other maker mentioned in the enquiry of 1738. We know from Burney that he was a "flamand who has a considerable share of merit". He was indeed the only harpsichord maker living in Antwerpen before the arrival of Joannes Daniel Dulcken and Joannes Petrus Bull’s. 15 We do not know the exact date of Van den Elsche's birth, however it must have been around 1689. He became a citizen "poorter" of Antwerpen in 1713; he entered the St.-Lucasgilde the following year 16 as the only harpsichord maker!?. At that time he was at least 25 years old, age of consent being a requirement for entering the guild's. He was probably born in Oelegem, Schilde or 's Gravenwezel, situated north of Antwerpen where
he had properties. He married Anna Cornelia Henquine (Antwerpen, 6th October 1678 — Antwerpen, 18th April 1724) in the same year 19. They had seven 20 children?. Harpsichord making does not seem to have been his only occupation; he is also mentioned as a messenger "bode op Brussel" in 175521, He died on 2nd February 1772. Five of his instruments were stillfound in his home in Brilstraat when all goods were sold by public auction in 179022, He was a wealthy citizen who owned three houses within the city walls23 and several properties north of Antwerpen, as mentioned above24. The important question of where he learned his craft remains as yet unsolved. No direct link can be found with the Ruckers-Couchet workshop. However, we know that J. van den Elsche, apart from the making of new harpsichords, was also involved in "re-making several pieces of old masters" and putting them in "unisoon", which must be interpreted as the enlargement of instruments from earlier masters by "ravalement", and the converting of transposing doubles into contrasting ones25.
J. van den Elsche must have attained a great age, according to the few dates known. It proved indeed rather puzzling during our research that someone who entered the St. Lucasgilde in 1714, built his only surviving instrument as late as 1763 (fig. 152, 153). One of his three sons is known to have continued the craft of his father, and another son, Joannes Leonardus, became "first assistant at the pawn office" in 175226 after his retirement to an institution of the monastery of the "Cellebroers" or "Alexianen"
15 Biographical notes have been published in: Algemene Muziekencyclopedie. Vol. 3. Haarlem 1980, p. 112.
16 Antwerpen, Koninklike Academie, Liggeren der St.-Lucasgilde, nr. 23, dl. II, 1714-1715: «Jacobus van Elsen, claversingelmaker". Vide Rombouts-Van Lerius (note 2), vol. 2, p. 693.
17 A.S.A., PK. 800, Rekwestboek 1712-1713, fo 160.
18 Legal majority was reached at 25.
19 A.S.A., Par. 199, O.L.V. zuid, huwelijken 1679—1730, f° 141.
20 A.S.A., Par. 20, O.L.V. zuid, dopen 1701-1717: Anna Cornelia 1 mei 1715, Leonardus Matthias
16 augustus 1716; Par. 21, O.L.V. dopen, 1718-1731: Agatha Cecilia ° 19 juni 1718, Jacobus Leonardus ° 14 december 1719, Maria Josepha ° 11 april 1721, Maria Philippina ° 15 augustus 1722; Par. 58, St. Jacob, dopen 1722-1735: Philippus Josephus ° 12 april 1724.
21 A.S.A., PK. 2564, Volkstelling 1755, p. 185: "Jacobus van den Elsen / bode op Brussel / Brilstraat / 1 zoon 31 jaar / 1 dochter 36 jaar". The occupation of a "bode" consisted of the delivery of messages, letters, documents and small parcels.
22 Gazette van Antwerpen 6th, 13th and 16th July 1790.
23 Besides his house in Brilstraat he owned three other houses. Vide A.S.A., Schepenregister (Sr), 1056(1) 1718, fº
402-402 yº; Sr. 1105(2) 1731, fO 321-323 vº; Sr. 1118(3) 1735, dO 365 vº-367.
24 His properties were situated in 's Gravenwezel, Schilde and Oelegem. Vide A.S.A., Sr. 1105(2) 1731, f0 321-323 v°; N. 5, J. Aerts, 1766, n° 64; N. 7, J. Aerts, 1768, n° 32.
25 Vide note 8.
26 Algemeen Rijksarchief Antwerpen, N. 1117, J. F. Rossaert, 1753, nº 20.
27 A.S.A., Gilden & Ambachten (GA), n° 4006, 1738. Documents received in connection with the government investigation of the crafts.
Maker: Elsche, Jacob van den
Owner:
Vleeshuis Museum
Credit:
Museum Vleeshuis
Caption:
Jacobus van den Elsche, harpsichord
1810 - "Les ouvrages de Vanden Elsche, un Flamand, ont aussi beaucoup de mérite. Mais en général, les clavecins d'à-présent, faits ici sur le modèle de Ruckers, sont minces, faibles en voix, et très-inférieurs à ceux de nos meilleurs facteurs en Angleterre." De l'état présent de la musique en France et en Italie, dans les ..., Volume 2, 1810, p. 36
