W. E. Hill and Sons Acquires Historic Record Volumes 

Seven small volumes from the David Hill collection have been brought back by W E Hill and Sons for £32,240 at a London auction

A longstanding English family of violin makers, dealers, and experts, W.E. Hill & Sons has announced their latest acquisition of seven Hill records from the estate of David Hill at Ingles and Hayday’s auction on March 25, 2025.  

The records, which were estimated to sell for just £50 to £80, eventually sold for 400 times the upper estimate — indicating the high value records of provenance have become in the violin industry.   

Among the memorabilia of the late David Hill (who had remained active in the trade for many years), included the heraldic breastplate of his ancestor John Hill, a selection of ornate hand-carved bridges made by William Ebsworth Hill apparently in his seventies, plus intricately carved viol heads, a double bass head, and a reproduction head inscribed “Henry Jay” dated 1920, which was intended to replace a missing original. 

Other records included a bundle of rosettes and three hand-forged nails pinned to a small piece of polished mahogany, which are assumed to be from the neck of a Stradivari violin. 

More pieces were medals presented to the company by Ysaye and Queen Victoria, Royal Warrants from Queen Elizabeth of Belgium and Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, and letters from Sir Henry Wood and Edward Elgar. 

Notably, the collection included an early English inlaid tailpiece inscribed “Vuillaume 22/5/59” on the underside. As explained by John Dilworth in Ingles & Hayday, the pieces’ association with the Hill family “takes their meaning and significance beyond the merely historical.”

“Although these records represent a very small portion of the records in our possession, we felt that it was a necessary acquisition to complete our unique library which includes the purchase and sales ledgers dating back to the mid 19th century,” Hills’ director, Simon Morris told The Violin Channel. 

“It is hard to imagine the violin trade today without the firm of W.E. Hill & Sons having existed,” Dilworth expressed. “Their authority and integrity as violin dealers changed the face of the trade and was based on careful research, as well as long experience and great erudition.”