Historicaleigh: Just a Drum with Strings?

October 23, 2017 by Carole Mulroney

On 27 December 1930 Norton Greenop passed away suddenly at his home in Leigh Road, after years of heart problems. He was 61 and had been a businessman in Leigh for 14 years. Earlier that evening he had led the orchestra at the Leigh Sailing Club’s dance in St Clement’s Hall. But his greatest claim to fame went well beyond the confines of Leigh.

For over 40 years his life had revolved around music and, in particular, the banjo. In a long partnership with Arthur Stanley Sr. he toured every Music Halls from 1903 more than once and toured of South Africa. The split up just before the Great War.

At the turn of the century, Norton Greenop had designed and sold the first banjos to bear his name as maker. They included several unusual features and were a cross between a banjo and a zither banjo. The tone was inclined to be metallic.

In 1926 John Alvey Turner Ltd. were agents for Greenop’s "Tonetube" banjos (which Norton patented), plectrum banjos and tenor banjos. At this time Norton was carrying on a music business at Leigh and conducting his Beachcombers’ Dance Band. He was also the composer of over 200 pieces of music for the banjo, mandolin and guitar and his wife was a local business person with a fashion shop in Westcliff.

This article is by Carole Mulroney of Leigh Lives - www.leighlives.co.uk
To read all of Carole's previous article of the History of our little town, click here