Sames grand from Muirhead & Turnbull

[emmbeebaby]

My mother gave me a Sames Baby Grand (from Muirhead & Turnbull) a few years back. She purchased it in 1984 from the Minister of the Lamington Church in Lamington, New Jersey for my blind sister when she was learning how to play piano. The Minister told her that this piano was brought over from Scotland from one of the original ministers of the church in the mid 1800's. I am just trying to get a little more history on the piano. I do know that there is a number hand etched inside by the strings (M-T 10120) and that the SAMES logo is on the center facing above the keys and there is also gold printed area to the right that says Muirhead & Turnbull, 226 & 228 Sauchiehall St., Glasgow. It's a mahogany Baby Grand. As I said, we were told that it was brought over from Scotland to New Jersey in the mid 1800's but we are not sure of it's actual age. It definitely needs some restoration but is basically in very good shape. All parts are original and the Lamington Church, the original owners, never replaced anything or did any work on it other than basic maintenance and tuning. My parents only tuned it now and again. I am debating on whether to keep it or sell it. That be as it may, I haven't seen any other Sames here in the USA. So, any information on both Sames and Muirhead & Turnbull would be greatly appreciated.

[Bill Kibby]

The MT number would be Muirhead & Turnbull's stock number, but no archive information is available. Sames was established in 1855, so the piano seems possible, but Turnbull was a tuner on his own in 1875, and although Muirhead & Turnbull were in operation by 1884, they were not at those addresses until the 1900s, so that means they could not have sold it in the mid-1800s. The term "Baby Grand" was also later, but I'm guessing that's probably your description rather than anything on the piano itself? Any chance you could email some photos so I can get a better idea of age?