The Career of Sidney Butcher, a Luton Musician

Sidney Butcher’s story began September 1873, when he  was born at Stanbridge Ford, in Bedfordshire. The first of the Butchers’ nine children, he grew up in a musical household, which led to a lifelong interest in brass bands. From becoming a trombonist in the Luton Red Cross Silver Prize Band, to performing at Grand Theatre and, finally, being a resident musician on cruise ships, Sindey’s passion for music transformed in a lifetime career.

Sidney Butcher with the Luton Red Cross Silver Prize Band

The beginnings

Sidney Butcher’s story began September 1873, when he  was born at Stanbridge Ford, in Bedfordshire. His father was an officer in the County police force.  His parents grew up in Barton and Hexton respectively, and Sidney was the first of their nine children.

When Luton’s own police force was created in 1876,  Sidney’s father was one of it’s first officers. By 1881, the family had moved to Havelock Road, Luton: the first of several homes which they occupied in the town. Sidney’s father, William Butcher was a founder member of the Luton Police Band, and during the latter part of the nineteenth century he became the Bandmaster. So Sidney grew up in a musical household, which led to a lifelong interest in brass bands.

Becoming  “musician”

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Sidney Butcher

Sidney is recorded in the 1891 census as being a plait merchant’s assistant, in the hat industry. His life took a different direction in 1892, when he got married and became a parent. He needed a better job, and with his father’s help, joined the police force. At that time, officers who were related couldn’t serve in the same force, so Sidney and his family moved to Southampton where he joined the local force. However, he didn’t remain in that police force for very long. Oral family history suggests that he had made enemies among the criminal fraternity in Southampton, and in the 1901 census his occupation is listed as “musician”. I know that while living in Southampton, one of his jobs was as a bandsman in a circus. By this time, his young family was increasing in size and in 1902, he decided to move back to Luton, where at that time, it was easier to find work.

The family’s return journey to Luton was an eventful one. Returning by train, they had to stop off at Kentish Town where his wife gave birth to their third daughter. The 1911 census gives Kentish Town as her birthplace.

The years in Luton

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The Butcher family

His musical ambitions became more of a reality after his return to Luton. He was proficient with most brass instruments, but his preferred instrument was the trombone. As a trombonist he became a member of the Luton Red Cross Silver Prize Band. His two brothers were also members of this band until 1907. In those days it wasn’t so easy to make a living as a musician, so during the 1900s in Luton he worked in the hat trade between musical engagements, as both of his brothers were manufacturers. Sidney was also a member of the house band at the Grand Theatre, which was in Waller Street, Luton, not very far from where he lived. His children remembered that there were always a lot of musical instruments in the house, and that they were forbidden to touch them.

When the First World War came, Sidney enlisted in the Bedforshire Regiment, for Home Service, for the duration of the war. However, in May 1915 he was discharged as “medically unfit”. He was after all, over 40 when he enlisted.

He had maintained his connection with the police force at this time, and was a special constable at the time of the Luton Peace Day riot, in 1919, although he wasn’t involved in any “incidents”.

Performing on cruise ships

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Sidney Butcher on a cruise ship

During the 1920s, he found employment as a resident musician on cruise ships. One of these was the Cunard Liner “Mauritania”, which at that time, sailed between Southampton and New York. That wasn’t the limit of his career on passenger liners though. As well as the Mauritania, he worked on ships which cruised the Mediterranean Sea. He visited Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Egypt. My mother had a box of coins and some photographs which he had brought back from his voyages. in 1934 the Mauretania was decommissioned and Sidney seems to have given up working on ships at this time. For a short time he played at the Grand Theatre again, but now he was over sixty and lived in Waldeck Road, which was not so convenient for the theatre. Some documents from those years give his occupation as a hat worker.

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Family portrait

 

After his wife died in 1936, he lived, for a few months at a time, with some of his married children. He died early in 1941 at the age of 67, and is buried in the Crawley Green Road cemetery.

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