This bagpipe once adorned the wall of a bar in Montana. At some point the bass drone broke and the instrument was sent
for repair. When the cost of repair was told, the owner abandoned the bagpipe. The current owner acquired the bagpipe in 1980. He had played them and was duly impressed with the resonance and sound. In his words “I had to have them, whatever the cost.”
The gentleman who did the repair, Mr. Roy Graham of Fort Bragg CA., had a theory that they might have belonged to one of General Custer’s pipers. Perhaps he knew more of the history of this particular bagpipe than is told here. An article written by Ian S. Williams, can be found at this link, The Lost Pipers of the Little Bighorn.
The pipes underwent a subsequent restoration in 2015 by Thomas Doucet. I have yet to speak with Tom about this but intend to do so. In 2015 the owner’s home was lost in a fire. This set of bagpipes was thankfully saved.
The current owner came to me with a request to identify the maker. Over the years, many have seen the bagpipe and various ideas were floated as to the maker. “MacDougall” was one name that came up frequently, however I saw qualities that pointed elsewhere. Donald MacDonald and Alexander Glen came to mind, among others. However, these “clues” were isolated and the entire package did not add up to one particular maker. I reported my thoughts and encouraged the owner to search the instrument for a maker’s stamp. 99% of the time this is in vain, however one on that day we struck gold! To our delight, at the top of the tuning chambers (all three drones) is a stamp that reads “E. White”. Research has identified this person as Edward (Ned) White.
According to research by Rob van Dijk and his articles published in An Piobair a birth was recorded by the Loughrea Church for Edward White in 1810. The surname “White” does not appear often in these church records so it seems plausible that this Edward White was the bagpipe maker.
From what has been learned, it is very likely that White was making bagpipes in Athenry in the 1840’s although nothing specific has emerged to date. He apparently made his way to America during The Great Famine (1845-1849). He was known to be making bagpipes in 1862 in Roxbury Massachusetts, which at that time was a separate town from Boston. He was listed as a Musical Instrument Maker. Later, in 1874, he was listed as a mechanic.
In his 1913 book, Irish Minstrels and Musicians, Francis O’Neill recounts several pipers of note with Boston ties, starting with Ned “The Dandy Piper” White, who lived in Roxbury in the mid-19th century. He reportedly made and played pipes, and ran a dance hall during the Civil War period.
It would seem that few of his bagpipes have surfaced to date. He is more readily associated with Uilleann bagpipes than with Great Highland Bagpipes, however perhaps now that this has surfaced, more will come to light. An Uilleann pipe was auctioned on Ebay around 1905 and bidding was said to have been brisk with an early bid at $5,000.
There are many questions yet to be answered. When and where did White learn his bagpipe making skills? How many GHB sets did he make? When was this particular set made? The style suggests a very early date. Did he bring this set to America or was this made here thereafter, and if so, for whom? The maker’s skill is highly evident. There is much more to be learned here. 
Things I found interesting: The radius of the cut-bead on the projecting mount matches the radius of the primary plate on the projecting mount, only reversed. The teeth standing (combing) is inconsistent. The bead above the cord holders is uncommon and generally associated with Thow of Dundee. John Thow began making bagpipe ca 1853. General profiles align with bagpipes being made in Edinburgh in the early part of the 19th century. The taper of the necks are reversed on some pieces, but not all. The stocks are straight-sided, again, in the Edinburgh style. The OD of the bass stock ferrule is wider that the OD of the stock itself. This may be a result of restoration or it may not be.
