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Minstrel

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Similar to "Herald" records, "Minstrel" were produced for a Mr E.W. Pidgeon of Christchurch, New Zealand from 1913. There were two catalogue series: A single digit start (i.e. 1 upwards) to about 60 produced by Edison Bell in London and a second series starting at 2000 running up to about 2020 used masters from Favorite. The "Favorite" ones state "Made Abroad" on the labels.

My thanks to Adam Miller for allowing me to show his listing of this label on my website.


Click here to go to Adam Miller's site to find out more about 78rpm records in New Zealand.

Thanks to Rainer Lotz and Adam Miller for the label images.

Edison Bell style

Favorite Style

Please e-mail me if you have any additions or corrections to this page.

Page last updated on: October 07, 2022

Firstly, the Edison Bell series:

Cat No Matrix Title Type Artist Orig. Issue
1   William Tell Overture, part 1   Royal Guards Band  
1   William Tell Overture, part 2   Royal Guards Band  
2 758 In Happy Moments "Mauritana"   Alan Turner Winner 2382
2 759 O Promise Me   Alan Turner Winner 2382
3 2804 The Last Rose of Summer Song Mme Jeanne Brola Winner 2651
3 2807 Home Sweet Home Song Mme Jeanne Brola Bell Disc?
4 350 Il Miserere ("Il Trovatore" - Verdi) duet Elda May & Wilfrid Virgo Winner 2175
4 864 Venetian Songs Song Wilfrid Virgo & Elda May Winner 2435
5 213 Titl's Serenade Harp, Violin, Flute & Viola Schumann Quartette Winner 2106
5   Lo, hear the Gentle Lark Harp, Violin, Flute & Viola Schumann Quartette  
6   Eternal Father, Strong to Save Choir Westminster Choir (= Winchester Chorus) Winner 2419
6 834 Lead, Kindly Light Choir Westminster Choir (= Winchester Chorus) Winner 2420
7   Departure of the Troopship Descriptive Descriptive (= Empire Guards Band) Winner 2119
7   A Fire Alarm Descriptive Descriptive (= Empire Guards Band) Winner 2041
8 85 Skaters’ Waltz Bells Len Ward (= Billy Whitlock) Winner 2044
8   Fairyland Bells & Whistling Len Ward  
9 489 We Were Sweethearts Panto song Harry Trevor Winner 2247
9 506 My heart is with you tonight Panto song Harry Trevor Winner 2256 
10 227 Mandy's Wedding Song with Banjo accpt. Jack Charman Winner 2113
10 426 I'm going back to Dixie Ragtime Song Jack Charman Winner 2215
11   I burst out laughing Laughing song Fred Dunbar Winner 2266
11   That awful joke Laughing song Fred Dunbar Winner 2266
12 490 Popular Ragtimes Part 1   Royal Guards Band Winner 2248
12 491 Popular Ragtimes Part 1   Royal Guards Band Winner 2248
13 193 "Carmen" Selections No. 1   H.M. Royal Artillery Band Winner 2096
13 194 "Carmen" Selections No. 2   H.M. Royal Artillery Band Winner 2096
14   The Admiral’s Yarn   Julien Henry  
14   King Charles   Julien Henry  
15 2573 Jewel Song "Faust"   Miss Elda May  
15 2773 Flower Song "Faust"   Miss Elda May  
16 2941 The Nightingale Song with Flute Obligato Miss Ena Vine & Mr. M. Brewer  
16 2943 The Songsters' Awakening Song with Flute Obligato Miss Ena Vine & Mr. M. Brewer  
17   Cupid’s Garden, Intermezzo   Parisian Orch. (= Bohemian Band) Winner 2166?
17   Whispering of the Flowers   Parisian Orch. (= Royal Escort Band) Winner 2035?
18   The songs my Mother sang   Robert Carr Winner 2404
18   All aboard for the bye-bye land   Robert Carr Winner 2315
19   Reading a Novelette Descriptive Will Evans  
19   All about Jim Descriptive Will Evans  
20 97 The Campbells are Coming Bagpipes Pipe-Major Forsyth Winner 2050
20 217 Flowers of the Forest Bagpipes Pipe-Major Forsyth Winner 2108
21 455 The Old Folks at Home Descriptive Belgravia Quartette Winner 2230
21   Poor Old Joe Solo & Chorus Belgravia Quartette  
22 748 Upsey Daisy Comic Song Arthur Lennard Winner 2377
22 827 In Dreamland Comic Song Arthur Lennard Winner 2416
23 520 The Blind Boy Song G.H. Chigwin Winner 2263
23 387 My Fiddle is my Sweetheart Song G.H. Chigwin Winner 2194
24 79 March Past of the Brigade Descriptive   Winner 2041
24 138 Boys of the Old Brigade March King Edward's Horse Band Winner 2068
27 2675   Annie Laurie   Madame      Jomelli  
27 2802   Robin Adair   Jeanne Brola  
28 873 Turn On, Old Time Trio Cameron, Wilfrid Virgo & Robert Carr Winner 2349
28 2586 I am the King of Spain Duet Wilfrid Virgo & Robert Carr  
29 3000 The Glad Eye Two-step Royal Court Orchestra  
29 3306 The Night of the Party Schottische Royal Military Band  
38 3278 Good-bye, Sweetheart, Good-bye Song John Lloyd  
38 713 The Anchor's Weighed Song John Lloyd Winner 2359
41 2589 Irish Selections   Renard Clarionette Quartette Velvet Face?
41 2600 Scotch Selections   Renard Clarionette Quartette Velvet Face?
42 3419 The Dear Little Shamrock Song Belgravia Quartette Winner 2532
42 3421 Silver Threads among the Gold   Belgravia Quartette Winner 2532
49 383 "Mikado" Selections Part 1   Band of King Edward's Horse Winner 2192
49 384 "Mikado" Selections Part 2   Band of King Edward's Horse Winner 2192
50 2063 Toreador Song “Carmen” Bass Song Bridge Peters  
50 323 Chorus, Gentlemen  Bass Song Bridge Peters Winner 2162
51   The Nightingale and the Rose Flute obligato Ena Vine & M. Brewer  
51   Silver Birds Flute obligato Ena Vine & M. Brewer  
52   Tit Willow “Mikado”   Savoy Quartette  
52   A Wandering Minstrel “Mikado”   Savoy Quartette  
53 53 In the Shadows Graceful Dance Royal Court Orchestra Winner 2027
53 331 Hearts and Flowers Intermezzo Royal Court Orchestra Winner 2166
54 813 Somewhere a Voice is Calling Song Anderson Nicol Winner 2409
54 3326 Sound an Alarm Song Anderson Nicol  
55   The Garden of Sleep Tenor Wilfred Virgo  
55   I know of two bright eyes Tenor Wilfred Virgo Winner 2165
56 155 Poet & Peasant overture – Part 1 Accordion Solo P.J. Frosini Winner 2077
56 156 Poet & Peasant overture – Part 2 Accordion Solo P.J. Frosini Winner 2077
57   The Swiss Girl’s Lament Song Louise Foster  
57   Up There (A little girl’s song) Song Louise Foster  
58 488 There's a Girl in Havana Ragtime Duet Miller and Harvey Winner 2246
58 502 Take ma Finger Tips, Malinda Ragtime Duet Miller and Harvey Winner 2254
59   Sneezing Comic Song Jay Laurier Winner 2181
59   Ring-a-ring of Roses Comic Song Jay Laurier Winner 2181
60 721 Washington Greys March Royal Guards Band Winner 2363
60 3304 A Cavalry Charge   Royal Guards Band  
61          
61          
62          
62          
63          
63          
64          
64          
65          
65          
66          
66          
67 2451 Nellie Dean chorus song Wilson Pembroke  
67          
68          
68          
69          
69          
70          
70          

Now The Favorite series, which seem to all be by Billy Williams!

Cat No Matrix No Title Type Artist Source Issue
2001   Must Go Home To-night   Billy Williams  
2001   Save a Lilttle One for Me   Billy Williams  
2002   I'll Meet You on a Dark Night   Billy Williams  
2002   The Old Grey Coat   Billy Williams  
2003   Wild Woodbines   Billy Williams  
2003   Don't Go Out To-night   Billy Williams  
2004   Father Papered the Parlour English Comic Billy Williams (with orch accmp) Favorite 332 
2004   Here We Are Again   Billy Williams Favorite 332
2005   Wake Up John Bull   Billy Williams  
2005   You're the One   Billy Williams  
2006   I'll Lend You My Best Girl   Billy Williams  
2006   I Don't Care   Billy Williams  
2007   My Lass Frae Glasgie   Billy Williams  
2007   Sea in London   Billy Williams  
2008   Keep on Toddling   Billy Williams  
2008   Let's All Go Mad   Billy Williams  
2009   I Never Heard Father Laugh   Billy Williams  
2009   Cohen Keep on Rowing   Billy Williams  
2010   All the Silver of the Silvery moon   Billy Williams Favorite 479?
2010   Mrs B.   Billy Williams Favorite 479?
2011   The Kangaroo Hop   Billy Williams Favorite 530
2011   My Father was born in Killarney   Billy Williams Favorite 530
2012   She does like a little bit of Scotch   Billy Williams Favorite 544
2012   Oh! Mr McPherson   Billy Williams Favorite 544
2013   Wail till I’m as old as father   Billy Williams Favorite 565
2013   Where does Daddy go when he goes out?   Billy Williams Favorite 565
2014   Molly McIntyre   Billy Williams Favorite 573
2014   Oh! For another day at Margate   Billy Williams Favorite 573
2015   The Ragtime Wedding   Billy Williams Favorite 608
2015   Jean loves all the Jockeys   Billy Williams Favorite 608
2016   I come frae Scotland   Billy Williams Favorite 649
2016   The must be something nice about the Isle of Man   Billy Williams Favorite 649
2017   All the ladies fell in love with Sandy   Billy Williams Favorite 662
2017   Giving a Donkey a Strawberry   Billy Williams Favorite 662
2018   The old Grey Coat   Billy Williams Favorite 266
2018   Oh! Mr McPherson   Billy Williams Favorite 544
2019   Wild Woodbines   Billy Williams Favorite 331
2019   The Kangaroo Hop   Billy Williams Favorite 530
2020 5817-t When Father papered the Parlour   Billy Williams Favorite 332 
2020   The Ragtime Wedding   Billy Williams Favorite 602