Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Thomas Dallam
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Quick Facts
Born:
c. 1570,, Lancashire, Eng.
Died:
after 1614
See all related content
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

Thomas Dallam

English organ maker
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

Thomas Dallam (born c. 1570, Lancashire, Eng.—died after 1614) was a prominent English organ builder, whose sons were also known for their organ-building.

Little is known of Dallam’s early life, except that he was apprenticed to a member of the Blacksmiths’ Company, later attaining the status of liveryman. In 1599–1600 he traveled to Constantinople, delivering a mechanical clock-organ to the sultan; his diary of this journey was published in 1893.

In 1605–06 Dallam moved to Cambridge and built an organ for King’s College. In 1613 he constructed a two-manual organ designed by Thomas Tomkins for Worcester Cathedral and a double organ for the Royal Chapel at Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh. While engaged in the construction of an organ for Eton College in 1613–14, Dallam may have been assisted by his son Robert, who, like his father, became a member of the Blacksmiths’ Company. Two other sons, George and Ralph, also were organ builders in England and in Brittany, where the family settled during the period of the English Commonwealth.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.