Help With Antique Fifes

I found 2 old fifes yesterday and am full of questions. Anybody know the subject? I did some on-line sleuthing and learned a little. Both are wood. The black one, just under 17", is marked Crosby but was apparently made by George Cloos. I did find some information but not enough to date it or get a sense of its desirability if any. The lighter-colored (box?)wood one, about 15-1/4", appears to be older and perhaps better made. The impressed marks are faint but say Pearson, 3 and London. There is another word there above London but it is worn and illegible to me. If anyone has any thoughts about these I'd love to hear them. I'm especially curious about the age of the Pearson one. Thanks in advance.

 

This site may be your best route ...
https://beafifer.com/fifeage.htm

 

@all_fakes

 

Thanks Roaring20's. That is a fine site on the subject and I learned a lot about the George Cloos Crosby. The site is geared toward American fifes though and the English fife maker is not discussed. I sent an email and pix to the moderator. If the response comes and is relevant I will post it here.

 

The chances are good that this person can provide a contact for the English one.

 

If you're looking to identify the lettering on the wood piece, I've enlarged it 3X, & contrasted it, and ABOVE where it looks to say LONDON, what "I THINK" it looks like it says is... PIDAESON....or something close to that.....best I could figure out...others may do better!!!!

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Thanks for the enlargement. That word is actually Pearson I believe and it is easier to see it without being enlarged. But there is another word, most definitely letters that are worn, below that. I've contacted the fife-guy (he probably gets that a lot) who confessed that his area of expertise is American fifes. He referred me to another expert and I'm awaiting his response. I'll post his contribution to the conversation. And thanks again.

 

Steve Dillon of the Fife Museum informs us that the Pearson fife was made by Thomas Pearson at 26 Bishopsgate London between 1859-1891. It is pitched in C. I didn't have the nerve to be so crass as to ask a value. I'll run it up the eBay flagpole and see if anybody salutes.

 

I'll have to defer to others on these!