[This is an extract from The Machete of Madeira: A British Perspective by Samantha Muir, University of Surrey, Guildford. An article published in the Portuguese journal - Vol. 11 N.º 2 (2021): Revista Portuguesa de Educação Artística /Portuguese Journal of Artistic Education.]

[Reproduced here with permission.]

One of the most important discoveries I made in my research was that the machete had featured in numerous amateur concerts in England from at least 1869. The first indication of this is found in the Islington Gazette, dated 14 May 1869.

The reviewer noted that “Mrs Oakley’s artistic playing of the machete, in two duets with Mrs Phelps, ‘Portuguese Airs’ and ‘Carnival of Venise,’ and ‘Madeira Country Airs,’ was well appreciated, and received rapturous applause.” The connection to Madeira is most obvious in the title ‘Madeira Country Airs’ but a further connection can be traced to the name Phelps. The Phelpses had been wine merchants in Madeira since the eighteenth century. The letters of the Phelps family of Madeira, published by their descendants in 2016, indicate that Mrs Oakley’s maiden name was Phelps.

Clara Phelps (1831-1897) was born in Madeira in 1831. She was the sixth daughter of Elizabeth and Joseph Phelps. As Joseph was often away in England trying to sell wine his wife Elizabeth frequently wrote to him about the health and education of their children. Elizabeth, who played the harp and the piano, both taught and oversaw the musical education of her children. The children were encouraged to sing and learn a variety of instruments including piano, guitar, Portuguese guitar and machete. In 1847 Elizabeth informed her husband that “Clara and H[arriet] continue to practise their stringed instruments much to the satisfaction of Candido and Cabial [Cabral]. We really owe those two gents a large debt of gratitude for their instruction.” (Forrest et al, 2016, 43) This is the only known direct reference to Candido Drummond teaching the machete, and significantly, to a British resident. Clara was aged sixteen at the time. Her elder sister Harriet was learning the guitar from Manuel Cabral, who arranged the guitar parts for the Drummond Collection.

A few months later (14th September 1847) Elizabeth again wrote to her husband, “I am quite ashamed of the time Candido & Cabial [Cabral] have spent upon Harriet & Clara. Should they not be paid somehow?” (Forrest et al, 2016, 56) Despite the lack of remuneration the lessons continued and Elizabeth was clearly delighted with Clara’s progress. “Clara’s machete has obtained unbounded applause from the Corral up to the top of Pico Ruivo.” (Forrest et al, 2016, 56) Although lessons are not mentioned again Clara and her sister continued to study their instruments for nine years later, in 1856, their sister Mary described their performance at a “grand dinner party”.

“Kitty seemed tired and did not entertain her guests with much spirit so this task principally fell to Harriet and Clara, who performed with their voice and on the guitar and machette, without however, I thought, eliciting the admiration they deserved.” (Forrest et al, 2016, 294)

Clara is frequently credited as being a talented musician. As well as playing the machete she learnt singing “very diligently” from a “Mr Rakeman”. (Forrest et al, 2016, 295) Her sister Mary described her voice as “really beautiful”. Mr Rakeman, who is described as “a capital musician and master”, was a visiting music professor who stayed with the family. (Forrest et al, 2016, 295) In 1856 Clara was engaged to John Oakley, a young clergyman who was employed as a tutor by Lady Margaret Littleton. (Forrest et al, 2016, 300) John also enjoyed singing and Clara, when writing to tell her brother of her engagement joyously declared, “It was singing duets together as did it I believe.” (Forrest et al, 2016, 300) The couple’s mutual delight in music is also mentioned by Bella Phelps in 1858. “The young people are as happy as possible and the whole house is musical.” (Forrest et al, 2016, 334) John and Clara were not married until he was ordained a priest in 1860 at which time they moved to 29 Charles Street, St James, London. Later that year Clara’s father Joseph wrote to tell his son Arthur (10th September 1860) “We havgot a piano, & last Tuesday we had some friends to dine with us, among others Clarinha & her husband. She played the machettinho de braga exquisitely; I never heard her play better.” (Forrest et al, 2016, 386) The letter was written in Aldeburgh, Suffolk, and establishes that Clara had taken her machete to England. Joseph appears to be using the diminutives “Clarinha” and “machettinho” affectionately much in the same that Andrew Picken had used the term “machettinho”. Clearly the two men had known each other as Picken made a dedication to Phelps at the beginning of his book. “I beg to make my acknowledgement to the Rev. Cyril W. Page, and to Joseph Phelps, Esq., to whom I am indebted for material contributed to the present work.”

Clara, now known as Mrs Oakley, continued to play her machete in England. Her performance venues reflect the clerical appointments of her husband. John Oakley’s first position was as a vicar at St Saviour’s, Hoxton. The 1869 concert in which Mrs Oakley and Mrs Phelps performed duets was to help raise money for a new organ.

Ten years later, on 22 February 1879, Mrs Oakley was listed as one of the “principal soloists” in the Apsley End Village Club final concert of the season. The following week the Hemel Hempstead Gazette reported that one of the disappointments was that “Mrs Oakley, who was to play the pretty little instrument, the Machette” was unable to attend due to “illness”. It is noteworthy that the writer shows some familiarity with the machete and implies Clara performed frequently.

In 1882 John Oakley became Dean of Carlisle. On the 8th November of that year the Carlisle Express and Examiner reported on a concert by “The Dean and the Working Men of Caldewgate” in which Mrs Oakley “sang with sweetness several popular ballads, and fairly brought the house down by her clever performances on the machete, an instrument which the bulk of the audience seemed to have seen for the first time.” A few weeks later, on the 25th November, the same newspaper reported on the first in a series of “pleasant evenings for the people” put on by the Dean and involving a variety of readings and musical performances. Mrs Oakley again featured with her machete. The reviewer noting, “that lady’s deft manipulation of that pleasing little instrument seeming to give the utmost pleasure”.

The Oakley’s concerts in Carlisle continued until 1884 when John was made Dean of Manchester. Their final concert was at Gatesgill and once again “Mrs Oakley’s quaint instrument, the machete, gave its usual great satisfaction”. The Oakley family became well known for putting on concerts for the underprivileged and one of the features of these concerts was clearly Mrs Oakley and her machete. While there is little indication of her repertoire the machete was clearly a source of great fascination and delight. As noted in Dean Oakley’s obituary in the Westmorland Gazette of 14th May 1890, “He devoted much time to the popularisation of music, and with members of his family often gave free concerts for the people, which were widely appreciated”.

Quotes made from: Forrest, P. Boylston, A. & Hubbard, J. (2016). A Shoebox of Letters: The Story of the Phelps, Dickinson and Evans Families in Madeira, England and India in the Nineteenth Century. Penelope Forrest, South Africa.