Rosamond Harding

A brief biography from research by Michael Cole

1898   Born at Doddington, near March, Cambridgeshire, the first child of Ambrose and Adela Harding.

1899   Rosamond is one year old. Family moves to Histon Manor, Cambridge.

Histon Manor, Rosamond's home 1899 - 1927

1906   Her only sibling, Thomas Harding born. He is handicapped, and is not considered for inheritance.

1922   Rosamond applies to Newnham College to read for a music degree (Cambridge University had finally agreed to award degrees to women)

  Portrait photograph c.1920

1925   Undergraduate course not completed. (She never sat final exams, so no degree granted).

1927   On death of Colonel T. Walter Harding her father Ambrose inherits Madingley Hall, a mansion of c.1543 restored by Rosamond's grandfather

1927    Though she has no first degree she begins research for PhD, under Prof Dent.

Madingley Hall, as restored by her grandfather Col. T. Walter Harding.

1931   Rosamond completes her thesis: 'The Pianoforte ― its history traced to the Great Industrial Exhibition, 1851' and is awarded PhD. 

1933   The Ambrose Harding Trust funds publication of her thesis (dropping some illustrations but otherwise with miniscule changes). It is printed by Cambridge University Press.

            She also publishes a modern edition of Giustini's Twelve Sonatas for Pianoforte of 1732.

1933   A concert at Newnham College features Giustini's sonatas on a Longman & Broderip square piano.

1936   Rosamond qualifies for her pilot's licence logging 136 hours flying in light aircraft.

1937   Only 93 copies of The Pianoforte sold thus far, so the price is reduced from £2.10.0 to £1.10.0

1939   She is rejected (as were other well qualified female applicants) for war time service in the air.

1940   Volunteers as an Air Raid Warden in Cambridge.

1940   Publishes An Anatomy of Inspiration, by far her most successful book.

1942   Both her parents died this year. Last 4 copies of The Pianoforte sold @ 14 shillings each. [It is presumed that only 220 copies were sold altogether.]

1948   Following the death of her parents Rosamond continued at first to live at Madingley Hall, subject to her father's trustees. However, they opted to sell it to the university in 1948.

           Madingley Hall is now used for the Department of Continuing Education. Part of the land is used for the American Cemetery, prominently signposted in the area.  

1949   Rosamond moves to Icomb Place, near Stow-on-the-Wold, where she kept her large collection of musical instruments.

1954   Leaves Icomb, and has to sell some instruments at Sotheby's, including 1769 Zumpe & Buntebart piano, a c.1700 Italian Harpsichord, and a bass viol by Henry Jaye.

1967   A fourth edition of Anatomy of Inspiration is published to more critical acclaim.

1973   A pirate edition of The Pianoforte is published by Da Capo Press, New York.  Rosamond was not consulted, not paid., and not pleased.

1978   Publishes her long awaited second edition of The Pianoforte, but it turns out to be only a photo reprint with minor changes and many important mistakes unchanged.

1982   Rosamond Evelyn Mary Harding dies at her cottage home in Southwold. (It is now a holiday cottage, locate via search engines. Type: Jersey Lodge, Southwold

Madingley Church interior.

The Harding  family monument shown below is off to the left.

Harding Family monumentfixed to the north wall

 inside Madingley Church.

1982 By her will the Victoria & Albert Museum was offered her residual instrument collection, but her offer was declined.

1989  Posthumous second reprint of a thousand copies of second edition of Harding's The Pianoforte

For a full biographical account and assessment of her work see Galpin Society Journal 2007