I presume that this flute predates the partnership with Rose?
What would be the date of manufacture?
Note the purse pads. Might have to make your own.
Kevin
Hmmm, nice bit of history this.
Date of manufacture, I’d say 1821. This will be a Geo Rudall, Willis Fecit. Willis was a maker and worked at 5 Clement’s Inn.
See: http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/GeoRud.htm
Note that my flute and this one both have that very unusual third block on the upper C key. Very different key cups though - mine has leathers instead of the “elastic balls” used on this one.
Very unsuitable for Irish music, I should add, but a luscious piece of history.
Terry
Thank you Terry, very interesting, I’ll check out your link.
Paul
Note that this GEO Rudall is not a Willis Fecit. Very cool flute, though. Looks like the foot will be very flat, like 60 cents.
Probably impossible to be absolutely sure (in the absence of a specific makers mark), but I reckon it probably was Willis who did the factum. Willis is shown as being at Clements Inn. That additional block on the upper c key (also on my Geo Rudall, Willis Fecit) is not something you see everyday. I haven’t seen reference to any other makers working for Rudall before Rose and other than Willis.
The very deep saltspoon cups are an interesting feature. They might help provide other leads. My T. Lindsay Improved has them, although this is not an Improved style flute. My Lindsay also has pewter plugs on the lowest holes.
Terry
Also the lined key ways was a Willis feature. I just mentioned that he wasn’t in the stamp, it doesn’t mean he didn’t make it.
Actually on Terry’s flute Willis has his stamp on the foot, and this one looks like there could be something stamped on the foot below the C key… Remember that just because the seller doesn’t mention something doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
Cheers
Graeme
I’m curious. What would make a flute unsuitable for Irish music?
Well, it’s not much good to anyone if the guy next to you in the session can’t hear you! Or you can’t hear you. Some of these older flutes are just too mild. Cheers,
Rob
That would make sense, it is nicer when the seller does miss stuff like that, as you can get the flute cheaper… 
(but not on this flute)
There is a nice Geo Rudall, like Terry’s on the Vintage Instruments online. I like to go there to see the photos, I like the design of the flat key cups.
For some that would be a plus! 
I should get this then!
Apart from the low volume, as Rob mentioned, is the issue of intonation. And at least three issues there.
These early 19th century flutes had very small and uniform holes, compared with what Nicholson brought in and what we use now. So you could play a plausible F natural with xxx xox. But it means that the F# is REALLY flat, so flat it sounds pretty dismal even at high speed.
Secondly, they hadn’t updated the scale length since baroque times and so you get massive tilt in both octaves at our pitch. RH notes flat, LH notes sharp.
Thirdly is the dreaded Flat Foot Syndrome, making the foot notes even flatter than the tilted low octave would have done anyway.
So, not good for Irish music (unless retuned) but a wonderful experience for classical music, and a fabulous chunk of Rudall history to let your neighbours covet.
Terry