The Piping Encyclopaedia

A-Z OF PIPERS ‘F’ page 1

FAIRBAIRN, Robert
From Peebles. Served as Pipe Major of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards in the 1990s.
Piper with the Lothian & Borders Police Pipe Band.

FARQUHARSON, Alexander
From Breadalbane.
Competed at the Edinburgh competition in 1824 and 1826 but was unplaced.

FARQUHAR, Donald
From Breadalbane.
Competed at the Edinburgh competition in 1826 as a ‘boy’ and was placed 5th.

FARQUHARSON, Duncan
Competed at the Edinburgh competition in 1823 but was unplaced.

FARQUHARSON, JF
Received some tuition from John Ban MacKenzie.
Was piper to the Duke of Edinburgh in 1868 when he won 2nd prize in the Prize Pipe at the Northern Meeting and in 1874 when he won the Strathspey & Marches.

FERGUSON, Donald
Served as a piper in John Roy Stuart’s Edinburgh Regiment in the ‘45.

FERGUSON, Donald -1896
From Torrisdale, Carridale in Kintyre.
He was piper to John Hayes at Torrisdale Castle.
He taught his nephew, Robert MacKinnon (see).

FERGUSON, Donald
Piper in John Roy Stuart’s Regiment during the ‘45.

FERGUSSON, D
Pipe Major of the Inverness Highland Rifle Volunteers from 1881 until 1890.

FERGUSSON, Willie
Composed ‘Kentara to El Arish’.
Taught by Pipe Major Farquhar MacRae, 7th HLI.
He became pipe major of this battalion in 1914.
One of the best composers of his era, his tunes include ‘The Atholl and Breadalbane Gathering, ‘The Australian Ladies’,

FINDLATER, George VC
Became the best known piper in the world when he won the VC at the Battle of Dargai.
He was one of a group of pipers in the 2nd Gordons who played during the storming of a hill in the North West Indian Frontier campaign.
During the attack he was severely wounded but continued to play.
Later he was invalided back to Britain and spent some time in hospital when he was presented with his Victoria Cross by Queen Victoria.
He became a darling of the press but attracted much controversy when he signed on to play in a series of music hall performances, turning down a derisory state pension to do so.
His plight attracted a mass of attention from all over the world, including offers of jobs as well as one of marriage to a wealthy widow.
He was Pipe Major of the 9th Battalion Gordon Highlanders in World War 1 but invalided home in December 1915.

FINLAYSON, Archibald
Took third prize behind Angus Cameron in the 1841 Glasgow Piobaireachd competition.

FISHER, Donald
Second Piper to the Earl of Breadalbane
In 1783 competed in the Prize Pipe, Edinburgh, winning 3rd prize.
In 1784 he won 2nd prize, and again competed in 1785, 1786 and 1790 before finally winning the Prize Pipe in 1796.
In 1818 and 1821 he again played as a former winner.

FISHER, William
From Breadalbane
Competed at the Edinburgh competition in 1822 when he was unplaced and in 1823 when he was placed 5th.

FLETCHER, Alexander
From Invermoriston.
Piper to Morayshire Rifle Volunteers.
Competed at the Northern Meeting in the 1860s and in 1887 he won the Piobaireachd.

FORBES, Archibald
Competed at the Edinburgh competition in 1844 when he was placed 4th.
From Killiechassie.

FORBES, Ian
Served as Pipe Major of the 1st Battalion Seaforth Highlanders from 1938 until 1939.

FORBES, John
from Killiechassie.
Competed at the Edinburgh competition in 1818 4th; 1819 3rd; 1821 u/p; 1822 u/p; 1824 u/p; 1826 u/p and 1829 u/p.

FORBES, Peter
From Foss.
Competed at the Edinburgh competition in 1805 3rd, 1808 2nd and 1809 1st.

FORBES, William
Piper to the 42d regiment
Competed at the Edinburgh competition in 1800 2nd and 1801 1st .

FORREST, Alexander
From Torphichen.

FORREST, William
Pipe Major of the Kings Own Scottish Borderers.

FORSYTH, Henry (died 1946)
In 1887 he enlisted as a piper in the 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards, and was promoted to pipe major in 1899, serving with his battalion during the Boer War and was pipe major until 1903.
In 1905 he was appointed piper to the Prince of Wales and when he became king the-then current sovereign’s piper, James Campbell, was retired to make way for Forsyth.
In 1914 he volunteered for service and was made pipe major of the 14th Argylls.
Later he was transferred to base duties.

FOX, George
Pipe Major of the 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders from 1928 until 1939.

FRAME, Eddie
Pipe Major of the Royal Highland Fusiliers 1974-1979.

FRASER, David
Piper to Simon, Lord Lovat under who  he fought in the ‘45.
Brother of William (see).

FRASER, George
In 1959 was transferred from the Seaforths to the Royal Scots as Pipe Major.
His career, however, was chequered and he lasted less than a year.

FRASER, Gregor
Pipe Major of the 92nd Highlanders from 1867 until 1877.

FRASER, Hugh
Was piper to The Mackintosh when he won 3rd prize in the Gold Medal Piobaireachd event at the Northern Meeting in 1880.

FRASER, Hugh 1917-1965
Was originally a piper in the Camerons but took his discharged at the end of World War 2.
Later enlisted in the Royal Scots and was Pipe major from 1953 until 1956.
‘The Lament for Hugh Fraser’ was written in his honour by his pupil, Bill Robertson.
Composed ‘The Kilted Runner’.

FRASER, William
Piper to Simon, Lord Lovat under whom he fought as a piper in the Fraser Regiment in the ‘45.
Brother of David (see).

William FRASER
From Breadalbane, and a competitor at the Edinburgh competition in the 1820s.
Joined the 91st Highlanders.

FREWEN, Martin
From New Zealand.
One of the leading competitive players at the turn of the 21st century.