Editha Knocker

Editha Grace Knocker (2 March 1869 – 19 September 1950) was an English violinist, conductor, teacher and author.

Early life

Knocker was born in Exmouth, Devon, the youngest of six children of Royal Navy officer Hugh Horatio Knocker and Rosa Hensley (sister of Prince Edward Island politician Joseph Hensley). When Knocker was born her father was patrolling the coast of West Africa as commander of the gun vessel . He died of a fever at sea four months after Knocker's birth.

Knocker studied the violin with Joseph Joachim in Berlin from 1889 to 1890. Upon her return to England she settled in York, where her mother lived, and taught at various schools, including The Mount School. A diagnosis of neuritis in her arm thwarted her plans for a career as a solo performer. She was one of the conductors of the orchestra and also played the role of lead violin. There was an encouraging response and Knocker and Croll were able to found the Violin Loan Scheme, which evolved into the Instrument Loan Scheme of the Benslow Music Trust.

Later life At the outbreak of World War II in 1939, Knocker and Croll moved to Croll's estate Samalaman in Glenuig on the west coast of Scotland. There Knocker translated Leopold Mozart's A Treatise on the Fundamental Principles of Violin Playing from the German.