Round about the beginning of the 20th century it became a fashion in some musical families to name their children after famous musicians. The Fawcett family excelled in this as well as in its fertility. They were an English North Country family of musicians and were well represented in the Hallé Orchestra of Manchester
There was an oboist who also played the cor anglais at Covent Garden Opera; he had to put up with Mendelssohn as his first name. Then there was Harold Fawcett, the sub-principal bassist of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. His middle name was Rossini, but we never dared to mention it to him. There were several Haydns and Mozarts and other famous composers too many to enumerate.
It seems to have dropped out of fashion although I’ve met quite a few Haydns who weren’t Fawcetts in my time.
I am the great grandaughter of Mendelssohon Fawcett and have been informed by my Farther that Mendelsshon played the Clarenet and not the Obo. Cath Fawcett
More infomation from my family and the book ‘ Music’s Great Days in the Spas&Watering-places.’
Weber Fawcett was the oboe player,born 1874, although there was no mention of Covent Garden. Mendelssohn in the book is shown as a clarinet player which as far as I know that is what he played and not the oboe
Cath Fawcett