William Ringwood

Ringwood began his career as a luthier in Dublin in the early 1780s. He was apprenticed to renowned Dublin maker Thomas Perry at 6 Anglesea Street between 1783 and 1790.[6] There, Ringwood learned his trade as a violin maker alongside another one of Perry's great apprentices, Richard Tobin, and Perry's nephew and later son-in-law, William Wilkinson. Much of what we know about Ringwood's time at the Perry firm comes from the Registry of Deeds. On 20 June 1785, his mentor Perry renewed the lease of his house and workshop on Anglesea Street. The deed was witnessed and signed by Ringwood, who is referred to as "apprentice to Thomas Perry".[7] In 1789, Perry took his son-in-law and nephew, Wilkinson, into partnership and the firm became known as 'Perry & Wilkinson'.[8] On 22 February 1793, Perry took out another lease on the same property and Ringwood is again recorded as a witness, referred to as "apprentice to the said Thomas Perry".[5] This puts into question the year in which Ringwood started his apprenticeship with Perry, pushing it back to 1785 at the latest, or suggests that it took Ringwood longer than the standard 7 years to complete his apprenticeship.

After his apprenticeship, Ringwood became an associate of the firm and remained at Anglesea Street until Perry's death in 1818. During this time, Ringwood would have overlapped with some of Perry's other great apprentices, such as John Delany, who began working at the firm in 1796 and John Mackintosh, who joined in 1808.[2] Ringwood also would have worked with renowned Italian luthier, Vincenzo Panormo, who came to Dublin in 1799 and spent a few years working for Perry.[9][10] Ringwood is thought to have had a son, Arthur (born c. 1812), who apprenticed with him to become a violin maker. Ringwood is recorded as being a witness to Perry's last will and testament, which he signed it on 7 June 1818. Thomas Perry died in November later that year.[11]

After Perry's death, Ringwood set up in partnership with another maker, John Wheatley, and developed what was described as a "prosperous dealing business", employing several assistants to make instruments for them.[4][12][13] This partnership may only have lasted until around 1825.[14] Ringwood is recorded by Brian Boydell as having worked as a professor of music in Waterford around 1824.[2] Ringwood later worked as a luthier on his own account and is listed as having lived and worked at addresses such as 150 Abbey Street in 1830 and 1831, 27 Mary Street in 1832 and 14 Fownes Street in 1842. It is believed that he was active as a maker/dealer until his death in c. 1842.[2]