ROSS-on-Wye is set to honour a local musician, who found fame as a violinist and composer and became a patron of the town, with a blue plaque.

Ross Town Council is seeking listed building consent to erect a plaque to Bernhard Molique Carrodus, which is hoped will be placed on the wall of the Corn Exchange in the town’s High Street, once Herefordshire Council approves the scheme.

The violinist and composer played for Queen Victoria at Balmoral in 1899 and toured with famous singers of the era at the end of the 19th century, as well as featuring at ‘smoking concerts’ within the original Corn Exchange building.

Mr Carrodus’ musical achievements were nominated by Gill Richards for recognition with a blue plaque.

Last October the town council unveiled the first of the three blue plaques in the current phase at the town’s Hope and Anchor pub to honour local musicians Dale ‘Buffin’ Griffin and Pete Overend Watts, who founded the1970s rock band Mott the Hoople.

A plaque honouring William Gilpin, who in 1770 published what is considered the first ever tourist guidebook on the River Wye from Ross to Chepstow, is also planned for the town.

The revamped blue plaque scheme has been provided by the town council’s Community, Markets and Tourism sub-committee. The last time the town honoured Ross-on-Wye’s benefactors was in 1985, in a scheme undertaken by the then mayor, Drew Lacey.

Bernhard, born in 1866, and was the son of John Tiplady Carrodus, also a musician, and over time Bernhard was considered more talented than his father and became a sought-after violin solo artist in his own right.

Mr Carrodus went on to play at the Three Choirs Festivals and was in demand all over the country and abroad, both as a solo artist and with an orchestra.

He was summoned to Balmoral to play for Queen Victoria in 1899. He was also friends with Sir Edward Elgar, who wrote violin solos for him.

Mr Carrodus was also a composer of note and wrote two mazurkas, (a folk dance) a Scotch Rhapsody, and Romance in G plus technical studies for violin students.

Bernhard married Gertrude Sarah Bradney of Wharton Hall in 1908 and moved to the Lea and both became active members of the church of St John the Baptist, where he held concerts.

But deafness in his later years curtailed his national and international career, however in retirement he became a great benefactor to the town of Ross.

Apart from his anticipated musical events, Bernhard and Gertrude were active members in Ross society. He was president of Ross Music Society and Ross Rowing Club.

A concert in The Corn Exchange in 1915 raised funds for the Ross First World War Hospital.

A series of Carrodus Smoking Concerts were also held at The Corn Exchange and The Royal Hotel. These were popular and well attended as personal friends and top musicians of the era would join him.

Mr Carrodus’ death notice from 1935 read like an edition of Burke’s Peerage with the amount of nobility paying their respects.