Hiram Stamper b 16 Mar 1893 Knott Co KY d 16 Jan 1992 Knott Co KY s/o Marion Stamper and Martha Ann Stewart. Hiram Stamper m. 24 Sept 1924 Knott Co KY to Martha Kelly b 28 Mar 1909 Lotts Creek, Knott Co KY d 4 Sept 1994 Louisville, Jefferson Co KY d/o George Kelly and Fanny Helton. Hiram Stamper was a veteran of WWI and a noted fiddler of Eastern KY. More about Hiram Stamper. Child of Hiram Stamper and Martha Kelly;

I. Carl Stamper b 25 Oct 1925 Knott Co KY d 9 Dec 1931 Knott Co KY

II. Mabel Stamper b 10 Sept 1927 Knott Co KY m. 8 Mar 1946 to John S Smith b 29 Jan 1922 d 30 Jun 1986 IL. Children of Mabel Stamper and John S Smith;

1. Donna Fay Smith b 1947 KY m. 13 Oct 1962 to Daniel B Cornett b 1938. Children; i. Danny Ray Cornett b 1963 ii. Mandrel Cornett b 1977

2. Martha Sue Smith b Jan 1948 m. 22 Jun 1963 Wise Co VA to Elmer Hudson b 1938. Children; i. Steven Wayne Hudson b 1965 ii. David Dewayne Hudson b 1971

3. Raymond Smith b 18 Jan 1950 KY m. 22 Mar 1966 Crestion IL to Carolyn McCammon b 1945. Children; i. Raymond Douglas Smith b 1970 ii. Richard Earl Smith b 1971 iii. Barbara Ann Smith b 1973 iv. Jennifer Lynn Smith b 1975

4. Sandra Lee Smith b 13 Mar 1951 KY m. 8 May 1967 Willie B Honeycutt b 1942. Children; i. Harold Eugene b 1968 ii. Candice b 1972 iii. Scott Douglas b 1979

5. Mary Joyce Smith b 29 Apr 1953 KY m. 22 Aug 1969 Oregon IL to Edward Thomas Tanner. Children; i. John Edward b 1970 ii. Thomas James b 1979

6. Dana Lynn Smith b 1 Aug 1955 KY m. 22 Mar 1974 to John Michael Woodyalt b 1948. Children; i. Michelle Lynn b 1977 ii. Melissa Ann b 1979 iii. Cassandra Sue b 1982 iv. Ladonna Faye b 1983 v. Kimberly Nicole Woodyalt b 1986. Dana Lynn Smith m. 1977 to Richard Hall b 1952.

7. Judy Smith b 13 Jan 1958 KY m. 2 Apr 1976 Rochelle IL to Daniel Olson b 1949. Children; i. Angela b 1977 ii. Dustin b 1979

8. Janet Smith b 7 Aug 1959 m. 1976 to David Foltz b 1954; m. 2 Aug 1986 to Terry Inman b 1955. Children; i. Keri Leigh Inman b 1981 ii. Jeremy Ronald Inman b 1987

9. Alger Bart Smith b 16 Feb 1961 m. 12 Aug 1992 to Debra Castro Logan b 1963. Children; i. Joshua Daniel Smith b 1981 ii. Brandi Nicole Smith b 1989

10. Don Smith b 7 Mar 1964 m. 10 Apr 1990 to Lori Ann Johnson b 1969.

III. Charles Herbert Stamper b 28 Jan 1930 Knott Co KY m. 31 Jan 1951 Yokohama, Japan to Akiko Neshi b 18 Nov 1930 Yokohama, Japan d/o Kotaro Nishii and Shizu Nishii. Children of Charles Herbert Stamper and Akiko Neshi;

1. Jenette Stamper b 1952

2. Carole E Stamper b 1956

3. Patricia Stamper b 1957

4. Marvin Terry Stamper b 1962

IV. Hiram Stamper b 18 May 1932 Knott Co KY m. Ruth Cook. Child;

1. Karen Stamper b 1967

V. Arthur Stamper b 1 Nov 1933 Knott Co KY m. Debbie Tanner b 1937. Child;

1. Jennifer Stamper b 1968

Arthur Stamper m. Frances Hatcher b 1934. Children;

2. Blake Stamper b 1961

3. Blain Stamper b 1967

VI. Julianne Stamper b 21 Mar 1935 Knott Co KY m. 22 Apr 1953 to Charles Virgil Moore b 11 Jan 1929 d 20 Feb 1984. Children;

1. Carol Ann Moore b 1954

2. David Franklin Moore b 1955

3. Joyce Darlene Moore b 1958

VII. Mary Stamper b 1935

VIII. Maxlee Stamper b 9 Mar 1937 Knott Co KY d 27 May 1937 Knott Co KY

IX. Matthew Stamper b 1 May 1938 Knott Co KY d 20 May 2006 m. Katherine "Kathy" Jones b 1940. Children;

1. Janet Stamper b 1962

2. Barbara Ann Stamper b 1965

Matthew Stamper m. Shirley Unknown b 1942. Children;

3. Matthew P Stamper b 1973

4. Tim Stamper b 1973

X. Douglas Stamper b 2 May 1942 Knott Co KY d 19 Jun 1942 Knott Co KY

XI. Paul Stamper b 15 May 1943 Knott Co KY d 1946 Knott Co KY

XII. Sue Carol Stamper b 22 Jun 1944 Knott Co KY m. Jack Yarborough b 1940. Sue Carol Stamper m. 2nd to Joe Ferdette b 1940. Children;

1. Pamela Sue Ferdette b 1975

2. Tammy Lynn Ferdette b 1975

XIII. Barbara Stamper b 11 Jul 1951 Knott Co KY d 25 Oct 1951 Knott Co KY.

Hiram Stamper (1893-1992) is one of the many older generation Kentucky fiddlers documented in Hutchins Library's sound recordings collections.  Click on the link to hear Hiram's collection of Fiddle recordings at the Digital Library of Appalachia.

(Source) Stamper's bowing was very vigorous and energetic. There was strong emphasis on the push, or up stroke, giving a strong pulsing beat, especially when beginning and ending phrases of tunes and between parts in tunes. Phrases are ended with an abrupt upward motion of the bow, drawing out the last note as long as possible, then returning to the tune with a long downward stroke that again would draw out the melody in a way that gave the rhythm of the tune a pronounced pulsing, or wavelike feel. He also used long sweeping motions of the bow interspersed with more explosive bursts of quick back and forth sawing patterns that often gave a rather syncopated feel. He wielded the bow with his elbow held fairly high, allowing most of the bow work to be achieved by his elbow, wrist, and finger movement.

He tuned his fiddle about a full step below standard pitch, and the bridge was cut with a very shallow curve. Both of these practices allowed him to play two and sometimes three strings simultaneously, and gave his playing a very full, deep sound. This, and his sense of timing, gave many of his tunes a very dark, mysterious quality which has always been closely associated with older Appalachian fiddling.

Stamper's repertoire of tunes is characteristic of eastern Kentucky traditional music of the nineteenth and early twentieth century. He played very little music from later radio or recorded sources.  There are marked similarities to his music found in other regional collections as is illustrated by the presence in Jean Ritchie's repertoire of such tunes as Betty Martin, Boston, God Bless Those Moonshiners, etc.