Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a fiddle player, a violinist.

1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1820		Carlisle Patriot 23 Dec. 3/2: A liberal subscription was made for the tormentor of catgut.
1821		R. Waln Hermit in America on Visit to Phila. 2nd Ser. 27: An other of the Bang-ups, — recollecting an engagement with a tormentor-of-cat-gut who was to select him a new cremona — left the rooms.
1822		Bombay Gaz. 18 Dec. 14/2: [T]he waggish catgut tormentors struck up the Pretender’s song, of ‘Charlie is my darling’.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1836		Leeds Times 30 July 6/2: The man opposite the Elephant and Castle (a well-known tormentor of catgut) would be the worst player in England.
1843		Preston Chron. (Lancs.) 25 Nov. 3/5: Though I am no ‘tormentor of catgut’ [...] these elaborate productions give me greater pleasure than any other syle of music.
1853		Worcester Jrnl 15 Oct. 8/1: The ‘tormentors’ of the catgut were publicly engaged.
1859		Reynold’s Newspaper 13 Nov. 7/3: The catgut tormentors of Berlin.
[1859		Wkly Varieties (Boston, MA) 29 Oct. 3/2: [T]he tall, slim banjo tormentor].