JOHN BROADWOOD

John Broadwood was working in London in the 1760s when the pianoforte became fashionable. He was employed at that time by the Swiss-born harpsichord maker Burkat Shudi, in Great Pulteney Street, but after marrying Shudi's youngest daughter Barbara in 1769 Broadwood became a partner in the business. Soon afterwards Shudi retired from active work, though he remained a partner until his death in August 1773.

Broadwood then continued the workshop alone. Though nominally in partnership with Shudi's only surviving son (Burkat junior), Broadwood was actually in sole charge as young Shudi was left no share in the business by his father. The reasons for this paternal action are unknown, but he obviously held John Broadwood in the highest regard. After the founder's death his daughter Margaret Shudi, and her brother Burkat continued to live in what was now Broadwood's home. Barbara took her new duties as a wife very earnestly and her account books, detailing her grocery bills, hiring and firing of servants, and occasional messages from her husband's clients make charming reading. But her life as a wife and mother was very short. She died in 1776 after less than seven years of married life, leaving her husband with three small children. At first her sister Margaret may have taken care of the children, but she died only twenty months later.

Biographers of John Broadwood in the past made hardly any mention of the second wife, yet the date of this marriage, December 1781, was a life-changing moment for the piano maker. So who was this new Mrs Broadwood? Her name was Mary Kitson. Six years earlier had been engaged by Barbara Broadwood as a servant at 8 guineas per annum. She was probably employed as a nurse or governess to the children, so becoming their new mother was not such a big event. But the marriage re-ordered John Broadwood's life. With a further increase in his famly expected and a little distance opening up between him and his revered father-in-law, Broadwood began, from 1782 to put his sole name on new square pianos and to re-think his workshop to produce them in great numbers. From this point on the former atelier of a hands-on craftsman was transformed into the hub of a huge business, connecting out-sourced components, and a network of long established trade contacts. Production figures quadrupled in only a few years. Mary bore six children altogether, including Thomas who later presented a grand piano to Beethoven, and saw her life transformed. Her youngest son Henry was educated at Eton and eventually became a member of Parliament.

Mrs Mary Broadwood, 1786

But let us go back and put all of this into context.

During Broadwood's first ten years in command the workshop continued much as before, making only harpsichords. These were inscribed, as before, Burkat Shudi et Johannes Broadwood even after the firm's founder had died. This made sense: potential clients knew the firm by this name, and knew where to find them. Nevertheless, from 1770 onwards some of Broadwood's clients asked them tune, or repair, or even transport square pianos that they had bought from Zumpe, Pohlman or Beyer. Moreover, some people asked Broadwood to take their ten-year-old square pianos in part exchange for a fine new harpsichord, and often he would agree. But he generally sold such pianos very quickly, sometimes to private clients, but more often as job lots to trade buyers. He also responded to requests for short term square piano hire, calling upon Christopher Ganer who lived in nearby Broad Street.

Harpsichords remained the prestige item: he usually sold them for forty guineas for a single manual, and seventy guineas for a double with patent swell pedal. Production increased too, so that there was at first little inclination to get involved in making square pianos, which generally sold for twenty guineas or less.

The photo shows a harpsichord with machine stop and swell pedal, at the Bate Collection, Oxford, restored by Michael Cole, 1993.

Note that the word Patent at the end of this inscription relates to the 1769 granted to Burkat Shudi, which he later transfered to Broadwood [for a monetary consideration]. However, this patent expired after the usual term of fourteen years, in 1783, at which point John Broadwood applied for a patent of his own for what was to become his own distinctive square piano. Consequently the inscriptions on Broadwood square pianos lack the word Patent until December 1783.

So when did Broadwood begin making pianos?

Broadwood's oldest surviving specimens are two square pianos made in 1780. (One is now in Switzerland, the other in Canada.) Above the keys both are inscribed exactly as shown above, in the same hand, on the same style of cartouche, but lacking the word Patent. These two surviving pianos confirm exactly what Broadwood's own handwritten journal suggests: that 1780 was the first year of production. He sold six that year and the names of each buyer can be found in Broadwood's Journal in the Bodleian Library, but as these pianos were not marked with serial numbers until 1784 it is not possible to link any of the known survivors from 1780-3 with their original owners.

These early pianos from Broadwood (at 20 guineas = £21) are very plain, and unlike all other maker's, have no pedals or handstops. Their general appearance is shown here.

This very simple trestle stand is typical, but soon (certainly by 1785) some of Broadwood's square pianos were supplied with what his Journal terms 'a French frame' stand, having square tapered legs in Hepplewhite style. Some had a further refinement being handsomely bordered in satinwood, and inlaid with elaborate bandings of exotic timbers — at an extra charge of five guineas. Another optional extra (for two guineas) was a 'swell' pedal, raising part of the lid. But the common pedal which most pianists look for, the sustaining pedal expected under the right foot, was very rarely provided on Broadwood's square pianos before 1796.

From 1780 until 1805 John Broadwood's square pianos were fitted with brass under-dampers,acting on a counterweight principle. The hammers were hinged on pieces of alum-cured goatskin as seen below. [Note: the cover rail which normally hides these hinges has been removed for the photograph.]

Completely original hammers and dampers, Broadwood, 1792

The quality of the calligraphy is worthy of notice:

It was not until 1785 that Broadwood began selling grand pianos. But the oldest known survivors date from 1787. Like his square pianos they had exactly five octaves. But from 1793 five-and-a-half octaves became the norm for these larger instruments, though five octave examples were still commonly supplied. A grand piano of John Broadwood's make is shown below.

Broadwood Grand, 1802, restored by Michael Cole

From 1795 onwards Broadwood's square pianos usually had a keyboard of five-and-a-half octaves too, but simple five octave examples are known from dates up to 1802. The method by which the 'additional notes' were added to these pianos had been patented by William Southwell, in 1794, and he took John Broadwood and his son James to court for infringement, but a clever lawyer, who siezed upon some careless claims in the patent, managed to get them acquitted. (After this it became a free-for-all with every maker in London making use of Southwell's ideas.) Readers who would like to know more about the amazing William Southwell should consult Dr Margaret Debenham's personal webpages for news of a forthcoming publication.

In 1805/6 Broadwood's cherished brass under-dampers were abandoned in favour of the type developed from Southwell's. These are the so-called 'dolly dampers', silent in action, easy to adjust, and readily suited to a pedal. At the same time Broadwood square pianos gained an escapement action, as developed by John Geib in the 1780s, which gave a much more expressive touch -- 'grand piano touch' as Broadwood's catalogues of the period say.

By 1808 John Broadwood had been joined by two of his sons – James from his first marriage to Barbara Shudi, and Thomas from Broadwood's second marriage to Mary Kitson (who died in 1839, long after her husband).

Together these brothers developed the business so that it became the biggest piano manufacturing firm the world has ever seen. Until 1850 square pianos remained their best selling product, the later ones having six-and-a-half octaves and a metal plate inside. Many hundreds survive from various periods. One of the simplest yet most cherished examples is the plain six-octave piano of 1844 that Edward Elgar used in his study at Birchwood Lodge, a cottage hidden in the Malvern Hills.

On this instrument, already fifty years old, he composed several of the works that establoished his fame, a fact that he immortsalised himself by writing a list on the soundboard. It is now kept with the instruments of the Cobbe Collection at Hatchlands Park, Surrey.

Broadwood Square Pianos

A new biography of John Broadwood, describing his progress as perhaps the most eminent piano maker ever, and emphasising the important role of square pianos as his principal product line. In hardback, 205 pages, with more than 60 illustrations, it  incorporates significantly revised biographical information, social and musical contexts for these pianos, details of construction and production figures, and serial numbers etc.

UK Price £35 (incl. post and packing) if purchased directly from Tatchley Books (with the option of having the book signed by the author); also available to order from bookshops, price £45.

Book contents and more information

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