John Broadwood facts for kids
John Broadwood (born October 6, 1732 – died July 17, 1812) was a Scottish man who started a famous company called Broadwood and Sons. This company made pianos.
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John Broadwood's Early Life
John Broadwood was born on October 6, 1732, in a place called Cockburnspath, Scotland. He grew up in Oldhamstocks. His father, James Broadwood, was a carpenter or joiner. John followed in his father's footsteps.
When he was a young man, John walked all the way from Oldhamstocks to London. That's almost 400 miles (about 640 kilometers)! In London, he started working for a man named Burkat Shudi. Shudi made musical instruments called harpsichords.
Taking Over the Business
Burkat Shudi passed away in 1773. John Broadwood then took control of the company from his brother-in-law in 1783. This was the start of his own successful journey in making musical instruments.
Broadwood's Piano Innovations
John Broadwood was very important in making the piano better. He worked with another piano maker named Robert Stodart. They helped a person named Americus Backers make the "English Grand Action" perfect. This was a special part of the piano that helped the keys work. It was used for many years!
Over time, John Broadwood sold more pianos than harpsichords. Because pianos became so popular, he stopped making harpsichords completely in 1793. He passed away in London.
Key Improvements to Pianos
John Broadwood came up with several new ideas for pianos:
- He added a separate part for the deep, low notes (called bass notes).
- He received a patent for the piano pedal in 1783. This pedal helps change the sound of the piano.
- He made the piano's range of notes bigger. At first, pianos usually had five octaves. John added half an octave higher, and then half an octave lower. This meant pianos could play more different notes!
Broadwood and Sons: A Family Business
The company, Broadwood and Sons, became very successful. After John Broadwood, his sons, James Shudi Broadwood and Thomas Broadwood, took over the business. They continued to make high-quality pianos.
Broadwood Family History
John Broadwood married Barbara Shudi in 1769. They had four children. After Barbara passed away, he married Mary Kitson in 1781, and they had six more children.
Many of John Broadwood's family members continued to work in the piano-making business in England. Some of his family also served in the British Army in India when Queen Victoria was queen. Other family members moved to Australia, where Broadwood descendants still live today. The Broadwood family tree can be traced back to around the year 1580.
A famous British general named Robert George Broadwood (1862–1917) was John Broadwood's grandson.
Images for kids
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An 1810 Broadwood grand piano, now in the Musical Instrument Museum in Brussels.
