Kirkman (harpsichord makers) facts for kids
The Kirkman family were famous English instrument makers who originally came from Alsace, a region in Europe. They made musical instruments like harpsichords and later pianos for over 100 years, from the 1750s until the late 1800s.
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Meet the Kirkman Family Makers
This section introduces the main members of the Kirkman family who were involved in making musical instruments.
Jacob Kirkman: The Founder
Jacob Kirkman (born March 4, 1710 – died June 9, 1792) was born in a town called Bischwiller in Alsace. He moved to England in the early 1730s. He started working for another instrument maker, Hermann Tabel. In 1738, Jacob married Tabel's widow. He became a British citizen in 1755. Jacob Kirkman passed away in Greenwich and was buried there in St Alfege Church.
Abraham Kirkman: Jacob's Nephew
Abraham Kirkman (born 1737 – died April 16, 1794) was Jacob Kirkman's nephew. He was also born in Bischwiller. In 1772, Jacob and Abraham started working together as partners. Abraham died in Hammersmith.
Joseph Kirkman I: Carrying on the Family Business
Joseph Kirkman I was Abraham Kirkman's son. He followed in his father's footsteps and became an instrument maker. He eventually joined his father in their business partnership.
Joseph Kirkman II: The Last Harpsichord Maker
Joseph Kirkman II (born around 1790 – died 1877) was the son of Joseph Kirkman I. Like his father and grandfather, he became an instrument maker. He helped his father make their very last harpsichord in 1809. However, the newest Kirkman harpsichord that we still have today was made in 1800.
Kirkman Harpsichords: What Made Them Special?
Jacob Kirkman was a very famous harpsichord maker. A writer named Charles Burney wrote a lot about him. Charles's daughter, Fanny Burney, even called Jacob "the first harpsichord maker of the times." Jacob Kirkman and another maker named Burkat Shudi were the most important harpsichord makers in England during the second half of the 1700s. Many of their instruments are still around today. In fact, there are more than twice as many Kirkman harpsichords left compared to Shudi's. This led a historian named Frank Hubbard to say that Kirkman harpsichords were "almost mass-produced," meaning they made a lot of them.
Harpsichord Design and Features
Like Shudi, Kirkman made three main types of harpsichords:
- Single manual instruments: These had one keyboard. Some had two sets of strings (called 8' 8' disposition), and others had three sets (8' 8' 4' disposition). The numbers refer to the length of the strings and how they sound.
- Double manual instruments: These had two keyboards. They usually had three sets of strings (8' 8' 4' disposition) and a special "lute stop." A lute stop made the harpsichord sound a bit like a lute, a stringed instrument.
The inside of Kirkman harpsichords was based on older 17th-century harpsichords from Flanders (a region in Europe). However, English makers developed their own unique look by the 1720s. Kirkman harpsichords often had beautiful wood veneer (thin layers of wood) inside and out. They also featured detailed inlay (patterns made by setting different materials into a surface) and marquetry (pictures made from different colored woods) in the key area.
One interesting thing about English harpsichords, including Kirkmans, was how the keys felt. The keys stopped at a rail at the end, which some people thought made them feel less responsive than other harpsichords.
Over the years, the Kirkmans added new features to their harpsichords:
- Buff Stop: Introduced around 1760, this stop made the strings sound softer and more muted. Sometimes, on single-manual harpsichords, you could turn it on with a foot pedal.
- Machine Stop: Added after 1765, this was a clever system that let players change several sounds at once using a hand stop and a foot pedal. It was a bit like the way stops work on a pipe organ.
- Nag's Head Swell: This was a part of the top lid shaped like a long horse's head. When you pressed a foot pedal, it would open up, making the sound louder. This was later replaced by Shudi's "Venetian swell," which worked similarly but looked more like a modern Venetian blind.
The range of notes on Kirkman harpsichords also got bigger, going very high. This might have been because musicians wanted more notes, or perhaps it was a friendly competition with Shudi, who had also extended his harpsichords to play lower notes. Jacob Kirkman even made a special experimental harpsichord for a professor at Trinity College, Cambridge around 1757. This harpsichord was called an "enharmonic" harpsichord, which means it could play very small differences in pitch that regular instruments can't.
Frank Hubbard, the historian, once said that English harpsichords like those by Kirkman and Shudi "are too good. The tone [...] almost interferes with the music." However, others have pointed out that a harpsichord player in England around 1770 would have enjoyed music from many different composers, including Scarlatti, Rameau, Handel, C. P. E. Bach, J. C. Bach, Mozart, Arne, Purcell, and Sammartini.
From Harpsichords to Pianos
As fortepianos (early pianos) became more popular in the second half of the 1700s, the Kirkmans started building them too. Jacob Kirkman might have seen a piano as early as 1770, but the first piano he is known to have made was a square piano in 1775. The Kirkman company continued to make grand pianos and upright pianos throughout the 1800s. In 1896, another company called Collard took over the Kirkman firm.
See also
List of historical harpsichord makers
