Broadwood, John (EN)

Broadwood John, *1732 Cockburnspath (Scotland), †1812 London, English piano builder and cabinetmaker by trade. In 1755 he settled in London, where from 1761 he worked for the harpsichord maker B. Shudi. In 1769 he married Shudi’s daughter and, from 1770, became a partner in the firm Shudi & Broadwood, eventually becoming its owner in 1782. In 1773 he began manufacturing square pianos based on the model developed by J.Ch. Zumpe. Between 1775 and 1776, he worked with A. Backers and R. Stodart on improvements to piano action; in 1777 Stodart patented the system now known as the English action. In 1783 Broadwood introduced further innovations, including a new method of mounting the wrest plank, a soft (piano) pedal, and a soundboard supported by a sound post, similar to that used in the violin. In 1790 he increased string tension and introduced separate bridges for the bass and treble strings. From 1799 he also built cabinet pianos with vertically strung mechanisms. In 1795 the company adopted the name John Broadwood & Sons. Broadwood’s sons became his partners and successors: James Shudi Broadwood (1772–1851) joined the firm in 1795, and Thomas Broadwood in 1807. The business was later managed by John’s grandson Henry Fowler Broadwood (1811–1893) and great-grandson Henry John Tschudi Broadwood (†1911). In 1901 the company was reorganized as a joint-stock corporation.