Old photograph of houses, cottage and people in Oldhamstocks village, East Lothian, Scotland. John Broadwood, born 6 October 1732, died 17 July 1812, was the Scottish founder of the piano manufacturer Broadwood and Sons. He was christened on 15 Oct 1732 at St Helens, Cockburnspath in Berwickshire, and grew up in Oldhamstocks. He inherited his father James Broadwood's profession, that of a wright or carpenter and joiner, and as a young man walked from Oldhamstocks to London, England, a distance of almost 400 miles where he worked for the harpsichord maker Burkat Shudi. Burkat Shudi died in 1773, and John Broadwood took control of the company in 1783. John married Shudi's daughter Barbara in 1769. They had four children, then Barbara died. He then married Mary Kitson in 1781 and had a further six children. Many of his descendants were involved in pianoforte manufacturing in England and some were involved in the British Army in India during the reign of Queen Victoria. Others emigrated to Australia, where Broadwood descendants still live. The Broadwood family tree can be traced back to 1580. The British general Robert George Broadwood, born 1862, died 1917, was a grandson by his son Thomas, son by John's second wife Mary Kitson, and Mary Athlea Matthews.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
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