Death of Mr. John Brinsmead

We regret to announce the death of Mr. John Brinsmead, which took place on Monday night. Mr. Brinsmead, who was the founder of the well-known firm of pianoforte makers, was born in 1814 in North Devon. After a brief apprenticeship to the craft of cabinet making, the knowledge of which afterwards stood him in good stead, he came to London as a young man of twenty-two. He then began in Windmill-street, Tottenham-court-road, the business of pianoforte making. He made it an art as well as a business, so that in 1841 he was able to move to larger premises, and twenty-two years later Wigmore-street became the headquarters of the firm. His two sons Mr. Thomas Brinsmead and Mr. Edgar Brinsmead (who died last year) were his partners. In 1900 Mr. John Brinsmead converted his business into a private limited liability company, the shares of which are held by his relations. Mr. Brinsmead invented many of the improvements to be found in modern pianofortes and the merit of his work received world-wide recognition. At the Paris Exhibition of 1878 he was awarded the Legion of Honour by the French government, and he held many other awards. He was a knight of the Royal Order of Villa Vocoza of Portugal and an hon. Member of L'Académie Nationale of France. Mr. Brinsmead was predeceased by one month by his wife, to whom he had been married for over seventy years. The seventieth anniversary of their wedding was celebrated last June, when Mr. Brinsmead, who was always a model master, instituted a provident fund for his employees, to which he gave a large sum as a basis. Mr. Brinsmead, who was a director of the firm bearing his name, attended to his business up to the last, and only since Christmas had he been absent from his customary post.

The Morning Post