George Wilkinson (5 November 1783 – 1855) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

music publisher A music publisher is a type of publisher that specializes in distributing music. Music publishers originally published sheet music. When copyright became legally protected, music publishers started to play a role in the management of the intellect ...

, and

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

and

candle A candle is an ignitable wick embedded in wax, or another flammable solid substance such as tallow, that provides light, and in some cases, a fragrance. A candle can also provide heat or a method of keeping time. A person who makes candles i ...

manufacturer. Wilkinson was the youngest son of Charles Wilkinson. In 1797 he apprenticed to

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music seller and publisher Francis Broderip, former partner in Longman & Broderip piano manufacturing business which had gone bankrupt in 1795. In 1805 Wilkinson took over his oldest brother Charles' half partnership in the company, which reorganized doing business as Broderip & Wilkinson until Broderip's death in 1807, after which Wilkinson purchased his partner's shares to form Wilkinson & Co. at 3 Great Windmill Street. By 1808 Wilkinson had arranged for

Astor Astor may refer to: People * Astor (surname) * Astor family, a wealthy 18th-century American family who became prominent in 20th-century British politics * Astor Bennett, a character in the Showtime television series ''Dexter'' * Ástor Piazzol ...

and Leukenfeld to manufacture upright, ''cabinet pianos'' licensed from William Southwell's patent (EN 3029, 1807). These instruments (like Petzold & Pfeiffer's ''harmomelo'') were conceived to support the strain of the strings with strong, continuous frames in order to keep better in tune than competing arrangements. Wilkinson & Co. confidently offered a twelve-month guarantee for workmanship and tuning, and consequently they were obliged to furnish better replacements when the pianos were found not to "stand well." In 1810 Wilkinson sold his publishing stock to Thomas Preston, and borrowed £12,000 from his father to enter in a partnership with his foreman

Robert Wornum Robert Wornum (1780–1852) was a piano maker working in London during the first half of the 19th century. He is best known for introducing small cottage and oblique uprights and an action considered to be the predecessor of the modern upright ac ...

, who had invented improvements in small upright pianos including diagonal stringing and compact actions (EN 3419, 1811). Wilkinson & Wornum established a factory and showrooms near Hanover Square at 315 Oxford street and 11 Princes street, with a lumber yard in the space between them. The warehouse, factory and stables were destroyed by fire in 1812, putting out as many as 70 workmen, and leaving debts over £16,500 with little relief from insurance. In 1813 the partnership dissolved and the company assigned to Wilkinson's father, who excused the partners' debts and made small guarantees to their other creditors. Wornum established another factory, first at 3 Welbeck Street, and that year introduced a vertically strung ''harmonic pianoforte'' better known as the ''cottage piano''. In late 1813 Wilkinson leased a house at 32 Howland Street, and by 1816 he established a piano factory behind the house, as well as 315

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and added showrooms at

New Bond Street Bond Street in the West End of London links Piccadilly in the south to Oxford Street in the north. Since the 18th century the street has housed many prestigious and upmarket fashion retailers. The southern section is Old Bond Street and the l ...

. This business continued at least through 1830, making at least cabinet upright pianos (praised by Pleyel in 1815) and grand pianos. Wilkinson entered a partnership with Ferdinand Hirschfeld, and made a specialty manufacturing patented candles with compressed tallow for fuel in order to prevent sputtering and metal wicks to avoid need for snuffing, but these were marketed unsuccessfully. Hirschfeld and Wilkinson, wax chandlers, and oil and spermaceti refiners, at Windsor Terrace, City Road were listed bankrupt 31 July 1835. In 1854 he left London for Milford Haven avoiding the outbreak of cholera, and died there of a stroke in 1855. Wilkinson married Elizabeth Cecilia Mary Broadhurst on 23 September 1809. Their children were Ann (1814-1814), Emma (1815–1889), Matilda (1817–1876), Oriana (1818–1853), Louisa (1820-), Alfred Broadhurst Wilkinson (1822–1854), and Henry Broadhurst Wilkinson (1824-). He is buried in Steynton Churchyard.

References

Harding lists George Leukfield at 27 Tottenham street between 1790 and 1805, and George Astor at 79 Cornhill and 27 Tottenham street in 1799. * "Bankrupts" ''The Legal Observer'', vol. 10, May to October. Richards & Co., London 1835 * Harding Rosamond (1978) ''The Pianoforte'' Gresham Books, Old Woking, Surrey. appendix g. * Wilkinson, Henry Broadhurst (1902) ''Souvenir of the Broadhurst Wilkinsons'', Manchester * Kassler, Michael (2006
"Broderip, Wilkinson and the first English edition of the '48'"
''Musical Times'' * Kassler, Michael (2011) "Broderip & Wilkinson", in Michael Kassler (ed.), "The Music Trade in Georgian England", Farnham, Surrey, pp. 95–123

External links

* Michael Cole

* George Wilkinso
grand piano nr.40
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilkinson 1783 births 1855 deaths English musical instrument makers Piano makers Sheet music publishers (people) 19th-century British businesspeople