John STODART
1816 - 1883 (67 years)-
Name John STODART Birth 1816 London, Middlesex, England 
Christening 23 Sep 1816 Longford, Middlesex, England [1] Gender Male Census 1851 Claremont Buildings, Monkton Combe, Bath, Somerset, England [2] Immigration Sep 1852 Port Phillip Bay, Victoria, Australia [3] Death 19 Aug 1883 Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia News Item 17 Mar 1886 THE ORIGIN OF THE PIANOFORTE. THE ORIGIN OF THE PIANOFORTE.
At a meeting of the Society of Arts, held in Loudon about a year ago, Mr. A. J. Hopkins gave an account of the "History of the Pianoforte." It was, he said, but quite recently that be had been able to state the first record of the name, then piano-e-forte, but it was 1598, and that puts the invention further back than was before supposed.
This date was found in documents preserved in Modena, but it was not certain what kind of instrument was then in use. Christofori's invention in 1711 was better known. It was remarkable that the real improvements leading to the instruments of the present day were largely of English origin, though the work was taken up later on by other nations. For example, Silbermann, in Germany, began making pianofortes in Christofori's style. Some months previously, Mr. Hopkins had seen three of those instruments preserved at Potsdam. According to Mozart's correspondence, Stein, of Augsburg, had made some grand pianos in 1777. The decade 1770-80 marked the emancipation of the pianos from the harpsichord. The earliest English attempts were not successes, but between 1772 and 1776, backers produced the well-known English action, which remained one of the best up to the present day. His friends, John Broadwood and Robert Stodart carried on his principle after his death.
The early pianos were of four octaves only, and it was not till 1794 that Broadwood increased them to six. In 1790 to 1800 French grand-piano making was taken up by Sebastian Erard, and perfection of a rapid repeating action was aimed at. The gradual introduction of iron in place of wood in the frame-wood was due to one of Robert Stodart's assistants. The English firm which in the last century introduced the piano, with the exception of Stodart's, still exist. These are Broadwood, Collard, and Kirkman, and Erard's London branch.
Transcribed from TROVE, The Tarrangower Times (Vic.:1873-1894) Wed 17 Mar 1886 Page 4Person ID I54 Squire Family History Last Modified 10 Jun 2023
Father John STODART, b. 1782, Covington and Thankerton, Lanarkshire, Scotland d. 15 Dec 1834, Uttica, New York, USA (Age 52 years) Mother Hannah TOTHILL, b. 22 Sep 1790, London, Middlesex, England Marriage 6 Apr 1814 St James, Westminster, Middlesex, England [4] Family ID F21 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family Sarah Ann Edwina ASHBY, b. 20 Oct 1817, Barnstaple, Devon, England d. 3 Jan 1890, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (Age 72 years) Marriage 1842 Barnstaple, Devon, England [5] Children + 1. Sarah Hannah STODART, b. 1843, Bathwick, Somerset, England d. 28 Aug 1898, Hanson St, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia (Age 55 years)2. John William STODART, b. 1845, Bath, Somerset, England + 3. Agnes STODART, b. 1847, Monkton Combe, Somerset, England + 4. Marion Wilkie STODART, b. 1848, Monkton Combe, Somerset, England + 5. Jane Emma STODART, b. 1850, Monkton Combe, Somerset, England + 6. Maria Lily STODART, b. 1851 + 7. Archibald STODART, b. 1858, Victoria, Australia Family ID F20 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 17 May 2017
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Event Map 
Birth - 1816 - London, Middlesex, England 
Christening - 23 Sep 1816 - Longford, Middlesex, England 
Marriage - 1842 - Barnstaple, Devon, England 
Census - 1851 - Claremont Buildings, Monkton Combe, Bath, Somerset, England 
Immigration - Sep 1852 - Port Phillip Bay, Victoria, Australia 
Death - 19 Aug 1883 - Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia = Link to Google Earth
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Histories 
John STODART narrative
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Sources - [S30] Births UK Parish, 29 Nov 2020.
On 23 September 1816 (baptised), at Longford, London, John STODART, male. Born 1816. A Quaker.
Father John STODART.
Mother Hannah.
Transcribed from a parish baptism index (Findmypast on-line record). - [S3] 1841 Census, 17 May 2017.
John STODART, head, married, male, age 34 years, born 1817, occupation Accountant at a bank, birthplace Ashford, Middlesex.
Sarah STODART, wife, married, female, age 33 years, born 1818, birthplace Barnstaple, Devon.
John William STODART, son, male, age 6 years, born 1845, birthplace Bath, Somerset.
Agnes A STODART, daughter, female, age 4 years, born 1847, birthplace Monkton Combe, Somerset.
Mary Ann W STODART, daughter, female, age 3 years, born 1848, birthplace Monkton Combe, Somerset.
Jane Emma STODART, daughter, female, age 0 years, born 1851, birthplace Monkton Combe, Somerset.
Byan BARTLETT, visitor, married, male, age 71 years, born 1780, occupation gentleman, birthplace Bideford, Somerset.
Anne BARTLETT, wife of visitor, married, female, age 53 years, born 1798, birthplace Plymouth, Devon.
Mary Ann WEBB, servant, unmarried, female, age 23 years, born 1828, occupation servant, birthplace Batheaston, Somerset.
Transcribed from a census record (Findmypast). - [S35] Shipping Arrivals, Victoria, 6 Jun 2017.
Arrived into Port Phillip, September 1852, on the ship Negotiator.
John STODART, age 36 years, his wife Sarah STODART, age 35 years.
Their children Sarah H STODART, age 8 years, John W STODART, age 7 years, Agnes M STODART, age 6 years, Marion W STODART, age 4 years, Jane E STODART, age 2 years, Marriat (Maria L) STODART, age 1 year.
From Findmypast. - [S31] UK Parish Mariages, 17 May 2017.
Married 6 April 1814, at St James Piccadilly.
Groom John STODART, St James Westminster.
Bride Hannah TOTHILL, Staines, Middlesex.
Transcribed from a Westminster Marriage index (Findmypast). - [S24] Marriage GRO England, 17 May 2017.
Married on Q2 1842, at Barnstaple, Devon.
Groom John STODART.
Bride Sarah Anne ASHBY.
Transcribed from a marriage index (Findmypast).
- [S30] Births UK Parish, 29 Nov 2020.