Piano Maker T Smith Southgate (1860 - 1920)

[kplz]

I am searching for information on a London piano maker T Smith of Southgate.

I have been researching my family history and have found a tape recording made by my grandfather in 1975 when he was 77. He talks about his granfather's (Thomas Smith) piano and violin business, T Smith of Southgate. He assumes his grandfather started the business around 1850-60. My grandfarther talks of his father and uncles and later himself working in this family business until the 1920's when production stopped.

I have searched the web and looked through the history pages on this site and cannot find any information or reference relating to T Smith of Southgate or their pianos. Albert Smith was the violin maker.

I am interested in finding any information about the business and the instruments they produced. I doubt if any examples exist, but if anyone has one I would love to see a picture. Or if anyone knows the location of one.

If you is interested I am willing to send a copy of my grandfarther talking about their business.

Many thanks

[Bill Kibby]

The vast majority of piano names are not listed on the net, and there is, of course, a great problem in searching for a name as common as Smith, but although I have a number of piano firms on file with that name, and there were about a dozen piano and music firms named Smith in 1914, but there is no record on file of a T. Smith so far. Can you tell me any more, such as dates or addresses?

[kplz]

Thomas Smith was born 1840 and believed to have started his piano making business around 1850-1860. The only information I have for the location of this business are the census records and a recording my grandfather made in 1975.

The 1901 and 1881 census records show Thomas Smith living in Alexandra Road, Frier Barnet, Middlesex. Although my grandfather talks of his grandfather, Thomas Smith, living in Southgate, they maybe the same place. I have a 2bm mp3 recording (approx 15 minutes) clipped from my grandfather talking about his grandfather’s business. Unfortunately no great detail about how they built them, if you are interested let know the best way to send it to you..

My grandfather also believed and was told that Thomas Smith and his son Alfred invented the “check action” to replace the older “stick action”. I know nothing about pianos, but that may mean something to you. I have no idea if it is fact, family myth, if they were ever credited for this invention, took out patents or registered the design.

I’ve only just started looking into my family history so I do not have a lot of information.

I understand with a name like Smith it’s not that easy, there seems to be rather a lot of them about:-). Would he have had to, or been, registered in one of the London corporation records or could small businesses operate without control?

Many thanks.

[Bill Kibby]

Yes, you could email the file to me: If you have logged in, my details are below. Southgate is not the same place as Friern Barnet, and being on the edge of Greater London, they may not be in the main London directories, so I'll see what I can find. They certainly didn't invent the idea of a check action, that was much earlier, but they may have invented a particular type, there were many.