John Southwell  (1772–1846)

John Southwell married Mary Patterson at St Peter and St Kevin’s, Dublin, on 3 November 1797. They had one known son, Richard.

John went into partnership with his father at a date as yet undetermined, but which can be narrowed to being between November 1794 and 9 March 1798, the date of the first dated example of a Dublin Southwell square to bear the logo ‘William Southwell and Son’ on the nameboard.

In 1802 his partnership with his father was dissolved by agreement when his father turned over the Dublin business to a new partnership between his sons John and Francis and his brother Nicholas.

From 1803–1806 John is listed in Wilson’s Dublin Directory as a music seller at 17 North Earl-street. He published sheet music including a song by Thomas Moore and various compositions by his younger brother Francis. After the dissolution of Southwell and Co., from 1815–21 John appeared in the directory under his sole name at 34 Marlborough-street. A notice placed in The Freeman’s Journal in July 1822 reveals that his business focussed on retailing instruments from London makers, notably the firms ‘Clementi and Co’, Broadwood, and Smart. His last known address in 1844 was 52, Abbey-street. Evidence that he had died by July 1846 is found in the marriage certificate of his son Richard in London, whose father is shown as a pianoforte maker (deceased).

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