Kirkman family
A family of Alsatian-origin English makers of harpsichords and later pianos, active from the mid-eighteenth century until the late nineteenth century.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
The Kirkman family was a dynasty of instrument makers of Alsatian origin whose London workshop became one of the leading producers of English harpsichords during the second half of the eighteenth century. The family name also appears in the forms Kirckman and Kirchmann. Its best-known figure was Jacob Kirkman, born in Bischwiller, Alsace, in 1710, who moved to England in the early 1730s and worked for the harpsichord maker Hermann Tabel. After Tabel's death, Kirkman married his widow in 1738 and developed the workshop into an important independent manufacturing concern. He became a British subject in 1755 and remained associated with London instrument making until his death in 1792. Kirkman harpsichords occupied a central position in the English market alongside instruments made by Burkat Shudi. Contemporary commentary, including observations associated with Charles Burney and Fanny Burney, treated Jacob Kirkman as one of the foremost makers of his era. Surviving instruments are numerous, in part because the firm produced instruments on a relatively large scale. Music historian Frank Hubbard consequently characterized the output of the leading English makers as approaching mass production when compared with earlier craft traditions. The firm's instruments were based internally on the Ruckers-influenced construction associated with seventeenth-century Flemish harpsichords, while their external appearance reflected the highly finished English style that had developed by the 1720s. Typical features included elaborate veneers, decorative inlay and marquetry around the keywell, and carefully developed casework. Kirkman produced several principal formats, including single-manual instruments with different combinations of eight-foot and four-foot registers and double-manual instruments incorporating an additional four-foot register and lute stop. The workshop also adopted and refined mechanisms intended to broaden the expressive and practical capabilities of the harpsichord. A buff stop appeared around 1760, sometimes operated by a pedal on single-manual instruments. After approximately 1765, some instruments received a machine stop combining hand and foot controls to alter registration. Swell devices included the distinctive so-called nag's-head swell, a shaped section of the lid operated by a pedal. Range extensions and unusual keyboard arrangements were also explored. Around 1757, Jacob Kirkman made an experimental enharmonic harpsichord for Robert Smith of Trinity College, Cambridge. As the fortepiano gained popularity in the latter part of the eighteenth century, the Kirkman business entered piano making. Jacob Kirkman may have encountered a piano by about 1770, and the earliest surviving piano attributed to him is a square piano dated 1775. The enterprise subsequently made square, grand and upright pianos throughout the nineteenth century, maintaining the family name after harpsichord production had declined. The firm's final historical phase ended when it was taken over by Collard in 1896. The Kirkman legacy is therefore preserved principally in surviving eighteenth-century harpsichords and nineteenth-century pianos held in museums, collections and private ownership.
History
The Kirkman instrument-making tradition began with Jacob Kirkman, an Alsatian immigrant born at Bischwiller in 1710. He arrived in England during the early 1730s and worked in the London workshop of Hermann Tabel. Kirkman married Tabel's widow in 1738, linking him directly to an established English harpsichord-making enterprise. He later became a British subject and built a reputation as one of the leading makers in London. During the second half of the eighteenth century, Kirkman instruments stood alongside those of Burkat Shudi at the summit of English harpsichord production. The workshop produced instruments in multiple configurations, from single-manual models to more elaborate double-manual examples. Their construction retained important features of the Flemish Ruckers tradition but combined them with the decorative casework and keyboard design associated with English makers. Veneering, inlay and marquetry contributed to the instruments' visual identity, while changes to stops, pedals, keyboard compass and swell mechanisms reflected changing musical expectations. Jacob Kirkman's work included experimentation as well as standardized production. An enharmonic harpsichord made for Robert Smith of Trinity College, Cambridge, around 1757 demonstrates the firm's engagement with specialist musical and scientific requirements. Later developments included buff stops, machine stops and swell systems. These features allowed players to vary registration and dynamics more flexibly than on earlier harpsichords. The family business continued through successive generations. Jacob's nephew Abraham Kirkman joined him in a formal partnership in 1772. Abraham's son, Joseph Kirkman I, followed him into the trade and eventually worked in partnership with his father. Joseph Kirkman II, the next generation, also became an instrument maker; he assisted with the last harpsichord made by his father in 1809, although the latest surviving example commonly identified in the reference material bears a date of 1800. The rise of the fortepiano changed the firm's direction. Although Jacob Kirkman is said to have encountered a piano by around 1770, his earliest known piano is a square instrument dated 1775. Over the nineteenth century, the business expanded its piano output to include square, grand and upright instruments. This transition allowed the Kirkman name to remain commercially relevant after the harpsichord ceased to be the dominant domestic keyboard instrument. The historical firm was ultimately absorbed by Collard in 1896. Its surviving harpsichords are now valued as evidence of eighteenth-century English craftsmanship and performance practice. The large number of extant examples has made the name especially important to museum collections, specialist scholarship and historically informed performance, even though the original family enterprise no longer operates.
- 1896
Takeover by Collard
[1]The Kirkman firm was taken over by Collard, ending its independent family ownership.
- 1809
Last family harpsichord attributed to the later generation
[1]Joseph Kirkman II assisted his father with the last harpsichord they made, according to the reference account.
- 1775
Early Kirkman square piano
[1]The earliest known piano made by Jacob Kirkman is a square piano dated 1775.
- 1772
Abraham Kirkman joins the business
[1]Jacob Kirkman and his nephew Abraham formed a partnership.
- 1757
Experimental enharmonic harpsichord
[1]Jacob Kirkman made an experimental enharmonic harpsichord for Robert Smith of Trinity College, Cambridge.
- 1755
Jacob Kirkman becomes a British subject
[1]Jacob Kirkman was recorded as becoming a British subject.
- 1738
Marriage to Hermann Tabel's widow
[1]Jacob Kirkman married the widow of maker Hermann Tabel, connecting him with an established harpsichord workshop.
- 1730
Jacob Kirkman moves to England
[1]Jacob Kirkman, born in Alsace, moved to England in the early 1730s and entered the London instrument-making trade.
Products and positioning
A prestigious London maker of finely finished English harpsichords, later extending its craft tradition into the growing piano market.
Harpsichord
Single-manual harpsichords
Kirkman's single-manual harpsichords were made in several register configurations, including combinations using eight-foot and four-foot stops. Some later examples incorporated buff stops, pedal-operated mechanisms and other devices intended to expand tonal variety. Their cases followed the polished English style, with decorative veneers and inlay.
Harpsichord
Double-manual harpsichords
The firm's larger double-manual harpsichords generally combined two eight-foot registers with a four-foot register and a lute stop. They represented the more elaborate end of the Kirkman range and were suited to the demands of eighteenth-century domestic, aristocratic and professional music making.
Harpsichord · 1757
Experimental enharmonic harpsichord
Around 1757, Jacob Kirkman made an experimental enharmonic harpsichord for Robert Smith of Trinity College, Cambridge. The instrument reflects the workshop's ability to undertake specialized designs beyond its standard commercial models.
Piano · 1775
Square pianos
Kirkman's move into piano making began with square pianos as the fortepiano became increasingly popular. The earliest known piano associated with Jacob Kirkman is a square piano dated 1775, and square instruments remained part of the firm's nineteenth-century output.
Piano
Grand and upright pianos
During the nineteenth century, the Kirkman business continued under its established name while making grand and upright pianos in addition to square models. These instruments represented the firm's adaptation to the changing keyboard market after the decline of the harpsichord.
Brand decisions
1896
Takeover by CollardM&ABackground
After a long period of family instrument making, the independent Kirkman business reached the end of its historical operating life.
Action taken
Collard took over the Kirkman firm.
Aftermath
The Kirkman family business ceased to operate independently, while its instruments remained in collections and the historical record.
1770
Expansion into fortepiano makingStrategyBackground
The growing popularity of the fortepiano began to challenge the commercial position of the harpsichord.
Action taken
The Kirkman workshop entered piano making; the earliest known Jacob Kirkman piano is a square piano dated 1775.
Aftermath
The firm continued producing square, grand and upright pianos through the nineteenth century, long after harpsichord production had declined.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/kirkman-family · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled