George, James and John Mead

Mead, George, James, and John
George, James, and John Mead. Brothers, probably from Boston, who were active 1827-53 in Montreal and 1839-44 in Toronto as piano builders and instrument and sheet-music importers. Several firm names have been traced: Mead, Mott & Co, harp and piano makers (Montreal, fl 1836); Mead and S.R. Warren (Montreal, partnership formed and dissolved in 1837); Mead, Brothers & Co, music and instrument importers and piano manufacturers (Montreal, fl 1841-52); John Mead (Toronto dealer, fl 1839-40); J(ohn) and J(ames) Mead (Toronto 1840-4?); and Mead and Fowler (Montreal ca 1853). It is known also that the Mead business was established in 1827 and that George, who retired in 1852 and had died by 1854, was succeeded in manufacturing by Thomas D. Hood and in retailing by Henry Prince. The family relationship between the Montreal and Toronto firms is borne out by a joint advertisement in the Kingston Chronicle and Gazette dated 31 Jul 1841. They also had announced in 1840 in a Toronto paper that James Mead had just arrived from London after working for one of that city's principal builders for three years. Mead pianos undoubtedly were among the first to be built in Canada. A specimen by Mead, Mott & Co is exhibited at the Château de Ramezay in Montreal and one by Mead, Brothers & Co at the Archibald Campbell Memorial Museum in Perth, Ont. The Montreal firm also engaged marginally in music publishing, its catalogue including pieces by J.-C. Brauneis Jr, R.J. Fowler, and Henry Schallehn, although the Mead, Brothers & Co imprint is secondary to a US imprint on most items.

Author Helmut Kallmann