John Ashton (music publisher)

John Ashton was a merchant and music publisher in Boston, Massachusetts, in the 19th century.[1][2] He owned a "music & umbrella store" at no.197 Washington Street which sold "all the new and fashionable music"[3] ca.1819-1844.[4][5] He manufactured and sold musical instruments; tuned pianos; and published and sold sheet music "of marches, waltzes, rondos, variations, quadrilles, gallopades, dances, &c. ... arranged for the band, orchestra, piano forte, guitar, flute, violin, organ &c."[3] Among the composers represented in Ashton's stock: Comer, Joseph Haydn, Knight, Paddon, Russell, Shaw, Webb, Charles Zeuner.[3][6][7] The firm "John Ashton & Co." was dissolved on January 1, 1844 with notice that the business will "be continued at the old stand, 197 Washington Street, by E.H. Wade."[8]

References
  1. Boston Directory. 1823, 1832
  2. Arlan R. Coolidge. "Francis Henry Brown, 1818-1891, American Teacher and Composer." Journal of Research in Music Education, Vol. 9, No. 1 (Spring, 1961)
  3. American Broadsides and Ephemera, Series 1
  4. "Musical instruments, umbrellas, parasols, canes, &c. John Ashton, jun." Boston Intelligencer, Jan. 23, 1819
  5. John Ashton, jun. "Umbrellas. Large and small size silk umbrellas; gingham, oiled cloth and cotton. ... no.20 Marlboro-street, a few door south of the meeting-house." Columbian Centinel, Nov. 10, 1821
  6. In 1825 Ashton took "Mr. G. Graupner's stock of music." Boston Commercial Gazette, Nov. 22, 1825
  7. Examples of titles published and sold by Ashton reside in the collections of the Boston Athenaeum, Bostonian Society, and Historic New England.
  8. "The business will be continued at the old stand, 197 Washington Street, by E.H. Wade." Daily Atlas (Boston), Jan. 26, 1844

Images
  • Advertisement for John Ashton, "importer & manufacturer of musical instruments," ca.1824 (New York Public Library)
  • "On Mortality, Think & Smoke Tobacco. ... With an accompaniment for the piano forte by Joseph Gear, of the Tremont Orchestra, Boston. Respectfully dedicated to Charles Sprague, Esq. Boston, John Ashton, 1836."
  • "March of the First Volunteer Regiment of Alabama. Dedicated to Col. Thos. W. McCoy of Mobile. Composed by John Holloway. Boston. Published by John Ashton & Co." (Boston Public Library)

Further reading
  • Christine Merrick Ayars (1937), Contributions to the art of music in America by the music industries of Boston, 1640 to 1936, New York: The H.W. Wilson company, OCLC 26107160, OL 6349676M
  • Russell Sanjek. American popular music and its business: the first 400 years; Vol.2: from 1790 to 1909. Oxford University Press, 1988
  • Field Drums blog. "Pre-Civil War John Ashton Eagle Drum." 2009

Published by Ashton

Ashton published numerous sheet music titles. For example:

  • Nathan Adams. Ruins of Troy. 1826
  • John Holloway. Winthrop's quick step. 1835. "As performed by the Boston Band. ... Dedicated to Capt. G.T. Winthrop, the officers and members of the Boston Independent Fusiliers"
  • Charles Zeuner. New England Guards quick step. 1835
  • George O. Farmer. Gen. Harrison's grand march. 1840. "Dedicated to the Boston & Roxbury Whig Associations"
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