James P. Aykroyd


James P. Aykroyd was an early American composer, arranger, and music educator of piano, organ, and voice in New Bern, North Carolina, Raleigh, North Carolina, and Nashville, Tennessee. He also owned a general store — first in New Bern, then in Nashville — selling dry goods, groceries, sheet music, and musical instruments - including pianos. In New Bern, Aykroyd was the organist and choir director at the 1824 dedication of the then newly constructed Christ Episcopal Church.

Music in North Carolina

In nearly every North Carolina village where there was an academy there was also a music teacher, an art teacher, and sometimes a dancing teacher. In some of these towns, such as New Bern, Raleigh, Greensboro, and Wilmington, there were music teachers independent of academy patronage. Aykroyd's general store was "One door North of the Bank of Newbern."
Aykroyd, as early as August 11, 1821, advertised in the Newbern Sentinel:
In 1823, Aykroyd, then of New Bern, "respectfully informed the citizens of Hillsboro and its vicinity that he intended giving lessons in music there during the summer months." His terms were "for the Piano, twelve dollars a quarter, for lessons every other week; and three dollars for vocal music, two lessons every other week."
In 1826, Aykroyd posted an announcement in the Raleigh Register:
J. AYKROYD,
PROFESSOR OF MUSIC,
From Newbern
RESPECTFULLY informs the inhabitants of Raleigh, that, agreeably to the purpose which he made known in a former advertisement, he has arrived here and will commence the duties of his profession as soon as a sufficient number of pupils shall be obtained.
A subscription paper is left in the hands of Gen. B. Daniel.
June 7, 1826
— Raleigh Register, June 13, 1826

In Nashville, until his death in 1835, Aykroyd had a large music store on Union Street, near the Union Bank.

Selected compositions

The Siren: A Collection of Sacred Music, edited and arranged by James Aykroyd, published by G.E. Blake, Philadelphia
From the Thomas Alva Edison Collection of American Sheet, Music Library of the University of MichiganThe broken vow, or, Theodosius to Constantia: sung by Mrs. French published by G.E. Blake, Philadelphia The Pirate Lover, sung by Mrs. French, published by G.E. Blake, Philadelphia

Sample sheet music that Aykroyd sold

Aykroyd used an ink stamp to identify himself as a music dealer on the sheet music he sold. It read:
Sold by JAMES AYKROYD, Teacher of Music, New Bern. Where are sold, Music and Instruments of every description.

A sample of the sheet music sold and stamp he used is at the Music Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; viz: "The Blue Bell of Scotland," with variations for the piano forte or harp by Jean Tatton Latour, published by George E. Blake, Philadelphia

Musical family

James married Elizabeth Bettner on July 12, 1824, in New Bern, North Carolina. Elizabeth was a music teacher in both New Bern and Nashville.
James and Elizabeth Aykroyd had four children, all born in New Bern:
  1. Julia Blake Aykroyd,
  2. William James Aykroyd
  3. Eliza Jones Aykroyd
  4. Maria Caroline Aykroyd
Eliza and Maria taught music. Eliza was the founding head of music at what now is the University of North Texas College of Music.

Miscellany

Aykroyd is listed as an 1823 member of the Dialectic Society.

Death

Aykroyd died in early July 1835 in Nashville "from the effects of laudanum" and was buried July 5, 1935. The community held a benefit for his children, for which an announcement was posted in the Nashville Banner and Nashville Whig, October 12, 1835.

Works