Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Austin, John (fl.1820)
AUSTIN, JOHN (fl. 1820), a Scotch inventor, was a native of Craigton. He published at Glasgow, in or about 1800, a system of 'Stenography which may be learned in an hour,' on a single folio engraved sheet, price 2s. 6d. A note at the end announces the publication of a complete system by the same author, price one guinea, but this does not appear to have been brought out. He was also the author of an elaborate work entitled 'A System of Stenographic Music, invented by J. Austin, Glasgow. Dedicated to the Musical World, in English, French, Italian, German, and other Languages,' Glasgow, 50 engraved pages, oblong folio, no date, but published, according to the British Museum catalogue, about 1820. On the title-page is an engraved portrait of the author, who states in the preface that 'the design of this work is to represent to the musical world a new, easy, concise, and universal method of writing music completely on one line only, and adapted to all kinds of vocal and instrumental music and musical instruments, whereby an expert writer may note it down as he hears it performed, so that to those who make it their amusement or profession it will be equally interesting, together with the pleasure of improving and profiting by the art,' and, in conclusion, he remarks that 'if the shorthand writer is pleased in taking from the mouth of an orator, the musical stenographer will be no less so when catching those dulcet sounds which vibrate through the soul, convincing her that she is more than mortal.' Austin likewise appears to have turned his attention to the improvement of weaving machines.
[Thompson Cooper, in Notes and Queries, 3rd series, ix. 533; Works cited above; Evans's Catalogue of Portraits, ii. 20,]