The Great Musicians: PurcellCummings, William Hayman
History
The Great Musicians: Purcell
Cummings, William Hayman
Purcell, Henry, 1659-1695
This work was probably the curious collection still extant bearing the
following title: "The Psalms Set full for the Organ or Harpsichord as
they are Plaid in Churches and Chappels in the maner given out; as
also with their interludes of great Variety, by Mr. Danᴸ Purcell, late
Organist of St. Andrew's, Holbourn."
Daniel Purcell is credited by Hawkins as having been more skilful and
successful as a punster than as a composer. Of his puns we have now no
evidence upon which to form a judgment, but his music exists to show
that the historian's verdict is not always to be relied on.
Of the children of Henry Purcell mention has already been made: he
had six in all, three of them, John Baptista, Thomas, and Henry, died
in infancy, during the lifetime of their father; and it is probable
that a fourth child, Mary Peters, survived him but a few months. The
daughter Frances, who was born in 1688, outlived both her parents;
her mother immediately before her death, in February, 1706, nominated
Frances as her executrix and residuary legatee: accordingly she proved
the will on the 4th July following. She married Leonard Welsted, a poet
and dramatist, son of the Rev. Leonard Welsted, Rector of Abington,
Northamptonshire. Welsted had been a King's scholar at Westminster
School, from whence he was elected to Trinity College, Cambridge. "When
very young he married the daughter of Henry Purcell, the celebrated
musician, and obtained an appointment in the Secretary of State's
office."[67]
The young couple were of the same age, and must have married when
nineteen, as the register of St. Margaret's, Westminster, records the
baptism of their daughter Frances on the 2nd of September, 1708.[68]
Mrs. Welsted died in 1724, not having attained the age of her
celebrated father, and the daughter died in 1726, aged eighteen.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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