The Chapel Royal: The children and their masters

Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (Revised), Court Officers, 1660-1837. Originally published by University of London, London, 2006.

'The Chapel Royal: The children and their masters', in Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (Revised), Court Officers, 1660-1837, (London, 2006) pp. 291-297. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/office-holders/vol11/pp291-297 [accessed 28 April 2024]

Master of the Children 1660–1837

The master of the children was appointed by lord chamberlain's warrant. (fn. 1) According to William Lovegrove,

The Master of the Children hath generally (tho' not always) been chosen out of the Organists or Gentlemen of the Chapel....The Master's Duty is to teach [the Children of the Chapel] to sing, play upon the Harpsichord or Organ, Writing Arithmetick, and compose. (fn. 2)

This officer was paid £15 4s 2d at the Restoration, raised in 1661 to £30 plus £200 for outfitting the choristers. By May 1667 the master was paid a total of £700 per annum for winter and summer liveries. (fn. 3) Pelham Humfrey was paid £40 in salary for life; this rose to £80 in 1710. In 1704 Blow was paid an additional £240 (i.e., £24 per pupil) for outfitting the boys. (fn. 4) Beginning in August 1715 the master was also paid £40 `for finding Masters to teach them to Read, Write, and cast Accounts' and £40 `for teaching them to compose, Play on the Organ and harpsichord'. (fn. 5) Under George III, total remuneration, including the outfitting of the boys, came to £361 10s. (fn. 6)



1660	29 June	Cooke, H.
1672c.	15 July	Humfrey, P.
1674	15 July	Blow, J.
1708	18 Oct.	Croft, W.
1727	4 Sept.	Gates, B.
1757	18 Mar.	Nares, J.
1780	1 June	Ayrton, E.
1805	14 May	Smith, J. S.
1817	16 June	Hawes, W.

Children 1660–?

Children of the chapel royal were appointed by the master of the children, often after having been requisitioned from leading cathedral choirs. They were taught, clothed, fed and boarded by the master who received an allowance from the Crown for this purpose. There were twelve such children at the beginning of the period, but their number was reduced to ten by 1720. (fn. 7) Upon the breaking of his voice, each chorister was dismissed with `the usual Allowance of One Suit of plain Cloth one hatt and band two holland Shirts two Cravatts two pair of Cuffs two handkerchiefs two pair of Stockings two pair of Shoes and two pair of Gloves' plus a cash payment of £20. By the late eighteenth century the suit was commuted into an additional payment of £20. (fn. 8)



?1660	Blow, J.
?1660	Edwards, T.
?1660	Humfrey, P.
?1660	Price, T.
?1660	Wise, M.
1662	Maxene, G.
By 1664	Flexney, G.
By 1665	Blundivile, J.
By 1666	Loggins, J.
By 1666	Saunderson, N.
By 1666	Turner, W.
By 1668	Hart, R.
By 1668	Purcell, H.
By 1669	Farmer, J.
By 1669	Montagu, H.
By 1669	Tudway, T.
By 1670	Symcoll, R.
By 1671	Isaack, P.
By 1673	Hall, H.
By 1673	Heywood, T.
By 1674	Conisby, G.
By 1674	Goodgroome, W.
By 1674	Benford, A.
By 1674	Holder, W.
By 1674	Isaack, B.
By 1674	Searle, W.
By 1674	Smith, F.
By 1674	Waters, J.
By 1674	Greene, J.
By 1676	Charrinton, J.
By 1678	Carrington, R.
By 1678	Wise, M.
By 1678	Bradock, H.
By 1678	Piggott, F.
By 1678	Purcell, D.
By 1678	Richardson, V.
By 1678	Thatcher, J.
By 1679	Elmes, R.
By 1679	Butler, E.
By 1680	Cutler, J.
By 1682	Husbands, C.
By 1682	Norrice, W.
By 1682	Henman, R.
By 1682	Smyth, W.
By 1684	Frost, E.
By 1685	Allanson, C.
By 1685	Allinson, R.
By 1685	Clark, J.
By 1685	Richardson, T.
By 1685	Rogers, G.
By 1685	Townsend, J.
By 1685	Wood, J.
By 1689	Corbett, S.
By 1691	Barrett, J.
By 1692	Christmas, T.
By 1692	Richardson, W.
By 1693	Pennington, J.
By 1694	Gerrard, A.
1697	Gates, B.
By 1698	Luddington, W.
By 1698	Spalding, R.
By 1698	Wood, J.
By 1699	Croft, W.
By 1699	Robert, W.
By 1699	Reading, J.
By 1700	Young, A.
By 1700	Clarke, T.
By 1700	Marshall, M.
By 1700	Mascal, T.
By 1700	Robinson, J.
By 1700	Sweet, J.
By 1700	Silvester, H.
By 1700	Wheeley, S.
By 1702	Baker, E.
By 1702	Benson, M.
By 1702	Deane, J.
By 1702	Franks. H.
By 1702	Gwatkins, W.
By 1702	Heseltine, J.
By 1702	Priest, J.
By 1702	Priest, N.
By 1702	Reeve, H.
By 1703	Freeman, J.
By 1703	Griffith, H.
By 1707	Smith, S.
By 1707	Perry, W.
By 1708	Henderson, G.
By 1709	Forster, J.
By 1709	Mountier, T.
By 1710	Brignall, T.
By 1710	Centlivre, J.
By 1710	Duncomb, J.
By 1710	Jackson, B.
By 1710	Payne, W.
By 1710	Willliams, J.
By 1716	Ellis, T.
By 1716	Getling, T.
By 1716	Getling, R.
By 1716	Godwin, B.
By 1716	Kent, J.
By 1716	Keyes, S.
By 1716	Peach, C.
By 1716	Powell, T.
By 1716	Woodeson, E.
By 1718	Dean, J.
By 1718	Jones, W.
By 1720	Allanson, J.
By 1720	Barker, J.
By 1720	Strode, C.
By 1723	Barret, W.
By 1723	Hinchley, H.
By 1723	Lamb, W.
By 1723	Mason, J.
By 1723	Shackleton, S.
By 1723	Skelton, T.
By 1726	Brown, H.
By 1726	Coltman, L.
By 1726	Digard, C.
By 1726	Lloyd, H.
By 1726	Martin, J.
By 1726	Morgan, M.
By 1729	Weldon, T.
By 1730	White, C.
By 1730	Potter, J.
By 1731	Nares, J.
By 1733	Howard, S.
By 1735	Randall, J.
By 1735	Beard, J.
By 1735	Butler, J.
By 1735	Cleavely, P.
By 1735	Moore, J.
By 1735	Allen, J.
By 1735	Barrow, T.
By 1735	Denham, R.
By 1735	Morland, T.
By 1735	Wynn, J.
By 1737	Randall, W.
By 1737	Purcell, E. H.
By 1740	Dipper, T.
By 1742	Isaac, E.
By 1744	Lucas, T.
By 1747	Cappell, L.
By 1748	Cox, H.
By 1748	Buswell, J.
By 1748	Shaller, W.
By 1748	Dupuis, T. S.
By 1748	Abington, N. J.
By 1748	Champnes, S.
By 1748	Monk, W.
By 1748	Randall, R.
By 1748	Haughton, T.
By 1748	Waller, J.
By 1754	Gaudry, J.
By 1755	Arnold, S.
By 1755	Steele, N.
By 1755	Medley, G.
By 1755	Valton, P.
By 1755	Reynolds, J.
By 1755	Morton, C.
By 1755	Edmonds, B.
By 1755	Hamilton, H. J.
By 1755	Luther, J. C.
By 1755	Smart, T.
By 1763	Taylor, R.
By 1764	Forbus, W.
By 1766	Goodman, T.
By 1766	Tomlins, S.
By 1766	Ladd, C.
By 1767	Coile, M.
By 1767	Dornbush, J.
By 1768	Raynard, J.
By 1770	Remy, F.
By 1771	Brown, T.
By 1771	Dupuis, J.
By 1772	Butler, T. H.
By 1772	Dale, W.
By 1773	Hoppner, J.
By 1773	Jackson, G.
By 1774	Barrow, J.
By 1775	Friend, J.
By 1775	Simpson, D.
By 1776	Carter, G.
By 1777	Cooke, M.
By 1778	Church, S.G.
By 1779	Holder, J. W.
By 1779	Camidge, M.
By 1779	Capon, W.
By 1780	Ayrton, E.E.
By 1781	Attwood, T.
By 1782	Firth, S.
By 1783	Vicary, W.
By 1787	Phelps, J.
By 1789	Mayor, T.
By 1791	Carnaby, W.
By 1791	Aaire, W.
By 1791	Stocking, H.
By 1794	Brailsford, I.
By 1794	Ayrton, F. M.
By 1794	Baron, J. A.
By 1798	Evans, J.
By 1798	Smart, C.J.
By 1799	Meyers, G.
By 1801	Hedgley, J.
By 1801	Hawes, W.
By 1802	Cahusae, W.
By 1802	Gould, W.
By 1804	Gifford, G.
By 1804	Gawler, W.
By 1806	Robinson, G.
By 1806	Rogers, H.J.
By 1806	Walsh, W.
By 1806	Smith, W.