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.
Purcell's youngest son, Edward, born in 1689, was the only one who survived him, and like his father, was but six years old when he became an orphan. His mother had promised her dying husband carefully to attend to the child's education, a promise she conscientiously and affectionately kept for ten years, until 1706, when she died, leaving the lad of sixteen to the guidance of his sister Frances, who was but two years older. The children, however, possessed many influential friends, and in the following year, 1707, Frances married. We know nothing more of Edward's doings for a few succeeding years, but it is probable that he married in 1710, as the register-book of St. Margaret's, Westminster, contains the entry of a baptism on "May 4th, 1711, of Frances, daughter of Edward and Anne Purcell, born on 19th April." The register-book of St. Martin-in-the-Fields for 1716 contains a baptismal entry which seems to refer to a son of Edward Purcell: "Dec. 11, Henry, son of Edward and Anne Purcell, born 26 Nov." In 1717 Edward was a candidate for the organist's place of St. Andrew's, Holborn, as I have shown when speaking of Daniel Purcell; but Edward was, as we have seen, unsuccessful, not only on that occasion, but also in 1718 when he again applied for the appointment. In 1726, on the 8th of July, he was made organist of St. Margaret's, Westminster, and it is said that he succeeded his father as organist of St. Clement's, Eastcheap. In 1738 he was enrolled amongst the first list of members and founders of the "Society of Musicians," now known as the "Royal Society of Musicians," and it is supposed that he died in 1740, as in that year he ceased to be organist of St. Margaret's, Westminster. His successor was appointed on the 6th of August, 1740.
He had a son, the date of whose birth I have not been able to trace, who was named Edward Henry. Hawkins blunders here again: he says Edward Purcell "was succeeded by his son Henry, who had been bred up in the King's Chapel under Mr. Gates. This Henry became also organist of St. Edmund the King, London, and after that of St. John, Hackney. He died about twenty-five years ago.[69] His father was a good organist, but himself a very indifferent one."
The statement is brimful of errors, as we shall see.
Chamberlaine's Magnæ Britannia Notitia, 1737, on page 219, gives the "children's names" of the Chapel Royal,[70] and there we find Edward Henry Purcell. The correctness of the name is confirmed by an entry in a magnificent book of music now in the Queen's library in Buckingham Palace. The volume is wholly in Henry Purcell's autograph. It had belonged to Edward Purcell, and contains an entry in his hand: "Score booke—Anthems and Welcome Songs, and other songs, all by my father." At the other end of the book is an autograph inscription, "Ed H. Purcell, Grandson to the Author of this book."
In 1753, August 11th, the vestry of St. John, Hackney,
"Resolved and agreed that ye place of organist of the Parish be and is declared vacant; agreed that the sallary of ye organist of the Parish be settled.
"Organist his duty.—That the salary of the organist shall for the future be £20 by the year, and that for his said salary he shall attend all Sundays in the year, and on all days whenever a sermon shall be preached, Fast-days excepted, and that on every Sunday throughout the year a voluntary shall be played after both morning and evening service."
"Ordered, that an advertisement be published in the paper called the Daily Advertiser, that the place of Organist of this Parish is vacant, and that all persons who are willing to be candidates for the same may apply to Mr. Ch.-warden Barnard."
"On the 22nd Sept., 1753, the candidates appeared separately before the Vestry, 'and a Vestry was held to choose an organist.' Candidates being—