A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Gresham Musical Professorship

by Charles Mackeson

GRESHAM MUSICAL PROFESSORSHIP. In the will of Sir Thomas Gresham, the founder of the college bearing his name in the city of London, provision was made for several professorships, and for the 'sallarie' of a person 'mete to rede the lecture of musicke' in the college. Sir Thomas died on Nov. 21, 1579, and his widow on Nov. 3, 1596, upon which the provision for the lectures took effect, the civic authorities requesting the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge to nominate persons properly qualified as professors. Dr. John Bull was appointed the first Professor of Music by the special recommendation of Queen Elizabeth. The ordinance adopted concerning the music lecture, according to Stowe (Strype's edition), ran as follows:—The solemn music lecture is to be read twice every week in manner following: viz.—the theorique part for half an hour, and the practique, by concert of voice or instruments, for the rest of the hour; whereof the first lecture to be in the Latin tongue and the second in the English tongue. The days appointed for the solemn lectures of music are Thursday and Saturday in the afternoon between the hours of three and four; and because at this time Dr. Bull is recommended to the place by the Queen's most excellent Majesty being not able to speak Latin, his lectures are permitted to be altogether in English so long as he shall continue the place of the music lecturer there.' At first the Professors were given apartments in the college and a stipend of £50 a year, but in the 8th of Geo. III an Act was passed enabling the lecturers to marry, any restriction in Sir Thomas Gresham's will notwithstanding, and also giving them £50 a year in lieu of their apartments. For many years the Professors had no knowledge of music, and were utterly unqualified to lecture upon it. The following is a list of the professors, with the date of their appointments: (1) John Bull, Mus. Doc., 1596 (resigned on his marriage); (2) Thomas Clayton, Doctor of Medicine, 1607; (3) Rev. John Taverner, M.A., 1610, elected at the age of 26, subsequently Rector of Stoke Newington; (4) Dr. Richard Knight, physician, 1638; (5) Sir W. Petty, Doctor of Medicine, 1650; (6) Sir Thomas Baynes, Doctor of Medicine, 1660, ejected from office by a vote of the committee; (7) Rev. John Newey, M.A., incumbent of Itching Abbotts and Avington, Hants, 1696; (8) Rev. Dr. R. Shippen, Principal of Brasenose College, Oxford, and Rector of Whitechapel, 1705; (9) Edward Shippen, Doctor of Medicine, 1710; (10) John Gordon, barrister at law of Gray's Inn, 1723; (11) Thomas Browne, M.A., Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, 1739, elected by an equality of votes, and the committee proceeded to a second election; (12) Charles Gardner, 1739; (13) Thomas Griffin, 1762; (14) Theodore Aylward, assistant director of the Handel Commemoration and organist of St. George's, Windsor [App. p.658 "1771"]; (15) R. J. S. Stevens, the composer, 1801; (16) Edward Taylor, 1837; (17) Henry Wylde, Mus. Doc., 1863. In 1832 and for some years after, a medal was given in commemoration of Sir Thomas Gresham for the best choral work, the judges being the Oxford Professor, Dr. Crotch; the Gresham Professor, Mr. Stevens; and Mr. Horsley; and the work was sung at a commemoration service at St. Helen's, Bishopsgate, which had been Sir Thomas's parish church. The Music Lectures at the College are now given in the evening, in English, on days announced in the newspapers, and the admission to them is free. For an instance of the manner in which the intentions of the founder were at one time set at naught see Griffin, Thos.

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