Eliakim Doolittle (August 29, 1772 – April 1850) was an American composer, schoolteacher, and singing teacher, the younger brother of
Amos Doolittle, first cousin of composers Reuben Munson and Amos Munson, and uncle of senator
James R. Doolittle.
His most well-known composition was the
hymn tune "Exhortation", a
fuging tune that was first printed in ''The Musical Harmonist'' and later included in ''
The Sacred Harp
Sacred Harp singing is a tradition of sacred choral music that originated in New England and was later perpetuated and carried on in the American South. The name is derived from ''The Sacred Harp'', a ubiquitous and historically important tun ...
''.
Biography
Born in
Cheshire, Connecticut
Cheshire ( ), formerly known as New Cheshire Parish, is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. At the time of the 2020 census, the population of Cheshire was 28,733. The center of population of Connecticut is located in Cheshir ...
, the son of Ambrose Doolittle and Martha Munson, he attended
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
(then Yale College), gaining the reputation as a composer, but did not graduate, and became a school- and singing- teacher.
He married Hasadiah Fuller in 1811, with whom he had six children (one son and five daughters), and lived in
Hampton, New York
Hampton is a town in Washington County, New York, United States. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town population was 938 at the 2010 census, an increase of 7.2% since the 2000 census. The town of Hampton is loca ...
.
His ''Psalm Singer's Companion'' was 41 compositions (covering 48 pages) of psalm music for four voices, out of a total of 45 works that he composed.
Such works included ''Solemnity'', another hymn tune published in
Asahel Benham
Asahel ( he, עשהאל, grc, ‘Ασαέλ, Latin ''Asael'') was a military leader under King David and the youngest son of David's sister Zeruiah. Asahel thus was the nephew of David and the younger brother of David's general, Joab, Asahel is ...
's ''Social Harmony'' in 1798, and the war song ''The Hornet Stung The Peacock'' that celebrated the 1813
sinking of HMS ''Peacock''.
Later in life Doolittle suffered from what is now understood to be
dementia
Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affe ...
; he was then living in
Pawlet, Vermont
Pawlet is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,424 at the 2020 census.
History
Pawlet was one of the New Hampshire Grants, chartered from Benning Wentworth, Governor of colonial New Hampshire. The charter was gr ...
, where 19th-century chronicler of that village Hiel Hollister described him graphically as "nervous and sensitive, impulsive and excitable, in tattered garb, with untrimmed locks and beard, in a state bordering on insanity,
anderingthrough our streets for many a year", before entering the Washington County
poorhouse
A poorhouse or workhouse is a government-run (usually by a county or municipality) facility to support and provide housing for the dependent or needy.
Workhouses
In England, Wales and Ireland (but not in Scotland), ‘workhouse’ has been the ...
in
Argyle where he eventually died.
References
Cross links
Reference bibliography
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Further reading
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Doolittle, Eliankim
1772 births
1850 deaths
American composers
People from Cheshire, Connecticut
Doolittle family