George Hogarth WS (6 September 1783 – 12 February 1870) was a Scottish lawyer,

newspaper editor An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...

, music critic, and

musicologist Musicology (from Greek μουσική ''mousikē'' 'music' and -λογια ''-logia'', 'domain of study') is the scholarly analysis and research-based study of music. Musicology departments traditionally belong to the humanities, although some m ...

. He authored several books on

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

and Victorian musical life in addition to contributing articles to various publications.

Life

Born in Carfraemill near

Lauder The former Royal Burgh of Lauder (, gd, Labhdar) is a town in the Scottish Borders in the historic county of Berwickshire. On the Southern Upland Way, the burgh lies southeast of Edinburgh, on the western edge of the Lammermuir Hills. Etymo ...

Berwickshire Berwickshire ( gd, Siorrachd Bhearaig) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in south-eastern Scotland, on the English border. Berwickshire County Council existed from 1890 until 1975, when the area became part of t ...

, he was the eldest son of Robert Hogarth, a farmer, and his wife, Mary Hogarth (née Scott). Hogarth studied law and music at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

and became a violoncellist and a composer, and acted as joint secretary to the Edinburgh Music Festival. He practiced law during the first two decades of the 19th century; counting among his clients

Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy' ...

. On 30 May 1814, Hogarth married Georgina Thomson, the daughter of music publisher and editor George Thomson, their marriage producing 10 children. In 1817, Hogarth, his brother-in-law

James Ballantyne James Ballantyne (15 January 1772 – 26 January 1833) was a Scottish solicitor, editor and publisher who worked for his friend Sir Walter Scott. His brother John Ballantyne (1774–1821) was also with the publishing firm, which is noted fo ...

and

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy ...

bought the Edinburgh Weekly Journal. He lived then at 2 Nelson Street in Edinburgh's Second New Town. He moved to 19 Albany street in the late 1820s. He first worked as a music critic for ''

The Harmonicon ''The Harmonicon'' was an influential monthly journal of music published in London from 1823 to 1833. It was edited at one period by William Ayrton (1777–1858.) Issues contained articles on diverse topics, including reviews of musical composi ...

'' and the ''Edinburgh Courant'' magazine during the 1820s, continuing with ''The Harmonicon'' in the early 1830s after moving his family to London. In 1831 Hogarth was editor of a pro-Tory newspaper the Western Luminary, then in 1832 moved to Halifax becoming the first editor of the Halifax Guardian. In 1834, he became a music critic for ''

The Morning Chronicle ''The Morning Chronicle'' was a newspaper founded in 1769 in London. It was notable for having been the first steady employer of essayist William Hazlitt as a political reporter and the first steady employer of Charles Dickens as a journalist. It ...

'' newspaper in London, and in 1835 he became

editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...

of ''The Evening Chronicle'', a post he held for twenty years. From 1846 to 1866 he worked as a music critic for '' The Daily News'', a paper which was founded by the novelist

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

. He had previously met Dickens in 1834 while they were both working for the ''

Morning Chronicle ''The Morning Chronicle'' was a newspaper founded in 1769 in London. It was notable for having been the first steady employer of essayist William Hazlitt as a political reporter and the first steady employer of Charles Dickens as a journalist. It ...

''. In 1836 Dickens married Hogarth's eldest daughter

Catherine Katherine, also spelled Catherine, and other variations are feminine names. They are popular in Christian countries because of their derivation from the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria. In the early Christ ...

. One of his younger daughters,

Georgina Georgina may refer to: Names * Georgina (name), a feminine given name Places Australia * Georgina, Queensland, a locality in the Shire of Boulia, Queensland * Georgina Basin, a large sedimentary basin in Australia * Georgina River, a riv ...

, was Dickens' housekeeper, adviser, and, after Dickens' death, the editor of '' The Letters Of Charles Dickens from 1833 to 1870''. From 1850 to 1864 Hogarth served as the

Royal Philharmonic Society The Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) is a British music society, formed in 1813. Its original purpose was to promote performances of instrumental music in London. Many composers and performers have taken part in its concerts. It is now a memb ...

's Secretary. During the last years of his life he worked as an editor for the ''Evening Chronicle''. He died in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

in 1870 at the age of 86. He is buried in the

Kensal Green Cemetery Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in the Kensal Green area of Queens Park in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. Inspired by Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, it was founded by the barrister George Frederick ...

Works

*''Lives of celebrated musicians :

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...

'' (1800, R. Cocks & Co., London) *''Musical history, biography, and criticism: being a general survey of music, from the earliest period to the present time'' (1835, J.W. Parker, London) *''Memoirs of the musical drama, Vol. 1'' (1838, R. Bentley, London) *''Memoirs of the musical drama, Vol. 2'' (1838, R. Bentley, London) *''Musical history, biography, and criticism, Vol. 1'' (1838, Da Capo Press, New York) *''Musical history, biography, and criticism, Vol. 2'' (1838, Da Capo Press, New York) *''Memoirs of the opera in Italy, France, Germany, and England, Vol. 1'' (1851, R. Bentley, London) *''Memoirs of the opera in Italy, France, Germany, and England, Vol. 2'' (1851, R. Bentley, London)

References

Sources

*John Warrack, "Hogarth, George (1783–1870)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', 2004 {{DEFAULTSORT:Hogarth, George 1783 births 1870 deaths Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Scottish music critics Scottish musicologists Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery