Randolph Jewett, or Randal Jewett (1602/3 – 3 July 1675) was an English organist and composer. He was a cathedral organist in Dublin, later in Winchester.

Life

Jewett was born in Chester, son of Randle Jewett, a merchant, and grandson of William Jewett, Mayor of Chester in 1578. He was a chorister at

Chester Cathedral Chester Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral and the mother church of the Diocese of Chester. It is located in the city of Chester, Cheshire, England. The cathedral, formerly the abbey church of a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Sain ...

from 1612 to 1615. He was described by

John Hawkins John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

as being a pupil of

Orlando Gibbons Orlando Gibbons ( bapt. 25 December 1583 – 5 June 1625) was an English composer and keyboard player who was one of the last masters of the English Virginalist School and English Madrigal School. The best known member of a musical famil ...

. It is thought he was still in Chester in 1628, soon afterwards moving to

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

. Jewett is said to have received the (honorary?) degree of Mus. Bac. at Trinity College Dublin. Jewett was organist in Dublin of St Patrick's Cathedral and Christ Church Cathedral, in 1631; was succeeded at Christ Church by Benjamin Rogers in 1639; and was vicar-choral of St. Patrick's for a brief period in 1639, and again in 1641. He was vicar-choral of Christ Church in 1646. About this time (probably on the suppression of cathedral establishments) Jewett came to England, and was admitted minor canon of

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...

in 1661. For a short time before his death, Jewett was the organist of Winchester Cathedral. He died at Winchester in July 1675. He describes himself in his will as Randolph Jewett of Winchester, gentleman, and it is possible that he was never ordained. Jewett left his property to his wife Anna (died 1692), his son Benjamin (died 1691), who graduated B.A. from Magdalen College Oxford in 1669, his daughter Deborah, and his grandchildren, John, Elizabeth, and Mary Jewett. Monuments of the family are in the north transept of Winchester Cathedral.

Works

The solo funeral anthem "I heard a voice", said in Tudway's collection, vol. iii. (Harl. MS. 7339), to be by Mr Jewett of Exeter, is, with three more anthems and collects in

Clifford Clifford may refer to: People *Clifford (name), an English given name and surname, includes a list of people with that name *William Kingdon Clifford *Baron Clifford *Baron Clifford of Chudleigh *Baron de Clifford *Clifford baronets *Clifford fami ...

's ''Divine Services'', ascribed to Randolph Jewett.

References

Attribution * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jewett, Randolph 1602 births 1675 deaths Musicians from Chester Cathedral organists English classical organists English male organists 17th-century keyboardists English classical composers of church music Burials at Winchester Cathedral