Samuel Linley (1760 – December 1778) was the second son of
Thomas Linley the elder and Mary Johnson, one of seven musical siblings born to that couple.
Life
Samuel Linley was born when the family were living in
Bath, Somerset
Bath () is a city in the Bath and North East Somerset unitary area in the county of Somerset, England, known for and named after its Roman-built baths. At the 2021 Census, the population was 101,557. Bath is in the valley of the River Avon, ...
, during 1760; he was baptised on 23 June that year. His first public performance was dancing the
hornpipe for a production of ''
King John King John may refer to:
Rulers
* John, King of England (1166–1216)
* John I of Jerusalem (c. 1170–1237)
* John Balliol, King of Scotland (c. 1249–1314)
* John I of France (15–20 November 1316)
* John II of France (1319–1364)
* John I o ...
'' in Bristol when he was six years old. He sang in his father's concerts during 1774 and 1775, and played the
oboe, an instrument he was probably taught to play by
William Herschel. In 1778 he became a
midshipman
A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...
on
HMS ''Thunderer'', aboard which he contracted the fever from which he died. The register of his burial is dated 6 December 1778.
Emma Hart, who went on to be Lady Hamilton, was employed by the Linley family as a maid servant; she nursed Linley during his illness but was distraught when he died, immediately leaving the house.
Henry Angelo, one of the
pallbearers, recalled in his memoirs that she said "no entreaties could prevail upon her to remain, not even a day."
References
Citations
Bibliography
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English classical oboists
Male oboists
1760 births
1778 deaths
Samuel
Samuel ''Šəmūʾēl'', Tiberian: ''Šămūʾēl''; ar, شموئيل or صموئيل '; el, Σαμουήλ ''Samouḗl''; la, Samūēl is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the bibl ...
People from Bath, Somerset
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