A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Camidge, John

CAMIDGE, John, born about [App. p.576 "in"] 1735, was, on the resignation of James Nares in 1756, appointed organist of the cathedral church of York, which he held until his death, April 25, 1803 [App. p.576 "until Nov. 11, 1799. He died April 25, 1803"], a period of about forty-seven [App. p.576 "forty-two"] years. [App. p.576 adds "John Camidge received his early education from Nares and he afterwards went to London, where he studied under Dr. Greene and took some lessons from Handel."] He published 'Six Easy Lessons for the Harpsichord.' His son Matthew was born in 1764 [App. p.576 "1758"], and received his early musical education in the Chapel Royal under Dr. Nares. On the death [App. p.576 "resignation"] of his father in 1803 [1799] he was appointed his successor as organist of York. He published a Collection of Tunes adapted to Sandys' version of the Psalms (York, 1789), and 'A Method of Instruction in Musick by Questions and Answers.' He [App. p.576 adds "resigned Oct. 8, 1842, and"] died Oct. 23, 1844, aged 80. His son John [App. p.576 adds "born 1790"] graduated at Cambridge as Bachelor of Music in 1812, and as Doctor in 1819. About 1828 he published a volume of Cathedral Music of his composition. He received the appointment of organist of York Cathedral on the death of his father in 1844 [App. p.576 "the resignation of his father in 1842"], having for many years previously discharged the duty. The present organ of the cathedral, one of the largest in England, was constructed chiefly under his superintendence. Early in 1859 he resigned his appointment, and died Sept. 31 following. [App. p.576 replaces this sentence with "In Nov. 1848 he became paralysed while playing evening service, and never recovered sufficiently to undertake the duty again. He died Sept. 21, 1859. (Dict. of Nat. Biog.)"]—The Camidges afford a singular example of three members of the same family (father, son, and grandson) holding successively the appointment of organist of the same cathedral for upwards of a century.

[ W. H. H. ]