&c., Glocester (sic) and London, 1789, 8vo; the 3rd edit., Dundee, 1812, 8vo, has appendix by Heneage Horsley; No. 4, with his first charge as bishop of St. David's, was published in Welsh, Brecon, 1791, 12mo). 6. ‘The Analogy between the Light of Inspiration and the Light of Learning,’ &c., Glocester [1787], 4to. 7. ‘On the Principle of Vitality in Man,’ &c., 1789, 4to. 8. ‘A Review of the Case of the Protestant Dissenters,’ &c., 1790, 8vo. 9. ‘An Apology for the Liturgy and Clergy … By a Clergyman,’ &c., 1790, 8vo. Also separate sermons (1786–1806), included with many posthumous sermons (not prepared for publication) in ‘Sermons,’ Dundee, 1810–22, 8vo, 4 vols. (edited by Heneage Horsley); reprinted, 1829, 8vo, 2 vols.; and episcopal charges (1790–1806), included in ‘Charges,’ 1813, 8vo (edited by Heneage Horsley); reprinted, 1830, 8vo. His ‘Three Sermons on the Sabbath,’ &c., were reprinted by the S.P.C.K., 1853, 12mo. Philological: 1. ‘On the Prosodies of the Greek and Latin,’ &c., 1796, 8vo (anon.). 2. ‘Critical Disquisitions on the 18th chapter of Isaiah,’ &c., 1799, 4to. 3. ‘Hosea translated … with Notes,’ &c., 1801, 4to; 1804, 4to. Posthumous were: 4. ‘The Book of Psalms translated,’ &c., 1815, 8vo; 3rd edit., 1833, 8vo. 5. ‘Biblical Criticism on the first fourteen Historical Books of the Old Testament … first nine Prophetical Books,’ &c., 1820, 8vo, 4 vols. (edited by Heneage Horsley); 2nd edit., 1844, 8vo, 4 vols. Political: 1. ‘A Circular Letter to the Diocese of Rochester on the Scarcity of Corn,’ &c., 1796 (WATT). 2. ‘Another Circular Letter … on the Defence of the Kingdom,’ &c., 1798 (ib.) Posthumous was: 3. ‘Speeches in Parliament,’ &c., Dundee, 1813, 8vo, 2 vols. (edited by Heneage Horsley). Horsley adopted some peculiarities of orthography, e. g. ‘ledde,’ ‘redde’ (sometimes ‘red’). The last editions of his Sermons, Charges, Psalms, and Biblical Criticism, making 8 vols., have been reissued, without date, with general title ‘Theological Works.’
[No good life of Horsley exists. Chalmers failed to obtain information ‘from the only quarter whence it could have been expected.’ See Funeral Sermon by Dickinson, 1806; Gent. Mag. 1806, ii. 987 sq., 1073; Wilson's Dissenting Churches of London, 1808, i. 380; Nichols's Literary Anecdotes, 1812 iv. 673 sq., 1814 viii. 509; European Mag. 1813, i. 371 sq., 494 sq.; Chalmers's Gen. Biog. Dict., 1814, xviii. 181 sq.; Priestley's Works, 1824–32, iv. xviii. xix.; Clutterbuck's Hertfordshire, 1827, iii. 273; Calamy's Own Life, 1830, ii. 503; Wallace's Antitrinitarian Biog. 1850, iii. 461; Cat. of Edinburgh Graduates, 1858, p. 192; Boswell's Johnson (Wright), 1859, ii. 241, viii. 250; Grubb's Ecc. Hist. of Scotland, 1861, iv. 103 sq.; Cox's Literature of the Sabbath Question, 1865, ii. 325 sq.; Stanley's Historical Memorials of Westminster Abbey, 1868, p. 474; Good Words, 1874, p. 825 sq. (article by J. W. Daniell); Times, 21 July 1876, p. 5; Rees's Hist. Prot. Nonconformity in Wales, 1883, p. 442; information and documents kindly furnished by Horsley's great-grandson, Rev. Heneage Horsley Jebb; information from records of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, per the librarian, C. E. S. Headlam, Esq., and from family papers per Mrs. William Le F. Robinson.]
HORSLEY, WILLIAM (1774–1858), musical composer, the descendant of an old Northumbrian family, whose castle still stands near Morpeth, was born on 15 Nov. 1774. He very early displayed an aptitude for music, and at the age of sixteen definitely chose it as his profession. After some training from Gardiner, a pupil of Pepusch, he was articled for five years to the pianist, Theodore Smith. Smith gave him scanty instruction and treated him harshly. More profitable was the acquaintance he contracted with the three brothers Pring and John Wall Callcott [q. v.] By them he was encouraged to attempt glee-writing, the branch of art in which he afterwards established his reputation. A number of glees, canons, and rounds were the outcome of this period, besides several anthems and cathedral services.
In 1794 Horsley was elected to the post of organist of Ely Chapel, Holborn, and three years later, on 15 June 1797, was admitted a member of the Royal Society of Musicians. In the following year, with the co-operation of Dr. Callcott, he founded the ‘Concentores Sodales,’ a club for the encouragement of glee and canon writing, which flourished, with varying fortunes, until 1847. About the same time he was appointed assistant-organist to Dr. Callcott at the Asylum for Female Orphans, and in consequence resigned his post at Ely Chapel. On 8 June 1800 he took the degree of Mus. Bac. at Oxford, his exercise being an anthem, ‘When Israel came out of Egypt.’ In the course of the next year the Vocal Concerts were revived, and Horsley wrote for them several glees and songs, as well as some instrumental pieces, including three symphonies. In 1802 he succeeded Dr. Callcott as organist to the Asylum, and held the appointment until 1854. In 1813 he joined Clementi, Bishop, Smart, Attwood, Cramer, and others in founding the Philharmonic Society. From 1812 to 1837 Horsley also fulfilled the duties of organist at the new Belgrave Chapel in Halkin Street. In 1838 he exchanged this post for that of organist to the Charterhouse.
