Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Shuttleworth, Obadiah
SHUTTLEWORTH, OBADIAH (1675?–1734), organist, son of Thomas Shuttleworth of Spitalfields, teacher of music, and a transcriber of Corelli's works when they were in great demand in England, was born in London about 1675. He practised at home with his brothers, and became so excellent a violinist that he took part in the concerts of Thomas Britton [q. v.], and led those established about 1728 at the Swan Tavern, Cornhill. In 1724 he succeeded Hart as organist to St. Michael's, Cornhill. Shortly afterwards Shuttleworth held a similar post at the Temple church, to which crowds were attracted to hear his hour's performance after the close of the evening service. His ‘fine finger’ (Hawkins) and facility of execution were better suited, according to some experts, to harpsichord-playing (cf. Boyce, Cathedral Music, i. 2). Shuttleworth was an industrious composer of violin music, none of which is printed, with the exception of two concertos adapted from Corelli. He retained his appointments until his death on 2 May 1734. He was survived by a widow and two daughters.
[Hawkins's History of Music, pp. 675, 791, 808, 826; Dict. of Musicians, ii. 435; Georgian Era, iv. 543; Grove's Dict. iii. 490, i. 277; Administration grant, Archdeaconry of London, 25 May 1734; Gent. Mag. 1734, p. 274.]