Nelson & His World

I am interested in any information about a Captain Harington R.N. who was alive c. 1820.

I am awaiting delivery of a musical score to add to my small collection of Georgian music. I was intrigued by this piece as it was composed by Captain Harington R.N. and dedicated to a Mrs Howell Watkins.

Many Georgian officers were accomplished artists, but this is the first naval composer I have come across.

Can anyone add more?

Checking Navy Lists etc, there seem to be a clutch (or clan?) of Harringtons -

- Lieutenant William H, but he seems to have died around 1804
- Lieutenant James H - died onboard HMS Ocean in 1812

Two others -
Daniel H - apparently from Waterford; as a Midshipman, onboard the VICTORY at Trafalgar; made Lieutenant in December 1805. Wounded in 1807 onboard the Standard at the forcing of the Dardanelles; died in Dieppe 1837

and perhaps the most likely -

Edmund Harrington; Lieutenant of January 1806; Commander in October 1822; died in July 1842. He was married to a Jane Thomas of Bath

P

Not sure where you got the info. for the last named.

But I think he is actually Edward Musgrave Harington (I have seen surname spelt with one and two r's)

He has the same dates for promotion and death that you give.

If you Google the name as I have given it - some links take you to additional details.

One of them indicates that he was an ancestor of Mark Phillips - first husband of Princess Anne.

Hope I got this right.

MB

Many thanks, both, for those leads.

I have done a little Googling and found the will of Commander Edward Musgrave Harington of Bath in the NA - year of death, 1842.

The music was published in Bath, so that is another possible link.

Often, music was entered at Stationers' Hall, as a form of copyright, but there is nothing about this piece in their records lodged at the BL.

And one of his descendants an erstwhile 'royal' husband? On another tack, wasn't Princess Michael of Kent formerly married to a man called Tom Troubridge? I Googled him, too, but couldn't establish whether the present Tom Troubridge ( a banker, ssshh!) was a descendant of 'our' Tom Troubridge.

T

I'm pretty sure we got the right guy here.

Like you I never heard of any naval officer who was also a composer.

Having said that there were doubtless some fairly accomplished musicians right through the ranks.

Not sure how many people know this - but after Trafalgar a Stradivarius violin was found on Victory. It's owner was never determined. I believe that pretty much all the existing Stradivarius violins have a "name". This one, not surprisingly, was christened Lord Nelson.

This web page gives a bit of info - there may be more/better elsewhere.

http://www.cozio.com/forum/Topic1838-3-1.aspx

MB

Err........Rimsky-Korsakov?

Edward Musgrave Harington (1789-1842), (Lieutenant 1806, Commander 1822) was the grandson of Dr Henry Harington (1727-1816) who practiced as a physician (and composer) in Bath from 1771.
Dr Harington was also physician to the Duke of York. He had been interested in music from childhood and was a well-known composer of glees. From 1784 he was joint “composer and physician” to the Harmonic Society of Bath. Harington also wrote sacred music. He has a memorial in Bath Abbey. Haydn wrote a song in praise of him. Some of Harington’s music is available on CD.
There may well have been a naval tradition in the family as a great grandson of Henry was Captain Richard Harington RN..

Well, what an interesting start to the morning!

A Stradivarius - named Lord Nelson, no less, found on board the Victory! Perhaps that should go on the 'Other Horatio Nelson' thread?

And Vela, welcome to the forum, and thank you for the information about Captain (Commander) Harington's ancestor. I'm going to Bath on Thursday so I shall look into the Abbey and see his memorial plaque. A sad place, Bath Abbey, the walls absolutely encrusted with memorial plaques, many to naval officers who had come, sick or wounded, in the hope of getting well, and had died, some of them poignantly young, as the memorials attest.

Thanks, too, for the pointer to Rimsky-Korsakov. I had no idea he was a naval officer - though I find myself more and more avoiding the biographies of artistic characters - particularly the ones whose work I like as they usually turn out to be such horrible people. Poets and writers are the worst of the lot! D.H. Lawrence used to kick his wife's little dog.

It might be interesting to look at the archive of the Bath Chronicle for more information. It is an amazing resource for the period, as one might imagine.

The music should be here soon so it will be intriguing to see the scope of Captain Harington's talents.