What we know so far about Michael Beesly:
Michael Beesly was a psalmodist, and is considered to be one of the first, if not the first, compiler of harmonised psalm tunes who introduced the fuguing tune into English psalmody, and as such was the main innovator into its development. Nicholas Temperley has debated this point in detail in several publications. [1] [2] [3] He published books of psalms between 1740 and 1756, the early books thought to have been printed in Oxford, and the three later ones in Upton, near Blubery, Berks. Blubery, now spelled Blewbury, has been moved into Oxfordshire from Berkshire following the 1975/6 local authority boundary changes.
His own publications are:
- Beesly, Michael. According to the Thomas Hearne, in his Remarks and Collections Vol. IX for the period August 10, 1725-March 26, 1728, (edited by Rev’d H E Salter MA of New College, Oxford and to be found in Oxford Reference Library) and in particular for June 29th 1727,
- ” . . . Michael Beesly . . . hath composed and ingraved a book, about singing Psalms and Anthems, himself (which he teaches in Parochial Churches), of which there are two editions.”
{Publications of the Sydenham Society: (English Dialect Society)By Oxford Historical Society, London Record SocietyPublished by The Society, 1879Item notes: v.65 1914]
- [Oxford?]; Mich. Beesly and sold by Edward Doe [etc.], [-1740]. British Library Shelf No.: A.1023. 112p; 68 tunes, 27 anthems, 1 canon, 1 liturgical setting in prose. BeesMBP a [4]
- Beesly, Michael. A Book of Psalmody. [Oxford?]; Michael Beesly, and sold by Edward Doe [etc.], [c.1743]. Bodleian Shelf No.: Johnson Mus. g.6. 162p; 38 tunes, 31 anthems, 2 canons, 2 chants, 1 liturgical setting in prose. BeesMBP b
- Beesly, Michael. A Book of Psalmody. [Oxford?]; Michael Beesly, and sold by Edward Doe [etc.], [c.1743]. Bodleian Shelf No.: Mus.32.e.77. [x, 68]f; 36 tunes, 30 anthems, 1 canons, 2 chants, 1 liturgical setting in prose. BeesMBP c
- Beesly, Michael. A Book of Psalmody. [Oxford?]; Michael Beesly, and sold by Edward Doe [etc.], [c.1743]. British Library Shelf No.: A.I.19. 158p; 39 tunes, 16 anthems, 1 canon. BeesMBP d
- Beesly, Michael. A Book of Psalmody: Containing Instructions for Young Beginners After as Plain & Familiar a Manner as Any Yet Extant. To which is Added a Collection of Psalm-tunes and Anthems Together with Some Hymns and Canons the Whole Compos’d for 3 & 4 Voices Collected Engrav’d and Printed by Mich. Beesly … Published by printed by Mich. Beesly. Sold by Edward Doe in Oxford, by Tho. Price in Gloucester and by John Edmund at Winchester, 1745. 114 pages. Noted by Google Books as in the British Library.
- [Beesly, Michael]. [A Book of Psalmody]. [Oxford?]; [ Michael Beesly, and sold by Edward Doe etc.], [c.1746British Library Shelf No.: A.I.19. [viii, 85]p; 38 tunes, 7 anthems, 2 chants, 1 liturgical setting in prose. BeesMBP e This is bound in with the following:
- Beesly, Michael, of Upton near Blubery. A Collection of 20 New Psalm Tunes. London: Mich. Beesly [for] T. Plumer [etc.], [c.1746]. [57]f. Bodleian Shelf Nos.: Mus.32.e.79(2), Mus.55.e.148, and Mus.55.e.148. also GB-Mr. [Temperley’s Reference – private source?] 20 tunes, 9 anthems. BeesMCN a, and
- Beesly, Mich[ael], of Upton. A Collection of 20 New Psalm Tunes. Oxford and Newbury: Mich. Beesly [for] Ed. Doe, Jos Wimpey, [c.1750]. 47p. British Library Shelf No.: A.1231.o.(2). 27 tunes. BeesMCN b
- Beesly, Michael, of Upton near Blubery. A Collection of 20 New Psalm Tunes. London: Mich. Beesly [for] T. Plumer [etc.], [c.1746]. [57]f. Bodleian Shelf Nos.: Mus.32.e.79(2), Mus.55.e.148, and Mus.55.e.148. also GB-Mr. [Temperley’s Reference – private source?] 20 tunes, 9 anthems. BeesMCN a, and
- Beesly, Michael. A Book of Psalmody. [Oxford?]: Michael Beesly, and sold by Edward Doe [etc.], [c.1752]. Glasgow, Mitchell Library. [170]p; 53 tunes, 8 anthems, 2 chants. BeesMBP f This is bound in with the Collection of 20 New Psalm Tunes.
- Beesly, Michael. A Book of Psalmody. [Oxford?]: Michael Beesly, and sold by Edward Doe [etc.], [c.1752]. British Library Shelf No.: A.I.20. [162]p; 46 tunes, 13 anthems, 2 chants BeesMBP g This is bound in with the Collection of 20 New Psalm Tunes.
- Beesly, Mich[ael]. A Collection of ten psalm-Tunes and Ten Anthems. Upton: Mich. Beesly. [c.1755]. Reading Public Library, B/UB/BEE. [25]f. 10 tunes, 10 anthems. BeesMCTPT
- Beesly, Mich[ael]. An Introduction to Psalmody. [Oxford?]: Mich. Beesly, [c.1756]. British Library Shelf No.: A.1231.0.(1). [132]p; 26 tunes, 11 anthems. BeesMIP
As can be seen, the various editions had differing contents, and to some extent, like Matthew Wilkins, these may have been dictated by whatever plates he had to hand, and whatever teaching he was undertaking at the time. The dates of each of the editions is taken from the dates the original owners inscribed in their copies, and (according to Temperley) the contents of each book also dictate a logical progression timewise
Beesly also engraved and printed books for others, as the following extract from a Catalogue of rare books being offered for sale by Messrs Ellis, of 29 New Bond Street, London W.1.
HAYES (Dr. William, Organist of Magdalen College, Oxford),
Vcal and Instrumental Musick, in Three Parts : containing,
I. The Overture and Songs in the Masque of Circe.
II. A Sonata or Trio, and Songs.
III. An Ode. Full Scores. Sold by the Author, at his house near
Hertford College, 1742. Folio, First Edition, Full Score, words andmusic finely engraved by Mich. Beesly.
Early records show that the name ‘Beesly’ was fairly prolific around this area of what was then Berkshire. Link here to Multimap for a map of the area south of Abingdon, from which you will see how close Upton is to Blewbury. One possible scenario from the IGI is that a Michael Beesely married an Ann Stevenson on 8th October 1698 at West Hanney, Berkshire, England, their son, also Michael(Beesley), being christened at Sunningwell (just north of Abingdon, and about five miles south of where we live) on 23rd June 1700. The father, recorded as Michaell Beesely, was christened at Sunningwell on 9th June 1667, the son of John Beesely and Elizabeth. Their other recorded children are Elizabeth (1655), George (1659), and Anthony (1669).
A further Michael Beesly was christened at Sunningwell on 9th June 1650, the son of George Beesly and Mary (their only recorded child). These are the only three recorded Michaels in Berkshire at that time, from a list of 1223 people with that surname and over the time from 1550-1750, including several others with different Christian names in Upton and Blewbury, and, provided all the Beasleys have been recorded from the area, leads one to surmise that the Michael we are looking for is the one christened on 23rd June 1700. Further research is however necessary to prove this point, especially because of the other Beeslys recorded as being at Upton.
[1] Temperley, N. (1979) The Music of the English Parish Church, vol. 1, Cambridge Studies in Music, Cambridge University Press.
[2] Temperley, N. (1981 [1982]) The Origins of the Fuging Tune. Royal Musical Association, RMA Research Chronicle17, 1–32.
[3] Temperley, N. and Manns, C. G. (1983) Fuging Tunes in the Eighteenth Century, Detroit Studies in Music Bibliography, no. 49, Information
[4] References in heavy type refer to Book references in Nicholas Temperley’s Hymn Tune Index.