WILLIAM BOYCE: SOME MANUSCRIPT RECOVERIES

Abstract

WHEN William Boyce died on 7 February I779 he left behind a renowned private library of musical manuscripts and books. He had added to it throughout his life, and had been bequeathed Maurice Greene's large library on Greene's death in I 757. It is easy to imagine that Boyce's library was a constant delight to his scholarly mind, especially when deafness and infirmity forced him into semi-retirement. It is generally appreciated that his library was one of the finest private collections ever compiled. In view of this, it seems strange to find in his will a rather casual reference at the end of the list of his effects. It follows on from an inventory of his linen with but an implied comma between: music, printed and in manuscript of my own composition and of the various other authors, my musical instruments, engraved music plates with my printed books of every sort and whatever else may be omitted in the above enumeration of my property to be and to remain at their joint disposal.' He instructed that all his effects were to be divided equally between his wife, Hannah, his 30-yearold daughter, Elizabeth, and his 14-year-old son, William. Nothing was bequeathed to anyone else besides these three. Hannah moved fairly quickly, and having decided to auction part of the library, instructed Christie and Ansell, who appointed the sale to take place between I4-I6 April I779. collection was divided into 267 lots which were succinctly described in a printed catalogue. It is interesting to note that she kept back from the sale her husband's own work. She may have considered that his music would be looked on as out of fashion by this time, and might not fare well at an auction. Boyce had suffered a rebuff of this kind when he published at his own expense his 'Twelve overtures' in 1770, the plates of which, together with 30 copies of the work, appeared as lot 26i in the sale catalogue. J.H.2 remarks: The taste of the people at the time of the publication of these, was very unpropitious to their success: they had the misfortune to meet with the compositions of Bach and Abel which had already gotten possession of the public ear. On the other hand, Hannah may have retained