John Mainwaring
Encyclopedia
John Mainwaring was an English theologian and the first biographer of the composer Georg Friedrich Händel in any language. He was a Fellow
of St. John's College, Cambridge, and became rector of the parish of Church Stretton
, Shropshire
, and, later professor of Divinity
at Cambridge. In 1760, one year after Handel was buried in Westminster Abbey
he published anonymously a biography.
More than half of this biography is focused on the years before 1712, when Handel moved to London. Therefore it is supposed he received information from Handel himself on his early life or from John Christopher Smith
. The Catalogue and the Observations are additions to the Memoirs by other authors. Charles Jennens
owned a copy of the Memoirs, and provided the book with critical remarks on Semele and Benedetto Pamphili
.
In 1761 Johann Mattheson
published an extended translation with sharp remarks on the biography of Mainwaring.
Facsimile reprints of the "Memoirs" were published in 1964 and 1975.
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of St. John's College, Cambridge, and became rector of the parish of Church Stretton
Church Stretton
Church Stretton is a small town and civil parish in Shropshire, England. The population of the town was recorded as 2,789 in 2001, whilst the population of the wider parish was recorded as 4,186...
, Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, and, later professor of Divinity
Professor of Divinity
Professor of Divinity may refer to academics in the field of theology and in particular to chairs in the UK as in the following:*Ely Professor of Divinity, Cambridge*Professor of Divinity, Glasgow...
at Cambridge. In 1760, one year after Handel was buried in Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
he published anonymously a biography.
More than half of this biography is focused on the years before 1712, when Handel moved to London. Therefore it is supposed he received information from Handel himself on his early life or from John Christopher Smith
John Christopher Smith
John Christopher Smith [Johann Christoph Schmidt] was an English composer who, following in his father's footsteps, became George Frederic Handel's secretary and amanuensis.-Life:...
. The Catalogue and the Observations are additions to the Memoirs by other authors. Charles Jennens
Charles Jennens
Charles Jennens was an English landowner and patron of the arts, who assembled the text for five of Handel's oratorios: Saul, Israel in Egypt, L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, Messiah, and Belshazzar...
owned a copy of the Memoirs, and provided the book with critical remarks on Semele and Benedetto Pamphili
Benedetto Pamphili
Benedetto Pamphili was an Italian cardinal, patron of the arts, composer and librettist.-Life:...
.
In 1761 Johann Mattheson
Johann Mattheson
Johann Mattheson was a German composer, writer, lexicographer, diplomat and music theorist.Mattheson was born and died in Hamburg. He was a close friend of George Frideric Handel, although he nearly killed him in a sudden quarrel, during a performance of Mattheson's opera Cleopatra in 1704...
published an extended translation with sharp remarks on the biography of Mainwaring.
Facsimile reprints of the "Memoirs" were published in 1964 and 1975.