Joseph Harris (1743 - 1814) was a composer and organist based in Ludlow and then Birmingham.[1]
He was born in Bristol, son of John and Mary Harris, on 8 September 1743 and baptised in St Nicholas Church, Bristol on 8 October 1743.[2]
He matriculated at Magdalen College, Oxford on 16 March 1773, and graduated B.Mus. 24 March 1779, whilst organist at Ludlow Parish Church. He compiled a personal manuscript copy of Handel's Messiah in 1766.[3]
He was known as a virtuoso keyboardist, performing at concerts throughout the region before gaining the position of organist at St Martin's in Birmingham in 1771.[4] One of his pupils was Anne Boulton, daughter of Birmingham industrialist Matthew Boulton.[5]
He married his cousin Ann Harris (1747-1767) on 12 January 1767 at Ludlow, but she died later in the same year. He married again on 22 October 1771, to Anne Silvester (1748 - 1812) in Birmingham, with whom he had 11 children.[2]
He died either in Liverpool[1] or at Eccleston Hill Lodge Lodge (although this source incorrectly calls it Ecclusham Lodge near Wrexham).[6] The Chester Courant of 1 November 1814 records his death at Eccleston Lodge.
He wrote: