A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Este, Thomas
ESTE, EST, or EAST (as the name was variously spelled), Thomas, was (having regard to the number of works printed by him) one of the most important of our early music typographers and publishers. He was probably born in the earlier part of the latter half of the 16th century. [App. p.629 "he was engaged in printing as early as 1576."] The first work printed by him with which we are acquainted was Byrd's 'Psalmes, Sonets and Songs of sadnes and pietie,' which appeared in 1588, he then 'dwelling by Paules Wharf,' and describing himself as 'the Assigne of W. Byrd '; i. e. assignee of the patent granted to the latter for the sole printing of music and ruled music paper. In the following year Este removed to Aldersgate Street, where he published at the sign of the Black Horse. In 1592 he edited 'The Whole Book of Psalms, with their wonted tunes, in four parts.' The composers employed by him to harmonise the tunes were some of the most eminent men of the day, being ten in number, viz: Richard Alison, E. Blancks, Michael Cavendish, William Cobbold, John Dowland, John Farmer, Giles Farnaby, Edmund Hooper, Edmund Johnson and George Kirbye. Two other editions of the work appeared in 1594 and 1604. This collection was the first in which some of the tunes were called by distinctive names—'Glassenburie,' 'Kentish,' and 'Cheshire.' Este was a member of the Company of Stationers, to which in 1604 he gave a piece of plate of 31 oz. weight to be excused from serving some office of the Company. In the early part of 1609 he described himself on the title-pages of his productions as 'Thomas Este alias Snodham,' and before the end of the year and ever after used the latter name only. In 1600 he described himself as 'The Assigne of Thomas Morley,' and in 1609 as 'The Assigne of William Barley,' having acquired the interest in the patent granted to Morley in 1598 and by him assigned, or perhaps only licensed, to Barley. The latest work known to have been printed by Este appeared in 1624, and it is probable that he died shortly afterwards. [App. p.629 "He died shortly before 1609, in which year a large number of his 'copyrights,' as they would be called, were transferred to T. Snodham. [ Dict. of Nat. Biog. ]"] His widow, Lucretia Este, died in 1631, having bequeathed £20 to purchase a piece of plate to be presented to the Stationers' Company. The most important works printed and published by Este were—
Adson's Courtly Masquing Ayres, 1621; Atley's Ayres, 1622; Bateson's Madrigals, 1604 and 1618; Byrd's Psalmes, Sonets and Songs, 1588, Songes of sundry natures 1589, Cantiones Sacræ, 1589 and 1591, Gradualia, 1607 and 1610, and Psalmes, Songs and Sonnets, 1611; Campion's Ayres, 1610 and 1612; Croce's Musica Sacra, Newly Englished, 1608; Danyel's Songs, 1606; Dowland's Second Book of Ayres, 1600; Michael Este's 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Sets of Madrigals, Anthems, etc., 1604–1624; Ferrabosco's Ayres, 1609; Orlando Gibbons's Madrigal, 1612; Jones's First Book of Ayres, 1601; Kirbye's Madrigals, 1597; Maynard's XII Wonder's of the World, 1611; Morley's Canzonets, 1593, Madrigals, 1594, Ballets, 1595, Canzonets, 1595, Madrigals, 1598, Triumphes of Oriana, 1601, and Consort Lessons, 1611; John Mundy's Songs and Psalms, 1594; Martin Pierson's Private Musicke, 1620; Pilkington's Ayres, 1605, and Madrigals (2nd set), 1624; Robinson's Schoole of Musicke, 1603; Rossetor's Lessons for Consort, 1609; Robert Tailour's Sacred Hymnes, 1615; Thomas Tomkins's Songs, 1622; Vantor's Madrigals, 1619; Ward's Madrigals, 1613; Watson's Madrigals, 1600; Weelkes' Madrigals, 1597, 1598, and 1600; Wilbye's Madrigals, 1598 and 1608; Yonge's Musica Transalpina, 1586 and 1697; and Youll's Canzonets, 1608.
The Whole Book of Psalms was published in score by the Musical Antiquarian Society in 1844, edited with a Preface, by Dr. Rimbault.