Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Broderip, William (1683-1726)

567673Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 06 — Broderip, William (1683-1726)1886William Barclay Squire

BRODERIP, WILLIAM (1683–1726), organist, as to whose parentage and education nothing is known, was appointed a vicar choral of Wells Cathedral on 1 April 1701. On 1 Oct. 1706 he was appointed sub-treasurer, and on 1 April 1708 a cathedral stall was assigned to him. On 2 Jan. 1712 he succeeded John George as organist of the cathedral, at an annual salary of 20l. He retained this post until his death, which took place 31 Jan. 1726. Broderip was buried in the nave of the cathedral; according to the inscription on his gravestone, he left a widow and nine children. Some of the latter probably followed their father's profession, as besides Robert [q. v.] and John Broderip [q. v.] there were two other organists of the name in the west of England towards the latter part of the eighteenth century, viz.: Edmund Broderip, who was organist of St. James's, Bristol, between 1742 and 1771, and another organist of the same name (whose christian name is not known) who lived at Leominster about 1770. It is most likely that some of these were the sons of William Broderip. The Tudway Collection contains an anthem, ‘God is our hope and strength,’ with instrumental accompaniments, which was written by Broderip in 1713 to celebrate the peace of Utrecht, but this is almost his sole composition extant.

[Chapter records of Wells Cathedral, communicated by Mr. W. Fielder; Harl. MS. 7338, &c.; subscription lists to John Broderip's Psalms, Hayes's Cantatas, Chilcot's Six Concertos, and Clark's Eight Songs.]

W. B. S.