1829. 
that his practice, even in that obscure situa- 
tion, embraced the tuition of nearly a hun- 
dred pupils. William was taught by his 
father to modulate his voice, and practise 
the violin, when he was only six years old ; 
and, within a year and a half, he had made 
so extraordinary a progress as to be able to 
perform Corelli’s fifth work. This was the 
more remarkable, as much of his time had 
been occupied by the harpsichord. He could 
then sing at sight, and read every cliff. In 
his ninth year, William lost his parent and 
tutor, who left a widow with four children. 
He was desirous of making music his pro- 
fession, but his desire was checked by the 
ridicule with which the calling of a fiddler 
was constantly treated in a sea-port town. 
He had the choice given him of becoming 
a sailor, a boat-builder, or a barber. He 
decided in favour of boat-building, and was 
bound apprentice to Edward Dayison, then 
residing in the neighbourhood of South 
Shields. He was kept rather close to his 
employment ; yet his master occasionally in- 
dulged him in the exercise of his favourite 
pursuit, from which, in the third year of his 
apprenticeship, he sometimes obtained slight 
pecuniary advantages. He led the New- 
castle subscription concerts, where he re- 
peatedly played the solo parts of Gemini- 
ani’s and Giardini’s concerts; and haying 
produced an admired specimen of sacred 
music, when the new church was to be con- 
secrated at Sunderland, he was requested to 
compose the anthem, which was performed 
by the then excellent Durham choir, to an 
immense congregation. Soon after the ex- 
piration of his term, he resolved to relin- 
quish boat-building, and to adopt the pro- 
fession of music. From the celebrated theo- 
rist, Avison, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, he 
received lessons in thorough bass ; and, hay- 
ing grounded himself in the principles, as 
well as practice of his art, he went upon a 
musical expedition to Scarborough, whither 
he was inyited by his intimate friend, Cun- 
- ningham, the well-known pastoral poet, 
__ several of whose songs he had set to music at 
_ South Shields. At Scarborough, his talents 
~ were much noticed ; he acquired the situa- 
_ tion of leader of the theatrical band, and of 
the principal concerts ; and he obtained the 
intimacy and friendship of many respectable 
individuals. Soon after the death of Mr. 
_ Avison, the son of that gentleman engaged 
~ him as leader at the Durham theatre and at 
the Newcastle concerts. Returning next 
‘season to Scarborough, he was solicited by 
Fischer and Borghi to accept a vacant seat 
in the orchestra of the Italian Opera House. 
The offer was accepted, and Giardini placed 
him in the rank of the second violins. In 
the following season, Cramer removed him 
to the principal viola ; at which post. he re- 
mained eighteen years; in the course of 
which he produced upwards of twenty operas 
for Colman’s theatre, and that of Covent 
Garden. 
Mr. Shield, on account of the ill health of 
Mr. Bulkley, was, one season, leader of the 
Biographical Memoirs of Eminent Persons. 
439 
band at the Little Theatre in the Hay- 
market, At that time the Rev. Mr, Bate 
(afterwards the Rey. Sir Henry Bate Dud- 
ley) wrote the pleasant little afterpiece of the 
Flitch of Bacon, for the music of which he 
applied to Mr. Shield. Dr. Arnold being 
the regular composer for the theatre, Shield’s 
delicacy induced him to hesitate ; but, as 
Mr. Bate threatened to withdraw the piece 
unless it were produced with Shield’s music, 
he at length complied. His success was 
great and decisive. 
Mr. Shield’s time was much occupied in 
assisting at the great concerts; such as 
Bach’s, Abel’s, and La Motte’s, for which 
first-rate performers only were qualified ; 
when Mr. Harris, manager of Covent Gar- 
den Theatre, offered to engage him as re- 
gulator of the band, and composer to the 
House. This appointment he accepted, 
and filled with much success, until a differ- 
ence between him and Mr. Harris, on a pe- 
cuniary point, induced him to resign. He 
was also appointed one of the musicians in 
ordinary to the King; and he was engaged 
in the Ladies’ Friday Concerts, the grand 
Sunday Concerts, and the Wednesday’s 
Concerts of Ancient Music. From the last 
of these he withdrew, as the necessary atten- 
dance at the Monday’s rehearsels, interfered 
with his theatrical duty. Lord Sandwich, 
however, who was the influential friend of 
Mr. Harris and Joah Bates, commanded his 
return to a task which he always performed 
with pleasure, and at last relinquished with 
regret. 
About this time, Mr. Shield accidentally 
travelled from London to Taplow, with the 
celebrated Haydn ; and he considered him- 
self to have gained more important informa- 
tion by four day’s society with that great 
founder of a style which has given fame to 
numerous imitators, than ever he acquired 
by the best directed studies in any four years 
in any portion of his life. 
In the month of August, 1792, after the 
relinquishment of his engagement at Covent 
Garden Theatre, he resolved to employ his 
leisure in visiting Italy, the land of the me- 
lodious' art. He accordingly quitted Eng- 
land in company with the ingenious but 
eccentric Mr. Ritson, to whom the public 
are indebted for the restoration of many va- 
luable productions of the British lyric muse. 
At Paris, Mr. Shield and Mr. Ritson were 
joined by several agreeable foreigners who 
also were anxious to improve their taste by 
witnessing the great operatical performances 
of the Continent. From Paris they pro- 
ceeded to Lyons, to Chambery, Turin, Mi- 
lan, Lodi, Piacenza, Parma, Modena, Bo- 
logna, Florence, Sienna, and Rome. At 
Rome Mr. Shield met with Sir William 
Hamilton and his lady, whose attention to 
him did honour to their regard for genius 
travelling in search of science. Prince Au- 
gustus also noticed him in a very flattering 
manner. At Rome, too, he contracted an 
intimate friendship with More, the land- 
scape painter. After receiving lessons every 
