Charles Gray (songwriter)
 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (February 2011) |
Charles Gray (1782–1851) was a Scottish captain in the Royal Marines, known as a songwriter.
Life
Gray was born at
Works
Gray published in 1811 Poems and Songs, which went into a second edition at the end of three years. In 1813, on a visit to Anstruther, he had joined in the formation of the Anstruther Musomanik Society through which, in the four years of its existence, members contributed to Scottish song.[1]
During his naval career, Gray had practised lyric composition, and when he retired in 1841 he published his second volume Lays and Lyrics. Several of these poems were set to music by
Besides his original verse Gray wrote some criticism. About 1845 he contributed to the Glasgow Citizen some "Notes on Scottish Song", which include passages on Robert Burns.[1]
Family
Gray married early, his wife, Jessie Carstairs, being sister of the Rev. Dr. Carstairs, of Anstruther. She and one of her two sons predeceased Gray, at whose death, on 13 April 1851, the remaining son was a lieutenant in the Royal Marines.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e Stephen, Leslie; Lee, Sidney, eds. (1890). . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 23. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
- doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/11330. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Stephen, Leslie; Lee, Sidney, eds. (1890). "Gray, Charles". Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 23. London: Smith, Elder & Co.