LAWES, William
b Salisbury, 1602
d Chester, 24 September 1645, aged forty-three

His father was a lay vicar at Salisbury Cathedral, and William was probably a chorister there. He studied music with his father and then, under John Coprario, met fellow-pupil Prince Charles who later became Charles I. He became one of the private musicians to the court, and in 1635 was appointed 'musician in ordinary for the lutes and voices'. He followed King Charles to the wars, rode into Chester with him and was shot and killed.

He wrote many suites for consorts and other groups of instruments, about 126 aires and dances, a great number of secular songs and some sacred vocal works.