| Administrative History | Ezra Read was born in 1862 in Wednesbury, Staffordshire. Though apprenticed to a local blacksmith, he left this career in his early teens and ultimately became a professional pianist. His first compositions were written whilst he was employed as a ship's bandmaster in Portsmouth, c1887. In Bristol in 1886, he married Beatrice Ida Hampden, a painist and violinist. The couple were itinerant musicians and composers, travelling particularly in the West Midlands and Derbyshire. In 1908 they settled in Shirebrook and Ezra found regular employment including at the "Empire" and "Town Hall" theatres.
Ezra and Ida Read shared 120 pseudonyms between them and are believed to have composed up to 6,000 separate published musical items, including one which sold over 1 million copies worldwide.
Ezra Read taught bandmasters, wrote treatises on music, harmony and composition, and for several years wrote music syllabuses and prepared examination papers for Australian universities.
After Ida's death in 1912, Ezra continued to write. He passed away in 1922 from cancer, and is buried in Shirebrook cemetery.
For further information on Ezra Read and Ida Hampden, click the link below. |
| Custodial History | These items have been donated in three separate accessions, transferred to Derbyshire Record Office from Chesterfield Library's Local Studies section in August 2016 and March 2017:
(1): The original donation, from Jeffrey Noble
(2): A further accession, donated by a private individual
(3): A further accession of some 51 items, donated by Joseph Read and Simon Read |