Daily entries from the 17th century London diary
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Latham & Matthews on Thomas Blagrave
AGE: Born about 1613, he died at about the age of 75 in 1688. In early 1659/60, Blagrave would have been about 47 years old.
CAREER: A violinist and composer, he became a royal musician in 1638, playing for Charles I’s “Sagbutts and hautboyes,” then for Cromwell (at least in 1658), and then for Charles II as of 1660. Also on his resume:
—clerk of the cheque, Chapel Royal, 1662;
—master of the choristers, Westminster Abbey, 1664.
OTHER: He lived in Westminster, was married and had a pew in Whitehall Chapel. He also sang and played the flageolet — and almost certainly the lute Pepys redeemed from him on 18 March 1660.
— L&M Vols. 10 (Companion), 11 (Index)
The Brothers Blagrave
Blagrave appears for the first time in the diary on 18 March 1660, but a note for that entry in L&M (Vol. 1) states that this Blagrave might be either Thomas or his brother, Robert, both of whom later become royal musicians.
The L&M Index (Vol. 11) indicates that the Blagrave of 18 March is Thomas after all, and both the Index and Companion (Vol. 10) only have entries for Thomas.
Keep in mind that the L&M volumes were published at different times. Also, the Companion entry and the note in the 1660 diary entry each have different initials at the end, indicating different authors.
Pepys also knows these “Chapel Royalists”:
WILLIAM CHILD
becomes organist of the Chapel Royal, 1660
http://www.pepysdiary.com/p/1253.php
ROGER HILL
musician in the Chapel Royal as of 1660; made “Gentleman” of the C.R. in 1661
http://www.pepysdiary.com/p/1508.php