Joseph Antonio Emidy

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Joseph Antonio Emidy was born in West Africa in 1775. He was a slave in early life, but later became a famous and celebrated violinist and composer.

Emidy was captured as a child by Portuguese traders who took him to Brazil and later to Portugal. In Portugal, he became a virtuoso violinist in the Lisbon Opera. He was press-ganged by British Admiral Sir Edward Pellew during the Napoleonic wars and spent the next four years as a ship's fiddler.

In 1799, he was abandoned in Falmouth, Cornwall, United Kingdom. In Falmouth, Emidy earned his living as a violinist and a teacher. In 1802, he married Jane Hutchins, a local tradesman’s daughter, and they had eight children. They moved to Truro around 1815. Emidy became the leader of the Truro Philharmonic Orchestra, and went on to become one of the most celebrated and influential musical figures in early 19th century Cornwall. He composed many works including concertos and a symphony but no known copies survive.

Grave of Joseph Antonio Emidy in Kenwyn Churchyard

He died in Truro on April 23, 1835 and his tombstone is in Kenwyn churchyard^[1].

On 24 March 2007, during a service at Kenwyn Church to mark the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in Britain, the life of Emidy was featured and some typical pieces of music from his time were played in tribute.

[edit] Sources

Mentioned at length in autobiography of James Silk Buckingham, (MP for Sheffield) published in 1855 pp 163-172.
My Hero Joseph Emidy, BBC History magazine, October 2001
Dr Richard McGrady: Music and Musicians in Early 19 Century Cornwall features Emidy
Richard McGrady, ‘Emidy, Joseph Antonia (c.1770–1835)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 11 Oct 2007

[edit] References

^ Transcript of gravestone:

HERE LIE DEPOSITED/ The mortal remains of/ Mr Jos:h Antonia Emidy/ Who departed this life,/ On the 23:rd of April/ 1835/ AGED 60 YEARS/ And sacred to whose memory/ This tribute of affection is erected/ By his surviving family./ He was native of PORTUGAL/ Which country he quitted/ about forty years since and pursuing the/ Musical Profession, resided in Cornwall until the close of/ his earthly career./ Devoted to thy soul-inspiring strains,/ Sweet Music! Thee he hail'd his chief delight/ And with fond zeal that shunn'd nor toil nor pain/ His talent sear'd, and genius mark'd its flight/ In harmony he liv'd, in peace with all/ Took his departure from this world of woe,/ And here his rest, till the last Trumpet's call,/ Shall 'wake mankind to joys that endless flow./