Jeremiah Ingalls was born Andover, Massachusetts March 1, 1764 and died in Hancock, Vermont, April 6, 1838.[1] He was one of the first American composers[2], and is considered among the First New England School.
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Jeremiah Ingalls was born in Andover, Massachusetts in 1764. When he was thirteen his father, Abijah Ingalls, died of hardships suffered during the American Revolutionary War. In 1791 Ingalls married Mary Bigelow of Westminster, Massachusetts and while living in Vermont worked variously as a farmer, cooper and choirmaster. Ingalls served as the choirmaster at the Congregational Church in Newbury, Vermont from 1791 to 1805, and the choir gained a reputation attracting many people from the surrounding area. In 1805 Ingalls published The Christian Harmony. Ingalls served as a deacon in the church, but in 1810, he was excommunicated from that congregation. In 1819 he moved to Rochester, Vermont and then Hancock, Vermont. Ingalls was described as short and corpulent with a high voice and an advanced skill at the bass viol. Many of Ingalls' family members were also known for their musical ability. Ingalls died in Hancock, Vermont in 1838.[3][4]