Thomas Busby (26 December 1755 – 28 May 1838) was an English composer. Early life Busby was the son of a coach-painter. He was born at Westminster, London, in December 1755. His father was musical, and sang himself; when his son developed a fine treble voice, he decided to bring him up as a musician. Benjamin Cooke, the organist of Westminster Abbey, turned down young Busby (at age 12-13) as too old for a chorister; he was placed under Samuel Champness for singing, and Charles Knyvett for the harpsichord. Subsequently he studied under Jonathan Battishill. In the summer of 1769 Busby was engaged to sing at Vauxhall Gardens at a salary of ten guineas a week. On his voice breaking, he was articled to Battishill for three years, and worked on both his musical and his general education. On the expiration of his training he returned to his father's house, and set himself to earn his living by music and literature. Early works His first venture was the composition of music to a play by William Kenrick, The Man the Master, but this was never finished. He then turned his attention to oratorio, and began a setting of Alexander Pope's Messiah, at which he worked intermittently for several years. Busby was more successful with literary pursuits than with musical. He was for some time parliamentary reporter of the London Courant, and assisted in editing The Morning Post, besides acting as musical critic to the European Magazine and Joseph Johnson's Analytical Review, and contributing to the Celtic Miscellany and Whitehall Evening Post. In 1785 he wrote a poem called The Age of Genius, a satire in the style of Charles Churchill, containing nearly 1,000 lines. About five years after the expiration of his articles Busby was elected organist of St Mary's, Newington. Marriage and later years In July 1786 he married Priscilla Angier, daughter of Charles Angier of Earl's Court, Kensington. Together they had seven children, including George Frederic, architect Charles Augustin, and Julian (also a composer and musician). After his marriage Busby lived in Poland Street, where he was sought after as a teacher of Latin, French, and music. A few years later he moved to Battersea. In 1798 he was elected organist of St Mary Woolnoth. In the spring of 1799, his early oratorio was produced by Wilhelm Cramer under the name of The Prophecy, perhaps to avoid comparison