Lee, Samuel (ii)

Dates Active in Dublin: 

[1739?] 1745–1776

Address(es): 

Little Green, Bolton Street, [1739?] 1752–63
Harp and Hautboy, Fownes Street, 1764–68
2 Dame Street, 1769–76

Details: 

Presumed son or grandson of Samuel Lee (i). Husband of Anne Lee, father of Edmond and John Lee.

Samuel Lee was one of the most prominent Dublin musicians during the 1760s and 1770s. He was a member of the City Music from 1745, subsequently becoming bandmaster. As leading violinist he was in charge of music at Marlborough Bowling Green during the 1750s, appeared regularly at Crow Street Theatre, and frequently conducted the annual Messiah performances at Fishamble Street. In addition he was active as a music printer, publisher and seller. Boydell (Calendar) refers to Samuel Lee also as an instrument maker.

Succeeded in business by Anne Lee.

[Dates and address differ according to sources: Humphries & Smith give the dates and addresses as above. Only Flood gives the Little Green address in 1739. Pollard gives the Little Green address from before 1752 to after 1753; the Harp and Hautboy address from before 1758 to 1768 and the Dame Street address from 1769 to 1776. However, Pollard also cites the Dublin Journal for the opening of the Harp and Hautboy shop on 17 January 1764, not 1758.]

Select Product/Work List: 

Published

  • Favourite Variations on the Celebrated Irish Air of Gramachree Molly, for harpsichord, violin, flute and guitar, c.1770 (Lawrence)
  • Shepherd I Have Lost My Love, for harpsichord, flute, violin and guitar, c.1772 (Lawrence)
  • Printed

  • 'Eibhlin a ruin – as sung by Mrs. Storer’, c. 1742–49 (Flood, 'Dublin Music Printing from 1685 to 1750'), also referred to as Eileen Aroon or Aileen Aroon (Flood, ‘Dublin Music Printing from 1750 to 1790’)
  • 'The songs in Henry Brooke’s ballad-opera, Jack the Giant-Queller', 1749 (Flood, 'Dublin Music Printing from 1685 to 1750')
  • 'The first number of Lee’s Masque. To consist of four Songs in each Number. N.B. He will publish the Masque occasionally, as the new Songs come out in London’ 6d. at Lee’s in Little Green, the Oxmantown Coffee House in Capel-street, and Esdall’s. The 2nd number published Saturday next’, March 1753 (Dublin Journal, 3–6 March 1753, cited in Boydell, Calendar)
  • The Kettle Bender (Flood, ‘Dublin Music Printing from 1750 to 1790’)
  • 'Some glees by Signor Palma' (Flood, ‘Dublin Music Printing from 1750 to 1790’)
  • Aheela na gira [half-sheet harpsichord arrangement] (Flood, ‘Dublin Music Printing from 1750 to 1790’)
  • Twelve New Country Dances for 1757, December 1756 (Flood, ‘Dublin Music Printing from 1750 to 1790’)
  • The Songs of Linco’s Travels, August 1768 (Flood, ‘Dublin Music Printing from 1750 to 1790’)
  • The New Favourite Castle Minuets, September 1768 (Flood, ‘Dublin Music Printing from 1750 to 1790’)
  • Arne, Michael, Cymon (Flood, ‘Dublin Music Printing from 1750 to 1790’)
  • Lochaber (Flood, ‘Dublin Music Printing from 1750 to 1790’)
  • The New Broom (Flood, ‘Dublin Music Printing from 1750 to 1790’)
  • Tenducci, See the Purple Morn Arise, before 1769 (Pollard)
  • 'Mr Fischer’s favourite variations on the Irish air Gramachree Molly', 1769 or later [at Dame Street] (Pollard)
  • The New Minuets for 1770, December 1769 (Flood, ‘Dublin Music Printing from 1750 to 1790’)
  • 'Aileen Aroon made a duett, as introduced in the Beggar’s Opera', c. 1770 (Pollard)
  • 'Fischer’s favourite Rondeau', 1771 (Flood, ‘Dublin Music Printing from 1750 to 1790’)
  • 'Mullowney’s Jig with new Variations set for the Harpsichord, Violin, and German Flute', 1771 (Flood, ‘Dublin Music Printing from 1750 to 1790’)
  • 'The Compleat Hibernian Country Dancer (never before published) containing the Music of 48 of the most admired Irish Country Dances, set for the Violin, German Flute and Guitar, with proper directions for Dancing each as they are danced in public and private in this Kingdom', March 1771; second collection, 1772. (Flood, ‘Dublin Music Printing from 1750 to 1790’)
  • 'Abel’s Concertos and new harpsichord sonatas imported this day', May 1771 (Hibernian Journal, cited in Pollard)
  • 'A new Favourite Collection of Five English Songs, and one Italian Duet, as sung at the Rotunda by Mrs. Barthelemon, Signor Fedele, and Mr Passerini, jun. Composed by Mr. Barthelemon. Set for the Harpsichord, Violin, German Flute and also adapted to the Guitar. Price 2s. 2d. N.B. – In this Collection are contained the favourite Hunting Song sung by Mr. Passerini; and the Seasons, sung by Mrs. Barthelemon', July 1772 (Flood, ‘Dublin Music Printing from 1750 to 1790’)
  • Carter, 'A particular favourite song in the opera of The Rival Candidates', 1775 (Pollard)
  • Printed

  • 'A collection of O’Carolan’s airs as noted down by O’Carolan’s son', 1747 (Flood, 'Dublin Music Printing from 1685 to 1750')
  • Source(s): 

    Dublin Directories

    Flood, W.H. Grattan, 'Music-Printing in Dublin from 1700 to 1750', The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, 5th ser., 38.1 (30 September 1908), 236–40 (pp. 239–40)

    Flood, W.H. Grattan, ‘Dublin Music Printing from 1750 to 1790’, The Bibliographical Society of Ireland: Short Papers, 2.5 (1923), 101–06 (p. 103)

    Dix, E.R. McC., ‘Some Dublin Music Printers and Music Sellers of the Eighteenth Century’, The Irish Book Lover, 18.1 (January/February 1930), 26–28 (p. 28)

    Carroll, F., ‘Dublin Music Sellers, Etc. 18th Century’, The Irish Book Lover, 31.6 (November 1951), 129–30 (p. 130)

    Humphries, Charles and William C. Smith, Music Publishing in the British Isles, from the Beginning until the Middle of the Nineteenth Century; a Dictionary of Engravers, Printers, Publishers, and Music Sellers (London: Oxford University Press, 1970), p. 209

    Boydell, Brian, A Dublin Musical Calendar 1700–1760 (Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1988), pp. 179, 259

    Boydell, Barra, 'The Development of the Dublin Music Print Trade to 1800', Long Room (1996), pp.25-33 (p. 31)

    Lawrence, Thomas, ‘The History of the Guitar in Ireland 1760-1866’, 2 vols (unpublished doctoral thesis, University College Dublin, 1999), I, p. 38

    Pollard, M., A Dictionary of Members of the Dublin Book Trade 1550–1800: Based on the Records of the Guild of St Luke the Evangelist Dublin (London: Bibliographical Society, 2000), p. 363

    McHale, Maria, 'Music', in The Irish Book in English 1800–1891, ed. by James H. Murphy, The Oxford History of the Irish Book, IV (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011), pp. 595–601 (p. 596)

    Boydell, Brian, ‘Lee family (1)’, Dublin Music Trade Card Index <http://dublinmusictrade.ie/card-index>

    Last Update: 20-05-2021