Introduction

Biography

Carey was said to be the son of George Sa­ville, Mar­quis of Ha­li­fax, and a school­mis­tress.

He stu­died mu­sic in Lon­don un­der Ol­aus Lin­nert and Fran­ce­sco Gem­ini­ani. His best re­mem­bered mu­sic may be his song Sal­ly in Our Al­ley, but his chief tal­ent was li­ter­ary.

He wrote plays, burl­esques, and op­eras.

Works

• The Con­triv­an­ces, 1729 (trans­formed in­to a ball­ad op­era from an ear­li­er work)
• Chrononhotonthologos, 1734
• The Hon­est Yorkshire­man, 1735
• Nancy, or the Part­ing Lov­ers, 1739 (al­so known as The Press Gang and True Blue)
• The Dra­gon of Want­ley
• The Mu­sical Cen­tu­ry (Lon­don: 1737–40)