Biography

Garret was the son of Ri­chard Wes­ley, 1st Bar­on Morn­ing­ton, and Eli­za­beth Sale, and hus­band of Anne Hill.

He showed tal­ent on the vio­lin from ear­ly child­hood, and soon be­gan com­pos­ing his own works.

His son Ar­thur, the first Duke of Well­ing­ton, who de­feat­ed Na­po­le­on at Wa­ter­loo, was the on­ly one of his child­ren to in­her­it some of his mu­sic­al gift. Another of his des­cend­ants is Queen Eli­za­beth II of Bri­tain.

He at­tend­ed Dub­lin Uni­ver­si­ty, and was elect­ed its first Pro­fess­or of Mu­sic in 1764.

The fa­mi­ly name was changed to Well­es­ley in 1798.

Works

As a com­pos­er, he is re­mem­ber­ed chief­ly for glees such as Here in cool grot (lyr­ics by Will­iam Shen­stone), a dou­ble Ang­li­can chant, and his Chant in E, from which the tune Morn­ing­ton is ar­ranged.