Anthony Shaw

Anthony Shaw was born in 1747, probably in Bath, and died aged 45 on 26 August 1792 in Margate. He was a violinist and was the band leader at the Covent Garden Theatre until his death. Anthony Shaw was the son of Bathonian musician Thomas Shaw (1715-92) and was the older brother of the composer Thomas Shaw. Early life There is virtually no information about Anthony Shaw's early life and his career prior to going to London. Through elements of his brother's biography, we know that he was the son of a musician born in 1715 called Thomas Shaw who was a double-bass player active in Bath and London for many years as a leading string player and concert director, including in music festivals in Westminster and at Covent Garden, and who had become a member of the Royal Society of Musicians in 1754. Anthony's father was a "superannuated musician" according to the European Magazine and London Review when he died in Bath in 1792. By 1768, Anthony was already living in London; indeed he is likely to be the Anthony Shaw, a Saint-Augustine parish resident, marrying Rachael Collier, a spinster of the same parish, on 30 May 1768. Career in London The first known fact about Anthony's career is that he played first violin at the Commemoration of Handel (Handel Memorial Concerts at Westminster Abbey and the Pantheon from 26 May to 5 June 1784) for which a total of 493 performers were gathered together.