Henry Bishop was born 18 November 1786 in London, England. Bishop is mentioned in
the despatches as the late father of
Henry Wakeford's new wife. Bishop showed an early musical skill, and by age fourteen had his first musical compositions
published. Bishop acquired a musical patron, Thomas Panton, who would completely finance
his musical education. In 1806, at age sixteen, Bishop's first opera
Angelina was performed at the Theatre Royal, and in 1809, Bishop married a cast member of
his play,
The Circassian Bride, Sarah Elizabeth Lyon. In 1813, Bishop co-founded the British Philharmonic Society, and in 1816 was made
music director at King's Theatre. Bishop spent many of the following years producing various famous pieces of music,
such as
Home Sweet Home from the opera
Clari in 1823. In 1831, after the death of his first wife, Bishop married Anna Riviere, a former
vocal student. The couple toured Europe in the following years. In 1841, Bishop was
made a professor at the University of Edinburgh, and in 1842 was knighted. Bishop
died 30 April 1855 from cancer in
London.