Education
Born in Wingfield near Chesterfield, Derbyshire, Greatorex as a youngster studied with Benjamin Cooke, organist of Westminster Abbey, and was a protégé of the Earl of Sandwich.
Born in Wingfield near Chesterfield, Derbyshire, Greatorex as a youngster studied with Benjamin Cooke, organist of Westminster Abbey, and was a protégé of the Earl of Sandwich.
As well as being organist of Westminster Abbey, he was a Fellow of the Royal Society. He also directed music festivals at Birmingham, York and Derby. In 1819, he succeeded George Ebenezer Williams as organist of Westminster Abbey.
His father, Anthony Greatorex, became organist at Street Martin"s Church, Leicester (now Leicester Cathedral) in 1765.
Thomas"s sister Martha succeeded her father in that position from 1772 to 1800. Thomas Greatorex married and had five sons.
One of these, Henry Wellington Greatorex, became a church organist in Hartford, Connecticut, United States of America, and composed many hymns. There is a story that King George IV, when Prince Regent, once said to Thomas Greatorex, "My father is Rex, but you are a Greater Rex".
Royal Society.