ber of the Chapel Royal at the coronation of James I., had
been excommunicated since 1598, while from 1605 until 1612, and possibly
later, he was regularly presented before the archidiaconal court of Essex
as a Catholic. In 1603 Easte published a work (no copies of which are known
to exist) entitled _Medulla Musicke. Sucked out of the sappe of two_ [_of_]
_the most famous Musitians that ever were in this land, namely Master
Wylliam Byrd ... and Master Alphonso Ferabosco ... either of whom having
made 40tie severall waies (without contention), showing most rare and
intricate skill in 2 partes in one upon the playne song Miserere_. In 1607
appeared two books of _Gradualia_, a second edition of which was issued in
1610. In the following year he published _Psalmes, Songs and Sonnets; some
solemne, others joyfull, framed to the life of the Words_. Probably in the
same year was issued _Parthenia_, a collection of virginal music, in which
Byrd was associated with Bull and Orlando Gibbons. The last work to which
he contributed was Sir Thomas Leighton's _Teares or Lamentations of a
Sorrowfull Soule_ (1614). His death took place on the 4th of July 1623. It
is recorded in the _Cheque Book_ of the Chapel Royal as that of a "father
of musicke." His will, dated the 15th of November 1622, shows that he
remained a Catholic until the end of his life, and he expresses a desire
that he may die at Stondon and be buried near his wife. From the same
document it seems that his latter years had been embittered by a dispute
with his eldest son, but that the matter was settled by an agreement with
his daughter-in-law Catherine, to whom he left his property at Stondon,
charged with the payment of L20 to his second son Thomas and L10 to his
daughter Rachel, with remainder to his grandson Thomas and his second son
of the same name. In 1635 the estate again came before the court of
chancery, on the ground that the annuities had not been paid. The property
seems about 1637 to have been let to one John Leigh, and in 1651 was held
by a member of the Petre family. The committee for compounding with
delinquents at that date allowed Thomas Byrd the annuity of L20 bequeathed
by his father. Byrd's arms, as entered in the Visitation of Essex of 1634
_ex sigillo_ were three stags' heads cabossed, a canton ermine. His
children were (1) Christopher, who married Catherine, daughter of Thomas
Moore of Bamborough, and had a son, Thomas, living at Stondon in 1634; (2)