English composer and harpsichordist. He studied music with organist Thomas Chilcot in Bath; later he organized and directed concerts there. In 1767 his opera The Royal Merchant was produced in London. He was appointed director of the Drury Lane Theatre in 1774, and two years later he moved from Bath, settling in London. For the next two decades he composed and arranged operas, pastiches, pantomimes, and incidental music for London theaters. A number of his twelve children pursued musical careers, including Thomas, Jr. The father composed Selima and Azor (1776); The Gentle Shepherd (1781); Love in the East ( 1788)