John Stickney

STICKNEY, John. b. Stoughton, Massachusetts, 31 March 1744; d. South Hadley, Massachusetts, 23 April 1827.  Stickney, a singing master and farmer, known primarily for his compilation, The Gentleman and Lady’s Musical Companion, editions 1774 and 1783, was a son of Richard Varrel Stickney (1709-1769) and Mary Pelton Stickney (1711-1745).  He married Elizabeth Howard of Stoughton on 26 December 1765.  She died on 28 May 1813, and on 31 October 1813, John Stickney married Lucy Nash (1750-1836), of South Hadley. In 1774, William Billings* led a singing school in Stoughton, and soon thereafter, the Stoughton Musical Society—the oldest choral society in America—was organized.  The first president...