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Note: We know from an 1890 Welsh Biography dictionary that Henry was the organist at the St.Asaph Cathedral. The dictionary stated he was German. Alan Homes wrote in 2005 - " Henry HAYDEN (1773-1848) was NOT German. He came from Norwich. The Dictonary of Welsh Biography is wrong. I stumbled upon the 'Welsh connection' about 3 years ago after discovering the Will of Henry Hayden's (1773-1848)
brother. The HAYDEN family came from Norwich. They were in the church choirs, parish clerks, bank clerks etc, - quite a respectable family. Henry Hayden (1773-1848) had an older brother, Samuel (1764-1827), and Samuel is my GGGG Grandfather. All I
can imagine is that the person who wrote the 'Dictionary of Welsh Biography' in 1890 assumed that Henry Hayden was somehow connected with Joseph Haydn, the famous composor, because of the similarity of the surnames and the fact that they both composed
similar music. And because Henry didn't come from Wales, being in the relatively isolated community of St. Asaph he was probably considered a 'foreigner' and what with his Norfolk accent, maybe that's how the mix-up occured. Also, I have a copy of
some pages from 'The History of the Diocese of St.Asaph' which was originally published in 1874 (16 years before the 'Dictionary of Welsh Biography') and although it mentions Henry Hayden, it says nothing of any German roots. Moreover, it goes on to
say that Henry was a choir boy and pupil of Beckwith, organist of Norwich Cathedral. Although I haven't found any references at the Norfolk Record Office to Henry being in the choir, I did find his brothers listed in the choir, and as Henry Hayden was
baptised in 1773 at Norwich, this all ties in. Finally, Henry's brother left him his sheet music and printed books in his will, and Henry's nephews were choristers and his great nephew was also a church organist. This all points to a musical
connection and that the 'Welsh' Henry Hayden was the one from Norwich. After all, I very much doubt that a German child would have been in the Norwich Cathedral choir and then, aged 20, moving to Wales.
The "History of the Diocese of St.Asaph" by D.R. Thomas has following entry - HAYDEN, Henry , Choir boy and pupil of Beckwith, Organist of Norwich cathedral; appointed Organist and Singing Man at the age of 20 ; for 40 years Organist of St.Asaph
Cathedral, buried at Llanbeblig, 1848."
Website http://cathedralmusiclinks.org.uk/1153.html lists Henry as the St. Asaph Cathedral oranist in 1794. So we know that in 1793 twenty year old Henry arrived at St.Asaph , Wales from Norwich to take up the position as organist at the St.Asaph Cathedral and in 1802 married a Welsh girl sarah Roberts. From 1803 through to 1820 the marriage produced eight
children ( 3 boys and 5 girls) at St.Asaph.
In May 2006 Alan Homes again wrote "The 1841 census has finally been released on the Ancestry.com website. I've been studying it and have finally found Henry Hayden (1773-1848) along with (presumably) his children Thomas and Frances living at Coventry,
Warwickshire (HO107/1153/2 Folio 28). His occupation was listed as Professor Music. This now ties-in nicely with the statement made on the codicil of his older brother William's will dated 1838 which stated that: "I give my brother Henry Hayden of
County Warwickshire ...."
It would seem at some later stage he moved back closer to his children at Carnarvon as Keith Morris advised " Carnarvon & Denbigh Herald 29 July 1848 Page 5 Column 6 DEATHS On the 27th inst., at Glan Helen Cottage, near this town, in his 75th year, Mr.
Henry Hayden, Sen. He was for thirty years organist of St. Asaph Cathedral, and for the last three years that of St. Ann's, Llandegai." Keith further notes - "Glan Helen is a large house on the outskirts of Caernarvon which explains the "near this
town" part of the obituary. I presume that there was at the time a smaller cottage in the grounds where Henry Hayden lived. It is shown on a town map of 1848, but I only have a photocopy which does not show the entire property."
From the Monumental inscription at Llanbeblig cemetery Grave K068 - Also/HENRY HAYDEN/Who was 30 years/Organist of St. Asaph Cathedral and late of St. Ann's, Llandegai/Died July 26th 1848/Aged 74.
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