John Lugge

John Lugge (c.1580 – 1647-55) was a British organist and composer, who spent most of his musical career at Exeter Cathedral.

Early life and family

John Lugge was the son of Joan Downe and Thomas Lugge, a shoemaker. He was baptized on 24 October 1580 at Barnstaple. His brother Peter was brought up in Lisbon, Portugal. He married Rebecca, with whom he had six children. One of their sons, Robert, studied music at St John's College, Oxford, and himself became a composer. Rebecca died in August 1644, but the year of John Lugge's death is unknown. The last documentary evidence relating to him is from 1647, where he transferred the lease of his house to one of his daughters.

Music career

As organist

There are no known records concerning Lugge's early musical education, although it is possible that he was a chorister at Exeter Cathedral. Lugge became the organist at Exeter Cathedral in 1603. In 1605, he became lay vicar choral. He continued in both of these positions until 1647. From June 1608, his salary was divided with Edward Gibbons, who presumably shared some of his duties.

As composer

Lugge composed three organ voluntaries, which musicologist John Steele has described as "the best examples of this peculiarly English genre written before the Civil War". Some of the compositions attributed to his son Robert may actually have been composed by him.

Religion

In 1617, Lugge was examined by a bishop, accused of having Roman Catholic sympathies, an accusation prompted by a letter sent by his brother Peter. He was not convicted of any crime, with the bishop asserting: "Though I fear, and by conference do suspect that he hath eaten a little bit, or mumbled a piece of this forbidden fruit, yet I verily believe he hath spit it all out again". His house was searched in 1624, but nothing was found to support the claim.

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