# Charles Wesley junior

Charles Wesley junior (11 December 1757 in Bristol – 23 May 1834 in London) was an English organist and composer. He was the son of Sarah and Charles Wesley (the great hymn-writer and one of the founders of Methodism), and the brother of Samuel Wesley, also an organist and composer. He is usually referred to as "Charles Wesley junior" to avoid confusion with his more famous father. He married Eliza Skelton and had at least two children.
Although Charles Wesley junior is much less well known than his brother Samuel Wesley, he was like Samuel regarded as a musical prodigy in childhood, and he was playing the organ before the age of three. He became a professional musician in adulthood, and Matthews (1971) quotes the European Magazine of 1784 as reporting that "his performance on the organ has given supreme delight". However he did not enjoy public performance, and worked mainly as a private organist, at one time to the Prince Regent; he was connected with the royal family through much of his life, having first played at the Queen's House at the age of 18. A handful of his compositions are still played, and a keyboard sonata in F minor was recently discovered and received its first performance on 1 February 2007 at the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University, as part of Methodist celebration of a year that is both the 300th anniversary of Charles Wesley's birth and the 250th anniversary of Charles Wesley junior's.
vteWesley family tree :
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Bartholomew Westley b.1596 | Bartholomew Westley b.1596 | Bartholomew Westley b.1596 | Bartholomew Westley b.1596 | Bartholomew Westley b.1596 | Bartholomew Westley b.1596 | | | Anne Colley | Anne Colley | Anne Colley | Anne Colley | Anne Colley | Anne Colley | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ? a (daughter of John White) | ? a (daughter of John White) | ? a (daughter of John White) | ? a (daughter of John White) | ? a (daughter of John White) | ? a (daughter of John White) | | | John Westley b.1638 | John Westley b.1638 | John Westley b.1638 | John Westley b.1638 | John Westley b.1638 | John Westley b.1638 | | | Samuel Annesley b.1620 | Samuel Annesley b.1620 | Samuel Annesley b.1620 | Samuel Annesley b.1620 | Samuel Annesley b.1620 | Samuel Annesley b.1620 | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Timothy Wesley (born 1659) | Timothy Wesley (born 1659) | Timothy Wesley (born 1659) | Timothy Wesley (born 1659) | Timothy Wesley (born 1659) | Timothy Wesley (born 1659) | Matthew Wesley | Matthew Wesley | Matthew Wesley | Matthew Wesley | Matthew Wesley | Matthew Wesley | | | Samuel Wesley (b.1662) | Samuel Wesley (b.1662) | Samuel Wesley (b.1662) | Samuel Wesley (b.1662) | Samuel Wesley (b.1662) | Samuel Wesley (b.1662) | | | Susanna Wesley (b.1669) | Susanna Wesley (b.1669) | Susanna Wesley (b.1669) | Susanna Wesley (b.1669) | Susanna Wesley (b.1669) | Susanna Wesley (b.1669) |
| Samuel (Sammy) Wesley (b.1690) | Samuel (Sammy) Wesley (b.1690) | Samuel (Sammy) Wesley (b.1690) | Samuel (Sammy) Wesley (b.1690) | Samuel (Sammy) Wesley (b.1690) | Samuel (Sammy) Wesley (b.1690) | | | Emilia (Emily) Wesley (b.1692) | Emilia (Emily) Wesley (b.1692) | Emilia (Emily) Wesley (b.1692) | Emilia (Emily) Wesley (b.1692) | Emilia (Emily) Wesley (b.1692) | Emilia (Emily) Wesley (b.1692) | | | Mary (Molly) Wesley (b.1696) | Mary (Molly) Wesley (b.1696) | Mary (Molly) Wesley (b.1696) | Mary (Molly) Wesley (b.1696) | Mary (Molly) Wesley (b.1696) | Mary (Molly) Wesley (b.1696) | | | Anne Wesley (b.1702) | Anne Wesley (b.1702) | Anne Wesley (b.1702) | Anne Wesley (b.1702) | Anne Wesley (b.1702) | Anne Wesley (b.1702) | | | Martha Wesley (b.1706) | Martha Wesley (b.1706) | Martha Wesley (b.1706) | Martha Wesley (b.1706) | Martha Wesley (b.1706) | Martha Wesley (b.1706) | | | Kezia Wesley (b.1709) | Kezia Wesley (b.1709) | Kezia Wesley (b.1709) | Kezia Wesley (b.1709) | Kezia Wesley (b.1709) | Kezia Wesley (b.1709) |
| | | | | Nine children (deceased) | Nine children (deceased) | Nine children (deceased) | Nine children (deceased) | Nine children (deceased) | Nine children (deceased) | | | Susanna Wesley (b.1695) | Susanna Wesley (b.1695) | Susanna Wesley (b.1695) | Susanna Wesley (b.1695) | Susanna Wesley (b.1695) | Susanna Wesley (b.1695) | | | Mehetabel Wesley (b.1697) | Mehetabel Wesley (b.1697) | Mehetabel Wesley (b.1697) | Mehetabel Wesley (b.1697) | Mehetabel Wesley (b.1697) | Mehetabel Wesley (b.1697) | | | John Wesley (b.1703) | John Wesley (b.1703) | John Wesley (b.1703) | John Wesley (b.1703) | John Wesley (b.1703) | John Wesley (b.1703) | | | Mary Vazeille | Mary Vazeille | Mary Vazeille | Mary Vazeille | Mary Vazeille | Mary Vazeille | | | Charles Wesley (b.1797) | Charles Wesley (b.1797) | Charles Wesley (b.1797) | Charles Wesley (b.1797) | Charles Wesley (b.1797) | Charles Wesley (b.1797) | Sarah Gwynne | Sarah Gwynne | Sarah Gwynne | Sarah Gwynne | Sarah Gwynne | Sarah Gwynne |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Seven other children (deceased) | Seven other children (deceased) | Seven other children (deceased) | Seven other children (deceased) | Seven other children (deceased) | Seven other children (deceased) | | | Charles Wesley (b.1757) | Charles Wesley (b.1757) | Charles Wesley (b.1757) | Charles Wesley (b.1757) | Charles Wesley (b.1757) | Charles Wesley (b.1757) | | | Sarah (Sally) Wesley (b.1759) | Sarah (Sally) Wesley (b.1759) | Sarah (Sally) Wesley (b.1759) | Sarah (Sally) Wesley (b.1759) | Sarah (Sally) Wesley (b.1759) | Sarah (Sally) Wesley (b.1759) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Charlotte Louise Martin | Charlotte Louise Martin | Charlotte Louise Martin | Charlotte Louise Martin | Charlotte Louise Martin | Charlotte Louise Martin | | | Samuel Wesley (b.1766) | Samuel Wesley (b.1766) | Samuel Wesley (b.1766) | Samuel Wesley (b.1766) | Samuel Wesley (b.1766) | Samuel Wesley (b.1766) | | | Sarah Suter | Sarah Suter | Sarah Suter | Sarah Suter | Sarah Suter | Sarah Suter | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Three children | Three children | Three children | Three children | Three children | Three children | | | Samuel Sebastian Wesley (b.1810) | Samuel Sebastian Wesley (b.1810) | Samuel Sebastian Wesley (b.1810) | Samuel Sebastian Wesley (b.1810) | Samuel Sebastian Wesley (b.1810) | Samuel Sebastian Wesley (b.1810) |