Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

of Joseph Northrop. Captain Israel
Camp, their son, was born February 16,
1723, in Durham, served as ensign and
afterward as captain in the American
militia, and died May 6, 1778. He married
(second) December 24, 1766, Mary
Guernsey, born October 12, 1734, in Milford,
daughter of Captain Ebenezer and
Rhoda Guernsey. They were the parents
of Israel Camp, born January 29, 1768, in
Durham, died November 5, 1807. He
married, May 3, 1789, Rhoda Smithson,
born October 30, 1768, daughter of Rob-
ert and Phebe Smithson. His sixth child
was Parnel Camp, who became the wife
of John Spencer Camp, as previously
related.
The eldest child of this marriage was
John N. Camp, born May 17, 1824, died
May 21, 1893. He married (first) March
14, 1853, Mary Gleason, who died February
7, 1858. He married (second) Oc-
tober 12, 1859, Sarah Gould Williams.
Anna Sheldon Camp, eldest child of the
second marriage, born October 1, i860, is
the wife of Professor E. Hershey Sneath,
of Yale University, elsewhere mentioned
at length in this work.
John Spencer Camp, son of John N.
Camp, and youngest child of his first wife,
Mary (Gleason) Camp, was born January
30, 1858, in Middletown, Connecticut, and
prepared for college at Durham Academy.
Entering Wesleyan University, he
was graduated in the class of 1878, with
the degree of A. B., and two years later
received that of M. A. After leaving college
he entered the law office of Hon.
Samuel L. Warner, of Middletown, and
while pursuing his legal course studied
the Latin language. Being gifted with a
remarkable musical talent, he soon abandoned
the idea of becoming a lawyer, and
devoted his entire attention to the pro-
fession of music. At the age of fourteen
years he began its study under private
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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
93
instructors, and in time came under the
direction of world-famous musicians,
among whom were Harry Rowe Shelley,
Dudley Buck, Samuel P. Warren, and
Dvorak, who gave instruction for a time
at the National Conservatory of Music,
in New York. Mr. Camp studied the
piano with E. A. Parsons, of New Plaven.
His first professional employment as a
musician was in the capacity of organist
in the Davenport Church of New Haven,
being then twenty years of age. At the
end of a year he resigned, and did not
play in public for a like period. He next
engaged as organist with the Park Congregational
Church of Hartford, Con-
necticut, where he continued in that ca-
pacity until the spring of 1906. In that
year he went to the First Church of
Christ of Hartford in the same capacity,
and has so continued to the present time.
During all these years he has been
engaged in composition, was a director
of the Hartford Philharmonic Society for
ten years, taking this position at an early
period in its history. He greatly aided
in the development of this musical organ-
ization to its present high efficiency. In
the summer of 191 1, Mr. Camp was com-
pelled to abandon temporarily all his
musical activities because of a nervous
breakdown. Among his writings may be
mentioned the Forty-sixth Psalm for
chorus and orchestra ; The Song of the
Wind, ballet, for chorus and orchestra
The Prince of Peace, a Christmas Cantata,
solos, chorus and organ ; Morning
Star, Christmas Cantata, solos, chorus
and organ ; The Prince of Life, Easter
Cantata, solos, chorus and organ, to
which might be added a long list of mis-
cellaneous anthems and songs. He has
written a Spring Song for orchestra,
Chant D'Amour for orchestra alone; a
string quartet in G major. In addition
to his many activities as a musician, Mr.
;