| Biography | Born in Burnley, Lancashire, Thomas Healey (c1840-1930) won the Prince Consort's Prize in connection with the Society of Arts in 1865 for having gained more first-class certificates in science and art subjects than any other student in the country. Healey went on to work as an Official Examiner in the Science Department for the Board of Education based in South Kensington, London under Sir Henry Cole. Healey held this position until failing eyesight necessitated his retirement at the age of 60 years. The Royal Albert Hall Archive holds an oil painting of Thomas Healey which is believed to have been painted to mark the time of his retirement and shows a bearded Healey seated wearing gold rimmed spectacles, three piece suit and a gold fob watch.
In addition to his educational work, Healey was a talented musician and had been a member of Burnley Choral Society. His father, also Thomas Healey (1783-1858), was a schoolmaster and musician, known as the "father of Burnley musicians", and is honoured in Burnley cemetery with a unique memorial.
On Saturday 3 December 1870 Thomas Healey played his violin in the presence of HM Queen Victoria at a concert to test the acoustics of the Royal Albert Hall before it was officially opened by her on 29 March 1871. |