PETERS, William Cnmming, musician, born in Woodbury, Devonshire, England, 10 March, 1805; died in Cincinnati, Ohio, 20 April, 1866. He studied music with his father in England and Texas in 1820-'3, but was mainly self-instructed. During 1825-'8 he taught music in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and in the following year he opened a music-store in Louisville, Kentucky, establishing branch houses in Cincinnati in 1839, and in Baltimore in 1849. From 1829 till his death he was constantly engaged as a leader of concerts and choirs, and in composing and writing. He composed many vocal and instrumental pieces, some of which became very popular, but his most important work was in connection with the Roman Catholic church, for which he wrote some excellent music, notably a mass in D. He compiled also numerous collections of music, including " The Catholic Harmonist" (1850) and "Catholic Harp" (1862), and systems of instruction for the voice and different instruments, among them the " Eclectic Piano Instructor" (1855).