William Smith Rockstro (1823-1895) was born in North Cheam, Surrey, England. His birth name was William Smyth Rackstraw; he later adopted a variant of his family name. He studied with William Sterndale Bennett and under Felix Mendelssohn at the Leipzig Conservatory. Returning to England, he became an accompanist and a teacher of piano and singing in London. He was an enthusiast for early music, conducting 16th and 17th century music at the Royal Albert Hall. He was a scholarly editor of early music, including Bach, and collaborated with a former pupil on a collection, English Carols of the 15th Century (1891). He taught privately and taught at the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music. He is best remembered for his books, including music textbooks, music history and biographies of famous musicians. He contributed 240 articles to the original Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. His compositions include operatic fantasias, oratorio, short piano pieces, and songs.