Born in Prombton (Middlesex), England; he is according to Hawkins (1776) together with his father Thomas Stanesby sen.. a man of “ingenuity and exquisite workmen”. Their reputation as woodwind-makers was enormous.
This tenor recorder is special also regarding his design: It is made in four parts like a transve rse flute of the time. The wide bore produces a resonant sound.
Stanesby sen. suggested in his Plea for the Tenor recorder in 1705 to use the tenor for transcrib ing music instead of the common flute in order to play the music in its original pitch!!

Lit.: Guido Klemisch, „Zur Bauweise der Blockflöte um 1700 und Möglichkeiten des Nachbaus,“ in SAIM, Beiheft 12, Michaelstein/Blankenburg, 1992, S. 47
Guido Klemisch, „Blockflöte“, S. 266 ff in „Händels Inst rumentalmusik, Das Handbuch“ , hrsg. von Siegbert Rampe, 2009, Laaber, ISBN 978-3-8900 7-8 (Band 5)
William Waterhouse, „The New Langwill Index“ London, 1993, ISBN 0-946113-04-1
Pillip T. Young , 4900 Historical Woodwind Instruments, London 1993