Henry Purcell's early life is obscure. His birth date is unknown, though he was 24 in 1683 according to his portrait in Sonnata's of III Parts, and he was in his 37th year when he died on 21 November 1695. Thus he was born in 1659 or possibly late 1658. When the court musician John Hingeston made his will in 1683, he named Henry Purcell, son of Elizabeth, as his godson. This must be the Elizabeth named as relict in the probate of Henry Purcell, Gentleman of the Chapel Royal and Master of the Boys at Westminster Abbey, who died on 11 August 1664. Henry senior and Elizabeth had six children, of whom Henry junior was third, probably born in the house the couple shared in Great Almonry near the Abbey; Daniel, the youngest, may have been born after his father's death. Henry senior had sung in The Siege of Rhodes, the first English opera, in 1656, and received a place in the court Lutes and Voices in 1662.

After Henry's death Elizabeth moved, presumably with her children, from Great Almonry to a dwelling leased from Westminster Abbey in nearby Tothill Street. She must have benefitted from the support of her brother-in-law Thomas, a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal like his brother, as well as composer to the Twenty-Four Violins. No string music survives by him, and it was probably a sinecure: court posts were often allocated just because they fell vacant at a convenient moment. No document mentions Henry junior before 1673, the year his voice broke and he left the Chapel; boys were normally about eight when they joined.