Willem Ten Have was born 12 August, 1831 in Amsterdam, Holland to Francois TenHave and Anna Cornelia Veelwaard, the youngest of 6 children.He was a student of Charles De Bériot, becoming a famous violinist in Europe. (Ten Have later bought two violins from De Bériot, one being the famous Guarnari del Jesu De Bériot 1744, now owned by Ruggiero Ricci.)
Ten Have moved to France, teaching at the University in Lyon, where he marriedJeanne Roger in 1868. They had one son and one daughter, both of whom became musicians. Sometime later, Willem gave up his teaching position, moving to
Paris.