The Morris Ring Archive
The Bledington Page

Last updated 19 November 1999

It is convenient for many Archive users to be able to consult material which is grouped together in easily accessible form by tradition or geographical location. The Ring Archive has collated such information and the items relating to Bledington, Gloucestershire are detailed below.

Itens marked with a [] are "Restricted to Archive" and are only available for consultation within the Archive, all others can be suplied in photocopy form.

A. Published Sources.

• Sharp C.J., and Macilwaine, H.C., The Morris Book Part 3, 1st Edn, London: Novello & Co, (1910), 20-36 44-49, 61-62.
  Contains Sharp's first interpretations of the Bledington dances.
  
  
• Sharp, C.J., and Butterworth, G.S.K., The Morris Book, Part 5, London: Novello & Co, (1913), 15-18, 22, 25, 27-28,30-31, 33-35, 46-76.
  Contains Sharp's revised interpretations of the Bledington dances.
  
  
• Heffer, A.B., "The Tour of the Travelling Morrice", EFDS News, 9, (1925), 247-253, 259-260.
  Contains information gleaned from members of the Bledington side by the Travelling Morrice during their tour of the Cotswolds.
  
  
• Peck, A.L., "Two Cotswold Morris Men", JEFDSS, 1,1, (1932), 71.
  Further information obtained by the Travelling Morrice in Bledington during 1930. Contains the music for Hey Away.  Reprinted in part in Morris Dancer 3,2, (1995), 57-58.
  
  
• Schofield, R.K.,"Morris Dances from Bledington", JEFDSS, 1, 3, (1934), 147-151.
  Interpretations of Young Collins, Over the Water to Charlie, Highland Mary and Balance the Straw, based upon information obtained by the Travelling Morrice in 1923.
  
  
• Bacon, L., A Handbook of Morris Dances, London: The Morris Ring, (1974), 75-95.
  The relevant pages from the "Black Book". Contains interpretations of Bledington dances, including jigs, together with music.
  
  
• Wortley, R., "Bledington Morris: Stages in the Recovery of a Tradition", ED&S, 38, 3, (1976), 94, and 39, 1, (1977), 18.
  
  
• Heaney, M., Glorishears, Morris Dancer, 1,8, (1980), 12-14.
  Discussion of the dance and tune, including reference to the Bledington version.
  
• Heath-Coleman, P., [Letter on Hey Diddle Dis and Cuckoo's Nest], ED&S, 44,3, (1982), 23.
  Deals with the Bledington versions and their relationship to dances of the same name from other villages.
  
  
• Chandler, K., The Idbury and Bledington Morris: Continuity and Interaction, Eynsham: Chandler Publications, (1984).
  
  
• Chandler, K., An Analytical Checklist of Morris Dance Musicians, Eynsham: Chandler Publications, (1985), 11, 15, 16, 19, 25.
  Mention of Benfield, Wright and Steed, the Bledington musicians, as part of Chandler's analysis of musicians.
  
  
• Cleaver, B., Morris Jigs from Bledington, Headington, Longborough and Bucknell, :The Morris Ring, (1986), 4-20.
  Interpretations of the Bledington Jigs.
  
  
• Chandler, K, Morris Dancing in the English South Midlands, 1660-1900. A Chronological Gazetteer, London: Hisarlik Press, (1993), 68-72 .
  
  
• Seaborne, S., Charles Benfield and Morris Dancing in the Bledington Region, Morris Dancer, 3, 2, (1995), 53-57.
  
  
• Thompson, D., Bledington Tradition:  Old or Young Side, Morris Dancer, 3,4, (1997), 120-127.
  Analysis of the evidence for Bledington choreography.
  
  
• James, I., Bledington Traditional Morris.  Galley or Hook Leg, Morris Dancer, 3, 5, (1998), 138-139.
  Transcript of undated MS from the VWML.
  
  
• Chandler, K., Bledington Morris: A Rejoinder to David Thompson, Morris Dancer, 3, 5, (1998), 139-142.
  Just what it says!
  
  
• Thompson, D., A Defence, Morris Ring Circular, Spring 1998, 6-7.
  Also Just what it says!
  
  
• Ross, R., How Old Was Young Bledington?, Morris Dancer, 3,6, (1999), 161-166.
  
  
• Thompson, D., I Rest My Case, Morris Dancer, 3, 6, (1999), 166-167.
  Author's views on Ross' article above.
  
  
• Dommett, R.L., Re Iconoclastic Correspondence from David Thompson and Keith Chandler, Morris Dancer, 3, 6, (1999), 169-172.
  

B. Unpublished Material.

• Manning MSS, Top. Oxon. d.200,
  f79 Letter from T.J. Carter detailing information from a Mr Groves.
  
  
• Sharp, C.J., MSS "Folk Dances", 1,
  f40  Interview with William Hathaway, Cheltenham, 1908.
  f89  Interviews with John Hitchman, Jonathan Harris, Edward Gibbs & Thomas Wright, Bledington, and Charles Benfield, Bould, 1909.
  f96  Interview with unnamed informant, Bledington, 1909.
  ff138-141 Inetrview with Henry taylor, Longborough, 1910.
  Available in original handwritten form and as a modern typescript copy.
  
  Sharp, C.J., MSS "Folk Dances", 4,
  f127 Interviews with Richard Edward Bond, Idbury, 1923.
  
  
  Sharp, C.J., MSS "Folk Tunes"
  Nos 2336, 2337, 2338, 2357, 2396  Interview with Charles Benfield, Bould, 2/9/1909.
  Nos 2397, 2398  Interview with Charles Benfield, Bould, 11/9/1909.
  Nos 2399, 2400  Interview with Charles Benfield, Bould, 13/9/1909.
  Nos 2427, 2428, 2430,  Interview with Charles Benfield, Bould, 31/12/1909.
  No 2429  Interview with Jonathan Hitchman, Bould, 31/12/1909.
  Nos 4963-4969 Interview with Richard Edward Bond, Idbury, 10/9/23
  
  Available in original handwritten form and as a modern typescript copy.
  
  
• Clive Carey's Notes on Bledington.
  Modern (1956) typescript of Carey's MS notes of his visit to Bledington in 1913.
  
  
• R.K. Schofield MSS, 2, 1,
  RKS music book containing notations for tunes of the Beldington dances, most are undated and unattributed save for:
  
  7/8/37 Interview with George Hathaway:
  f15 Princess Royal, with notation, f21 Shepherd's Hey, with notation.
  14/8/37 Interview with George Hathaway:
  f6 Young Collins, with notation.
  
  R.K. Schofield MSS, 2, 2,
  this can best be summarised as follows:
  
  19/6/24  Interview with Charles Benfield
  f5 Tune for Saturday Night, f18 Note on Trunkles.
  19/6/24  Interview with John Hitchman
  f4  Notes on Glorishear, f18 Note on Trunkles.
  20/6/24  Interview with Richard Edward Bond.
  f11 Tune for Young Collins, f12 Tune for Young Collins, f13 Dance notation for Young Collins.
  20/6/24  Interview with Charles Benfield
  f6  Tune for Saturday Night, f11 Tune for Young Collins, f12 Tune for Young Collins, f13 Dance notation for Young Collins, f15 Tune for Bonnets of Blue, f17 Notation, Cuckoo's Nest, f45 Note on tune for and notation for Maid of the Mill.
  24/6/24 Interview with John Hitchman
  f7-8 Dance notation for Saturday Night, f13  Dance notation for Young Collins, f18 Note on Trunkles
  24/6/24  Interview with Charles Benfield
  f5-6  Tune for Saturday Night, f7-8  Dance notation for Saturday Night, f15-16 Tune for Bonnets of Blue, f18 Note on Trunkles, f37  Dance notation for Constant Billy
  24/6/24 Interview with Charles Taylor.
  f13  Dance notation for Young Collins, f37  Dance notation for Constant Billy, f74 Note on Princess Royal
  9/24 Interview with Charles Benfield
  f16 Tune for Cuckoo's Nest, f17 Notation, Cuckoo's Nest, f64 Tune for Highland Mary
  8/25 Interview with Charles Benfield
  f4 Brief note on Glorishear, f16 Tune for Cuckoo's Nest, f17 Notation, Cuckoo's Nest, f18 Tune for Trunkles, f44-5 Tune for Idbury Hill and note on the dance, f64-5  Tune and notation for Balance the Straw, f72-3 Tune for Princess Royal
  8/25 Interview with John Hitchman
  f4 Brief note on Glorishear, f17 Brief note on Cuckoo's Nest
  9/10/25 Interview with Charles Benfield, conducted in part by Dougles N. Kennedy.
  f19 Note of Bledington half gip, f36 Tune for Constant Billy, f42 -3 Tune and song for Over the Water, with note on the dance.
  11/10/25 Interview with Charles Benfield
  f44-5 Tunes for Morning Star, Old Woman and Maid of the Mill, with a note on the dances, f73 Note on tune for Princess Royal
  
  
• A.L. Peck, MSS.  
  Letter from Ernest Makepeace, 23/8/37, and attached notes.
  Brief mention of information collected by the Travelling Morrice, Stow, 1935, with later (25/9/37) emendation by Needham citing a meeting with George Hathaway, Stow.
  Note by Joseph Needham, 29/6/37.
  Just a contact address.
  
  
• Extracts from Roy Dommett's Papers.
  Dommett's interpretations of Bledington, based upon manuscript sources. Includes music.
  
  
• Russell Wortley MSS.
  A/V/1a-b, 4a-b, 7a-c, 8, 9a-b  Correspondence with Marjorie Fennessey, 1976.
  A/V/3a-b  Letter from Mrs Rolfe 25/10/76 - Hathaway family details.
  A/V/6a-b  Letter from Hilda E Clarke , 16/11/76 - Hathaway family.
  A/V/17-21  Letters from George Hathaway, 1936-1940.
  A/V/25a-e  A.L. Peck, Notes on Bledington dances.  Typescript dated 6/4/41, with handwritten emendations by Peck.
  A/V/28 Note on informants - Bledington, [1954].
  A/V/29a-b  Letter from Lionel Bacon, 25/11/45, citing interview with William Roberts in 1944.
  A/V/30a-b  Letter from Ernest Makepeace, 16/6/37, citing information collected at Stow, 1935.
  G/V/41  Notes on Cotswold Morris Colelcted by Russell Wortley and Arthur Peck 1936-1938.  Includes interviews with George Hathaway and Lewis Hall.
  Field Notebook, 1938-52, Cover, Interview with George Hathaway, 17/8/47.
  Field Notebook, 1938-52, f1, Interview with Jack Harris, Icomb, 20/8/47.
  Field Notebook, 1938-52, f16, Interviews (with A.L.Peck) with Mrs Haycock, and Mrs Franklin, 8/4/38.
  Field Notebook, 1938-52, f18-19, Interview (with A.L.Peck) with William Kerry, Headington, 8/4/38.
  Field Notebook, 1960-62, f89, Interview with Mrs George Hathaway, Stow, 10/6/62.
  Field Notebook, 1974-75 f19, Interview with Morris Sunderland, citing interview with relative of John Hitchman.
  
  
  Further information concerning material collected in Bledington can be found in the Sharp MSS, within his Field Notebooks, and in the Ferris MSS.  The relevant papers are not presently available in the Archive.
  
  A complete set of the above references can be supplied in a spiral binding. Price on application.

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