Here is a review of the talk about Morris from the Archives, given by Jameson Wooders on 30th January.  It was attended by around 200 online guests from the UK, Netherlands and the USA.

“Jameson Wooders gave the latest in a series of ‘FED’ talks via Zoom to a large audience.  The title was “Morris from the Archives” with a humorous sub-title making reference to his approaching old age, the state of his body in general, and knees in particular.  For the rest of the talk apart from the title, he acknowledged the work of his predecessors in particular Keith Chandler, John Forrest and Mike Heaney and the research done for their publications.

“The archives referred to are those of various organisations, such as the monetary accounts of noble’s estates; special groups, i.e. guilds; church records; private houses with large rural estates; personal and domestic records and paintings, tapestries and artefacts.  What the accounts show is payment for dancers and morris equipment such as bells and clothing as well as mummers, disguising and boy’s teams.  There was payment recorded for a female musician.

“He recounted his inspiration which was a search for records of any type in his local area of Berkshire seeking reference to morris; Jameson also went back and looked at the original sources used by others.  The earliest reference (found by Mike Heaney), goes back to 19^th May 1448, slightly earlier than John Forrest wrote about in his “History of Morris 1458-1750”.  The occasions mentioned are various church ales and events; performances at great houses and guilds; holiday pageantry, Midsummer Watch events and calendar events such as Christmas.

“Shortage of time curtailed the story leaving out more modern times and into the variety of dance styles, but there was one thing Jameson was keen to emphasise.  Morris dancers may do it all day and all night because it is their fertility rite – but it isn’t.  The oft repeated references to morris dancing and pagan rituals have been known to be wrong for some years.  So teams, why not take the opportunity whenever it arises to tell the truth; morris dancing was and is an entertainment which has gone through various levels of society from nobleman to pub landlord.

“One final thought.  It needs emphasising that one of the skills required for this sort of research on original sources is the ability to read and decipher old writing and language and Jameson deserves massive congratulations for acquiring these skills and sharing them with us all.

by Dave Eyre, Sheffield City Morris Men & Sheffield City Giants

Clip from a painting by Vinckenboom shows Morris Dancers beside the Thames at Richmond from a picture now in the Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge, and dates from around 1620.

Here is a review of the talk about the history of the Goathland Plough Stots Long Sword Tradition, given by Keith Thompson, Steve Pierson, Jim Eldon and Sally Smith on 10th January.  It was attended by over 70 online guests from the UK, Netherlands, USA and Canada.

“Keith Thompson is the Honorary President of Goathland Plough Stots, one of Britain’s oldest sword teams and his talk was the story of their tradition. It linked a long history of the team dating back to 1812 to social movements in and around the village with a selection of live music, slides and videos.

“By 1885 the railway had opened the village which was becoming a tourist destination & second homes being built for a far wealthier set of people who came to live in the village, work was plentiful and this with the excesses of a Plough Tour and the growing unruliness associated with the event meant the participants decided to stop.

“The revival after the Great War came about under the influence of a schoolteacher – F.W. Dowson – who revived the team between about 1921 and 1923,  Keith mentioned the astonishingly long distances and times travelled on tours which inevitably finished in Whitby where the money collected on the last Saturday went to pay for vouchers for health care, all before the NHS of course. Such actions endeared them to the village.

“Teams such as these ebb and flow over the years but since that revival by Dowson the Goathland Plough Stots have always managed to take the previous tradition from their forebears and pass it on to their successors whether changed or unchanged. Sometimes a TV company might locate in the village; another time it may be a change in a headteacher or a curriculum that effects the development of the team.

“In Goathland such changes have been taken in their stride and at the moment the team is on a clear upward trajectory. Thanks to people from both the village and the energy of others associated with the team, it now has its own Hut as a centrepiece of the village life; home for artefacts; the village library; and even a camping facilities. Long may their enterprises and dancing thrive!

by Dave Eyre, Sheffield City Morris Men & Sheffield City Giants

For more information on the facilities available at the Goathland Hut see: Goathland Community Hub & Sports Pavilion.

A book is also available: “Goathland in Folk Lore: Fact and Fantasy, memories of a moorland village” – containing a section on the Plough Stots and the song “Scarborough Fair” which was collected by Frank Kidson in 1895 from Alan Wardell who lived in the village.  Available in soft back £20, or hard back £28, both plus £5 p&p – please email Keith Thompson: keiththompson5la (at) btinternet.com.  See cover on Waterstones

There are two more books in the pipeline – one about the Goathland Plough Stots team and another on The Sword Dances of the North Riding.