Christopher Gregory “Kit” Haggerty was a clog dancer from Newbiggin-by-the Sea, Northumberland.
Members of the IRT first met Kit, as he was always called, in the Bankhouse Social Club, Newbiggin on the 12th October 1980. The team frequently went local working mens’ clubs searching for information on old dancers. On this occasion we had chosen a Sunday lunchtime. The methodology involved the team performing a couple of dances, perhaps in the bar or the music room (often in between bingo sessions). We would then ask if anyone knew anything about clog dancing and members would fan out across the room chatting to the clientele. This partciular day was very successful as we were able to meet Kit Haggerty who told us that not only had he learned to clog dance but could remember all the steps.
Kit was born 26 April 1908 in Glasgow. His father, John Haggerty, also born in Glasgow, appears to have spent his working life as a miner. He married Margaret, who was from Chamlington, Northumberland in 1887. They had clearly moved around, probably following John Haggerty’s work as their children (Kit was the seventh and more followed later) were born not only in Ashington and Glasgow but also in Whitehaven. The family appears to have returned to Glasgow in about 1902. Kit told us that he had moved with his family to Newbiggin when he was 6 months old, thus in late 1908.
By the time of the 1911 census the family were living at 3 Argyle Terrace, Newbiggin. Kit’s father John was a “stoneman” – someone who, rather than producing coal, was responsible for tunnelling through other strata to reach coal seams. The house in Newbiggin seems to have been relatively new, probably built in about 1900, and was substantial. Assuming that it was rented the income required to live in such a property must have been considerable. However Kit’s elder brother, also John, also worked as a stoneman and his sisters Christina and Kate worked in a local fruit shop so the family had four sources of income to rely on.
The photograph shows the house as it is today. The exterior, except perhaps for the pebble-dashing, appears much as it must have done when the Haggerty family lived there in the early 1900s.
We do not know why Kit learned to dance, (indeed he told us that he was the only one in the family to learn), however he began taking lessons sometime between 1918 and 1922 from Dickie Farrell, a very well-known local clog dancer who his father knew. The lessons would take place in Dickie’s house in Hirst, Ashington. He stopped dancing in about 1935 to concentrate on music (he also played mandolin, banjo and guitar). Lessons would take place in the scullery at Dickie’s house. Eventually he became good enough to perform with Dickie and his daughter Lily Farrell.
Kit never learned to dance from music and the first time he did so was at his first performance. Kit remembered spending a lot of lessons just learning to shuffle properly. After that Farrell taught him parts of steps which were then put together to form complete 8 batr units. The steps were learnt in a specific order and had no names, just numbers. Each step was done standing straight, on the spot “on a thre’penny bit”
He recalled his first performance aged about 11 or 12 (ie about 1920) at the Hippodrome between Newbiggin and Stakeford, Northumberland. He wore a white shirt, red bow tie, black breeches and white socks. He stood between Dickie and Lily. They all started together, then did a step each in turn. They would do perhaps 10 steps in all, seven of which were always the same and two or three which Dickie would change each timeg
Kit gave up dancing when he was about 16 (ie 1924) and tooko up the banjo.
Members of the IRT, Julie Jarman and Cath Hayes visited Kit at his home on 18th October 1980 and 8th April 1981. They were able to recover the complete 10 step routine which he remembered, including a single break which he used for every step.
Kit was one of the few dancers we met who had learned directly from Dickie Farrell and his steps are thus of particular historical interest.
He died on the 4th August 1981 and is buried in Newbiggin.
His steps were published in the Instep magazine in 1981.
Record of IRT's First Meeting with Kit Haggerty
Manuscript notes of the IRT's visit to the Bank House Social Club on 12 October 1980.
Record of IRT's 1st Meeting with Kit Haggerty
Manuscript notes of the IRT's visit to the Bank House Social Club on 18 October 1980.
Record of IRT's 2nd Meeting with Kit Haggerty
Manuscript notes of the IRT's interview with Kit Haggerty on 8 April 1981.
Published Notation of Kit Haggerty's Steps
Kit's 10 steps were published in Instep magazine in October 1981.