Thomas Muirhead Flett and his wife Joan were prolific collectors of traditional dance. Beginning in the Western Isles in 1953, they systematically covered large parts of Scotland and subsequently also worked in the north of England. Tom’s habit was to make notes immediately following a visit to an informant, although on occasion he must have jotted down notes in their presence. These are listed as original notes below. He followed this by writing expanded fair copy notes a short time later. The following represents a straightforward listing of his collection. These are listed as written up notes below. We follow, where possible, the groupings of notes which Tom himself used.
Occasionally, for whatever reason, he didn’t write up visits to some dancers, or if he did these notes do not survive.
The accession of the Flett MSS onto the website is a major project. Material will be added in sections, beginning with information collected in England. The handlists will follow below but will thus be very skeletal for some time. In order to facilitate research in the meantime, we have uploaded a handlist of the written up versions of the Scottish material. PDFs of the notes are available via the same page.
There is a recorded talk by Joan Flett from 1993 about their fieldwork.
If you use this material for your research please use the citation specifics for the citation style you are using. Please cite both the webpage/s and the PDF volume/s you are using. Please recognise the work by Tom and Joan Flett and Frank Rhodes as appropriate.
England:
Volume marked English Trad 1. These are fair copy notes written after the interviews had been completed. Pages 1-95.
1-11 Miss Lucy Short, White Platts, Ambleside, England, 3 January 1960
12-13 Boyle, Miss Clara, Eller How, Ambleside, England, 3 January 1960
14 Flett, Tom, Notes 4 January 1960 of meeting man who gave information on clog types.
15-18 Doran, Mr Robert, Moathill, Mayport, Cumberland, England, 4 January 1960
19-22 Whittle, Mr and Mrs John, Workington, Cumberland, England, 4 January 1960
23-28 Storey, Mrs W., Stavely, Westmorland, England, 6 January 1960
29-40 Cowper, Roland, Whitehaven, England, 6 January 1960
41 Batey, Mr T. J., Grasmere, Westmorland, England, 7 January 1960
42-43 Johnston, Mrs A., Hawkshead, England, 7 January 1960
44-45 Wilson, Miss Cissie, Hawkshead, England, 7 January 1960
46-61A Robinson, Norman, Grange-over-Sands, England, 5, 7 & 8 January 1960
62 Fisher, Mr & Mrs, Edenhall, Cumberland, England, 8 January 1960
63-64 Wannop, Mr & Mrs, Penrith, England, 8 January 1960
65-69 Keith, Mrs Gertrude, Grange-over-Sands, England, 8 January 1960
70-71 Flett, Tom, Notes, 8 January 1960
72-73 Holgate, Mr Tom, Downham, Lancashire, England, 26 March 1960
74 Holgate, Mrs T. J., Downham, Lancashire, England, 26 March 1960
75-88 Cowper, Misses Elsie & Beatrice, Acomb, York, England, 28 March 1960
89 Huddlestone, Mr & Mrs, Rosedale, Yorkshire, England, 29 March 1960
90-91 Thompson, Mrs H., Thornton-le-Dale, Yorkshire, England, 29 March 1960
92-94 Percy, Tom, Over-Wyresdale, Lancashire, England, 31 March 1960
95 Brown, Mrs David, Nether-Wyresdale, Lancashire, England, 31 March 1960
Volume marked English Trad 2. These are fair copy notes written after the interviews had been completed. Pages 96-199.
96 Dixon, Mr B. Dent Village, Dentdale, England, 1 April 1960
97-103 Akrigg, Mr and Mrs Jack, Hobson’s Farm, Dentdale, England, 1 April 1960
104-105 Raw, Mrs, Dent Village, England, 2 April 1960
106-107 Percy, Mr and Mrs Tom, Over Wyresdale, England, 2nd visit, 3 April 1960
108 Akrigg, Mr and Mrs Jack, Hobson’s Farm, Dentdale, England, 2nd visit, 4 April 1960
109-112 Bayne, Mr and Mrs William, Dentdale, England, 4 April 1960
113-122 Beresford, Mr Peter, Langstrothdale, England, 4-5 April 1960
123-127 Turnbull, George, Langstrothdale, England, 5 April 1960
128 Oversby, Miss Mary, Dentdale, England, 5 April 1960
129-133 Thwaite, Mr and Mrs, Wensleydale, Yorkshire, England, 6 April 1960
134-139 Beresford, Mr Peter & Turnbull, Mr George, Oughtershauw, England, 7 April 1960
140-143 Chapman, Mr Brian, Dent, Yorkshire, England, 7 April 1960
144-149 Middleton, Mr and Mrs Dick, Dentdale, Yorkshire, England, 8 April 1960
150 Pedder, Mr Jack, Wyresdale, Lancs., England, 9 April 1960
151-153 Winder, Mr Dick, Forton, Lancs., England, 9 April 1960
154-155 Birbeck, Mrs, Great Glen, nr Leicester, England, 2 June 1960
156 Percy, Mr and Mrs Tom, Over Wyresdale, England, 3rd visit, 1 July 1960
157-159 Brindle, Septimus, Bay House, N. Lancs., England, 1 July 1960
160-161 Cookson, Mr and Mrs, Dolphinholma, England, 1 July 1960
162 Lynch, Mr and Mrs, Caldervale, N. Lancs., 1 July 1960
163-164 Gibson, Mrs Elizabeth, Garstang, England 1 July 1960
165-166 Duerden, Mrs Madge, Garstang, England, 1 July 1960
165-166 Pye, Mrs Jessie, Garstang, England, 1 July 1960
165-166 Salisbury, Miss, Garstang, England, 1 July 1960
167-168 Hird. Mrs Florence, Tatham Fells, England, 20 July 1960
169 Batty, Mrs Arthur, Tatham Fells, England, 20 July 1960
170-172 Smith, Mr and Mrs Walter, Tatham Fells, England, 20 July 1960
173-175 Wood, Mr and Mrs Fred, Slaidburn, England, 20 July 1960
176-180 Robinson, Mrs Grace, Grange-over-Sands, N. Lancs, England, August 1961
181-187 Airey, Mrs George, Cartmel, N. Lancs., England, August 1961
188 Johnson, Mrs W, Ulpha, N. Lancs., England, August 1961
189-192 Ridding, Mrs S.E., Cartmel, N. Lancs., England, August 1961
193 Jackson, Mr Thomas, Cartmel, N. Lancs., England, August 1961
194-199 Flett, Tom, Correspondence with Mrs Boyle, 5 September 1961
- Letter to Mrs Boyle 5 September 1961
- Reply with information re Kendall Ghyll , no date
Volume marked English Trad 3. These are fair copy notes written after the interviews had been completed, together with correspondence and other background material. Pages 200-277.
200-203 Tully, Mr and Mrs William, Northumberland, England, 30 March 1962
204-207 Tully, Mr and Mrs William, Northumberland, England, 2nd visit, 31 March 1962
208-216 Flett, Tom, correspondence with Norman Robinson, 1962
- Letter to Norman Robinson, 5 September 1962
- Letter from Norman Robinson, 4 October 1962
- Letter from Norman Robinson, undated, 1962
- Barrow (Ulverston, Grange) News, 9 March 1962, article: R C Robinson Juvenile Ball 1863
- Letter to Norman Robinson, 3 April 1962
- Letter from Norman Robinson, undated, 1962
- Letter to the editor, Barrow News, 6 August 1962
217-224 Maddern, Miss L. A. Barrow-in-Furness, correspondence and Ball programme, August 1962
- Letter from Miss L A Maddern, 12 August 1962 and interview
- Mr Garnett‘s Ball programme, Whicham, 15 April 1825, with letter
- Letter to Miss Maddern 10 September 1962
- Letter from Miss L A Maddern 22 September 1962 with reply dated 7 October 1962 and articles by Clara Boyle
- Letter from Miss L A Maddern, 14 October 1962 and reply, undated, and newspaper clipping from Barrow News, 28 September 1962
225-226 Clark, Mrs F., Haverthwaite, North Lancashire, 25 August 1962 correspondence and interview
227-232 Satterthwaite, Mr and Mrs T., Nibthwaite, North Lancashire, 26 & 29/8/1962, correspondence and Professor Stainton B Robinson Ball programme 1893
- Letter from Mrs Satterthwaite, 15 August 1962 and note
- Grand Juvenile Fancy Dress Ball, Professor Stainton B Robinson, Sparkbridge, 26 December 1893
- Interview with Mrs Satterthwaite, 26 August 1962
- Letter to Mr and Mrs Satterthwaite, 10 September 1962
233-234 Robinson, Miss Roberta, Finsthwaite, North Lancashire, 27 August 1962, interview
235-239 Robinson, Miss Addie, Greenodd, North Lancashire, 28 August 1962, correspondence and Mr Robert Casson Robinson Juvenile Ball programme 1863
- Interview with Miss A Robinson, 28 August 1962
- Juvenile Ball programme, Mr R C Robinson, Finsthwaite, 27 February 1863
- Letter to Miss A Robinson, 10 September 1962
- Letter from Tom Barnes, 11 October 1962
- Letter from Miss A Robinson, 30 October 1962
240-242 Leak, Mr Anthony, Haverthwaite, North Lancashire, 29 August 1962, interview
243 Robinson, Mr Joseph, Finsthwaite, 29 August 1962, short note
244-246 Coward, Miss E., Satterthwaite, 30 August 1962, short note and Ball of the Season programme, Mr Robinson 10 July c.1903
247-251 Halliday, Mrs B., Grimsby, Lincolnshire, 2 September 1962, correspondence and Grand Juvenile Ball programme, Professor Stainton B Robinson
- Letter to Mrs Halliday, 2 September 1962
- Letter from Mrs Halliday, 5 September 1962
- Grand Juvenile Ball programme, Professor Stainton B Robinson, Lakeside, 12 February 1897
- Letter to Mrs Halliday, 9 November 1962
252-257 Halliwell, Mrs Belle, Preston, Lancashire, February 1962, article and correspondence
- Article ‘The Dancing Years’ Cumbria, February 1962
- Two letters from Tom Flett, one to Mrs Halliwell and one to the Editor, 2 September 1962
- Letter from Mrs Halliwell, 5 September 1962
- Letter from Mrs Halliwell, 13 November 1962
- Letter to Mrs Halliwell, 14 November 1962
- Juvenile Ball programme, Mr R C Robinson, Crosthwaite, 26 April 1861
- Letter to Mrs Halliwell, 9 November 1962
258-260 Letters to Westmorland Gazette and Lancaster Guardian 2 September 1962 and articles:
- Letter to the Editors, Westmorland Gazette and Lancaster Guardian, 2 September 1962 (on University of Liverpool letterhead)
- Letter to Westmorland Gazette and Lancaster Guardian, 2 September 1962
- Letters in Westmorland Gazette and Lancaster Guardian, 7 September 1962
261 Robinson, Norman and Betty, Grange-o-Sands, September 1962, letter – finding Theodore Cannon.
262-264 Diary of collecting trip 12//1962-2/10/1962.
265-266 Extracts from Soulby’s Ulverston Advertiser and Barrow News. 1851-1893.
267 Extracts from church registers, Finsthwaite. 1890-1910
268 Letter from Tom Barnes dated 12 August 1962.
269 Letter from W E Burrow dated 12 August 1962
270-271 Letters from Miss N. I. Clay, undated, 17 September 1962 and reply.
273-271 Correspondence to and from Y.E. Burrow (dictated to W.E. Burrow) 16/9/1962 and 26/9/1962.
274 Letter from Tom Barnes dated 18/9/1962.
275 Letter from Chris Parkinson dated 19/9/1962.
276-277 Letters to Y.E. Burrow, Tom Barnes and Chris Parkinson, 7/10/1962.
Volume marked English Trad 4. These are fair copy notes written after the interviews had been completed, together with correspondence and other background material. Pages 278-346.
278-280 Hobson, William B, Hutton Roof, Carnforth, England, 9 September 1962
- Mr Robinson Juvenile Fancy Dress Ball programme 1922
- Letter to Mr Hobson, 10 November 1962
281 Rooking, Mrs Rachel, Kendal, England, 19 September 1962
282-298 Flett, Tom, correspondence 1962
- Tugman, Mrs M. J., Stavely, Kendal, Westmorland, England, 13 and 19 September 1962
- Letter from S L Piggott, Hawkshead, 9 September 1962
- Letter to Mrs Coward, Ambleside, 8 October 1962
- Letter from Mrs Coward, Ambleside, October 1962
- Letter from E M Pickthall, Kendal, Westmorland, 11 September 1962
- Letter from Miss Stevenson, Broughton Beck, Lancs., England 14 August 1962
- Letter to Mr Walmsley, 7 October 1962
- Letter to Mr Edgar, 7 October 1962
- Letter to Mr Millburn, 7 October 1962
- Letter to Mrs Rigg, 7 October 1962
- Letter to Mr Leak/Mr Longhorn, 7 October 1962
- Letter to Mrs Todd / Mrs Chaplow, 7 October 1962
- Letter to Mrs Rooking, 7 October 1962
- Letter to Mrs Stevenson, 8 October 1962
- Letter to Mr Piggott, 8 October 1962
- Letter to Diddy Dixon, 8 October 1962
- Letter to Mrs Foy, 8 October 1962
- Letter from R Rooking, Kendal, no date, 1962
- Letter to Mr Clifton, 10 November 1962
- Letter to Mr and Mrs Cannon, 10 November 1962
- Letter to Mrs Pickthall, 10 November 1962
- Letter to Mrs Riley, 10 November 1962
- Letter to Mrs Brockbank, 10 November 1962
- Letter to Mrs Tugman, 10 November 1962
- Letter from T and E M Pickthall, 15 November 1962
- Letter from A and T Cannon, November 1962
- Letter from Mrs W Brockbank, 2 December 1962
299-302 Booth, Mr H R, correspondence, 9 October 1962
- Letter to Mr Booth, 9 October 1962
- Letter from Mr Booth, 24 October 1962
- Letter to Mr Booth, 10 November 1962
303-311 Norman and Betty Robinson, Newton-on-Grange, correspondence October 1962
- Letter to Norman and Betty Robinson, 8 October 1962
- Letter from Norman Robinson, 7 November 1962
- Mr Robinson Grand Juvenile Fancy Dress Ball programme, Crosthwaite 1904
- Letter to Norman and Betty Robinson, 10 November 1962
312-317 Flett, Tom, further correspondence 1962
- Letter from Mrs Lambert, Silverdale, 24 September 1962
- Letter from Charles Hales, Ambleside, 26 September 1962
- Letter to Mrs Lambert, no date
- Letter to Mr Hales, no date
- Letter from Mr Hales, Balham, 25 October 1962
- Letter to Miss Hales, 10 November 1962
318-321 Flett, Tom, further correspondence 1962
- Letter from Mrs M F Hawes, Kendal, 12 October 1962
- Letter to Mrs M F Hawes, 10 November 1962
- Letter from Mrs M F Hawes, 14 November 1962
- List of Ball programmes : Robinson, Garnett, Cannon, Clifton and list of photographs
322-323 Flett, Tom, correspondence and birth certificates, marriage cert. etc 1963 for Joseph Robinson. Joseph Robinson link.
324-327 Cox, Mary, Bedford, 18 November 1962 and Kimbolton Ball Programmes
328-330 Flett, Tom, Address list of informants: entries 1962
331-333 Cecil Sharp MSS dance description entries 1962
- Mrs Scott
- Miss Frearson
334-346 Flett, Tom, Letters, January 1970. Norman Robinson‘s death
- Letter from EFDSS, 2 January 1970
- Letter from Betty Robinson, 7 January 1970
- Letter from EFDSS, 21 January 1970
- Letter to Mr Wales, 30 January 1970, plus Norman Robinson obituary
- Letter from Betty Robinson, 15 January 1970
Flett English Notebooks and Music Papers and MS Draft for Traditional Step Dancing in Lakeland. Note. Some interview dates are not contained in the notebooks but have beed derived from diaries and other sources.
Notebook 1. Pages 1-22 (some pages blank)
1-4 Jack Walmsley, Newton undated
5 Mr Joseph Robinson undated
7-14 Mr Bruce Millburn, Grange undated
15-22 Tom Barnes, Ashbury undated
Notebook 2. Pages 23-90 (some pages blank)
23-29 Diddy Dixon. Crosthwaite. 13/9/1962. Step notations and sword dance notation.
30-32 Chris Parkinson. Ulverston. 14/9/1962. Ulverston morris. Step notations and details of Stainton Robinson classes.
33-35 William Edward Burrow. Ulverston. 14/9/1962. Jos Robinson’s classes.
36-41 Harold Edgar. Field Head. 15/9/1962. James Howson’s classes. Step notations.
42-49 Theodore Cannon. Crosthwaite. 17/9/1962. Tommy Cannon‘s classes. Step notations.
50-54 Will Wright. Seaton. 17/9/1962. Classes of Dizzy Bryden, J. Moar and Kinsella. Step notations.
55-59 Marion Cowper. Whitehaven. 18/9/1962. Notation for sword dance and a clog step.
60-65 Fred Clifton. Penrith 18/9/1962. Step notations.
66 Mrs M. J.Tugman. Staveley 19/9/1962 Father learned from Joseph Robinson (Old Jos ) in 1885.
67-69 Fred Coward & wife. Hawkshead. 19/9/1962. Joseph Robinson (Old Jos) classes. List of dances, Three Hand Reel, Eight Reel, Six Reel and Sword Dance
70 Cissie Wilson. Hawkshead. 19/9/1962. Sword Dance
71-73 Evelyn Pickthall. Kendal 19/9/1962. Notations for steps.
74-77 Muriel Todd. Kendal 20/9/1962. Notations for steps.
78-81 Diddy Dixon.Crosthwaite 20/9/1962. Notations for steps.
82-87 Mr T.W. Langhorn. Great Urswick 21/9/1962. Joseph Robinson’s (Old Jos) classes. Notations for steps. List of dances.
88-90 Diddy Dixon. Crosthwaite 25/9/1962. Notations for steps.
Loose Pages Pages 91-96
91-93 May Rigg Step descriptions – undated
94-95 Miss E Coward Hoop dance – undated
96 Mr Anthony Leak Information concerning hiring fairs at Ulverston. undated
Notebook 3 Pages 97-134 (some pages blank)
97-98 Mr John Wright, Kendal Undated. Notation for 5 Hand Reel.
99-102 Mrs Dorothy Chaplow, Burton-in-Kendal Undated. Joseph Robinson’s (Old Jos) classes. Notations for clog steps.
103-106 Mrs C Riley, Rawtenstall. Undated. Alf Robinson‘s classes. Notation for Sword Dance.
107-112 Mrs Kate Foy, Lancaster. Undated. Information on the Robinson family.
113-114 Joseph Robinson Finsthwaite. Undated. Information on Alf Robinson and Joseph Robinson.
115-118 Mrs Frances Gray. Undated. Mr Airey’s classes. Notations for 3 Hand Reel and 5 Hand Reel.
119-127 Mrs Mary Hawes. Over Staveley Undated. Tommy Cannon’s classes. Notations for 5 Hand Reel, Sword Dance and clog steps.
128-134 Mrs Florence Nixon. 2/12/1977 (noted by Joan. F. Flett). Tommy Cannon‘s classes.
Unpaginated address list.
Notebook 4. Pages 135-186
135-145 Scottish material, Angus MacPherson, DG MacLennan
146-151 Miss Eva Lowe. Undated. Information on the Lowe family of dancing masters from Scotland.
152-156 Mrs Reid. Undated. Information on Paterson’s dancing classes, Rutherglen.
157-158 Address lists.
159-166 Mrs Gertrude Burton, Symondsbury Undated. Partly documented by J.F Flett. Information on Four Hand Reel and steps.
167-170 Mrs Ann Clayton, Bournemouth. Undated. Information on Four Hand Reel and steps and Up the Sides and Down the Middle.
171-172 Mr and Mrs Reg Anning, Colyton. Undated. Information on Four Hand Reel
173 Mrs Gertrude Burton. 2nd visit. Undated. Further details of Four Hand Reel
174 Mr John Cook, Symondsbury. Undated. Three Hand Reel and Four Hand Reel
175 Mr Norris. Undated. Four Hand Reel
176-177 Address lists.
178-179 Notes on published Scottish materials.
180-185 Misc notes and extracts
186 Mr & Mrs. William Tully, Sewingshields, Northumberland. Undated. Queries from visits.
Notebook 5_Pages 187-206
187 List of topics for questions.
188 Newspaper dates
189-191 R C Robinson, Stainton, and Alf Robinson dance lists.
192-202 Summary information from various informants.
203-206 Extracts from 1902, 1804, 1811, 1908, 1902 no source given.
Loose Pages Pages 207 – 245
207-220 Original notes Mr and Mrs William Tully, Sewing Shiels (nr Housesteads), n.d. 1st and 2nd visit and step and dance descriptions
221-222 Steps collected from Harold Edgar by Norman Robinson.
223-224 Diary of collecting trip August 1962.
226-227 Miscellaneous notes including newspaper extracts and addresses.
228 Original notes of interview with Miss L A Maddern, August 1962.
229-231 Original notes of interview with Mrs F Clark, undated, but 25 August 1962.
232-235 Original notes of interview with Mr and Mrs Satherthwaite, undated but 26th August 1962.
236 Addresses.
237-238 Original notes of interview with Miss Roberta Robinson, undated but 27 August 1962.
239-240 Original notes of interview with Miss Addie Robinson, undated but 28 August 1962
241-243 Original notes of interview with Mr A Leak, undated but 29 August 1962
244 MS note by J. Millest recording meeting dancers at EFDSS District dance at Grange. Undated.
(244a) Extract from West Cumberland News, 12 July 1958. Performance by Mr. Wright.
245 Envelope with family details of Thomas Stainton.
Index of Lakeland Steps Pages 246-254
246-254 List of the steps collected from the various sources in Lakeland.
Notes on Lancashire Clog Dancing collected by Dan Howison_ Pages 254a-265
254a-257 Fred Coward, Hawkshead, May 1956, biog., step notations, Three reel and Eight Reel
257- 259 Miss Mary (Cissie) Wilson, Galloway, Hawkshead, May 1956; biog., step notations
259-263 Frank Atkinson, Hawkshead, June 1956, biog., step notation.
264-266 Mrs Diddy Dixon, Crosthwaite, May 1956, various step notations
267 Dick Strickland, Tullythwaite, May 1956, step notation.
- Note by Julian Pilling. Three Hand Reel and Napoleon Grand March descriptions
- Mrs Grace Robinson, Aug 1961, info on Robinson family – original notes
- Other rough drafts of interviews in faircopies above
- Various step and dance descriptions in rough form
- List of dance classes, teachers etc
- Lindsay Flett – notes of interviews with Mrs Mason, Mrs Jackson, Mrs Holden, Mrs Metcalf and Mr Taylor 13/3/1976.
- Schottische time steps – rough copy
- Notation for the Grenoside double shuffle.
- Letter from Norman Robinson, 30 Oct 1962
MS Draft Traditional Step Dancing in Lakeland
- MS draft with all sources to the various steps given.
- Performance programme with dance descriptions
- Article: They Made the Lawyers Dance, M Harrison, 27 Dec 1958
- Letter to Michael Harrison, 1 Sept 1960
- Letter from Michael Harrison, 13 Sept 1960
- Letter to Michael Harrison, 6 Nov 1960
- Letter from H Cunningham, 26 July 1961
- Letter to H Cunningham, no date 1961
- Letter from H Cunningham, 11 August 1961
- Extracts: Justinian Pagett, Harl (?) MS 1026
- Extracts: Sloan MS 3858
- Extracts: Landsdowne MS 1115
- Letter to Mr Cunningham, 9 January 1966
- Clement Marot, La Temple de Cupido
- John Skelton, Complete Poems, 1948 (extracts)
- References to English Dancing
- List of References to dancing in Pepys diary
- Dance Tunes and Song Tunes
- Some Notes on the Morris Dance
- EFDSS Journal, April 1915, The Folk Dance in English Literature
- Two Notes on the Processional and the Morris Dance
- A Bibliography of the Morris Dance
- Glasgow Journal 1750, Joseph Longhorn, dancing master
- Cowper family information
- Misc information