In 1386, John of Gaunt brought back a troupe of Moorish dancers from Spain. The combination of their practices with the English fool’s Dance is said to have provided a basis for the Morris Dance.
Written records of the morris include the Wardens’ Accounts and Court Minutes of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths who made a set of payments to entertainers and for food and drink at their annual feast on St Dunstan’s Day (19 May 148 or possibly 1449).
In December 1466 and on New Years Day 1467, the household accounts at Lanherne in Cornwall record payments for morris dancing. The Drapers’ Guild records for London indicate dancing on 28 June 1477.
The Receivers’ Accounts of Plymouth record a payment for dancing in the streets of the city in 1482. The reference is to Thomas Tregarthen’s Book: the oldest book of account which had been preserved among the Municipal Records. The Book was destroyed in the Plymouth blitz, with all the old records of the bills.
Worth took extracts from various documents to compile a calendar of the municipal records. In 1540-1 John Ude recorded: Itm p for ix yards of cloth to make a coat for Tom hordson the ffoole vj (6s.)
Morris dancers appeared in Plymouth in 1564, 1566-1570 (all five years), 1574, 1575, 1577, 1585, 1587, 1594, 1595 and 1605, and are mentioned in the City Accounts for May Day 1574-5 and 1576-7.
In 1566-7 Edward Cocke recorded: Morice dancers 5s. for a breakfast
In 1574-5, there was an additional payment: Itm p to hym that played apon the hoby horse vj (6d.)
In 1583, Sir Humphrey Gilbert left Plymouth for Newfoundland in an attempt to found a colony. A member of his company wrote of the preparations “…. we were provided of musike in good variety, not omitting the least toyes, as Morris dancers, Hobby Horse and Maylike conceits ….
This information has been re-printed with kind permission from: Plymouth Morris Men – for further information and details of forthcoming events, see their website. http://www.plymouthmorrismen.org.uk
