History of Morris Dance in England

The Morris Dance in England saw ups and downs in the course of the history. The working peasantry used to perform Morris dance in Whitsun before the outbreak of the English Civil War. In the rule of Oliver Cromwell, the Puritan, from 1649-1653, the Morris dance was suppressed along with Whitsun Ales and other festivities. Thanks to the restoration of monarchy when Charles II presided over the throne, people started celebrating spring festivals. Especially, Whitsun Ales celebration began on Whitsunday which was also the birthday of Charles II.

This Dance performance was held till the beginning of the industrial revolution. Due to social changes four teams sprang up claiming the uninterrupted lineage of the Morris tradition in their village. These were the Abingdon (inherited by the Hemmings Family), Bampton, Headington Quarry and Chipping Campden. While in other villages many groups evolved with their distinct styles of Morris Dancing.

The Morris Dance in the 20th century was revived and recorded by a number of English folklorists most prominently Cecil Sharp, Maud Karpeles, and Mary Neal. The Morris Dance saw its revival in the Boxing Day of the year 1899.

Cecil Sharp, also called the Founding Father of the Folklore Morris revival in England, was invited at a friend's house in Headington, near Oxford, where he saw the performance of the Headington Quarry morris. Sharp got lured by the charm of the music and therefore accumulated several tunes from Headington Quarry’s musician, William Kimber.

Then a decade later with the assistance of Mary Neal, a founder of the Espérance Club and Herbert MacIlwaine, he was successful in the first revival performance of Morris Dance by young women in London. Whole world is dominated by patriarchal order; therefore, there arouse disputes over women’s participation in the Morris Dance. So, the Morris club got divided in three parts one where women and mixed sides are not eligible while other two the Morris Federation and Open Morris. These bodies maintaining their individual identities are trying to keep alive the Morris Tradition.