Buckinghamshire
After considerable success in reconstructing 7 morris traditions in Oxfordshire, Sharp was hopeful of finding the survivors of morris sides in Buckinghamshire. In March 1912 he met the fiddler Charles Bunyan and learned about morris at Brill. Ten years later he was able to reconstruct a Steeple Claydon morris dance, which is available in today's handbooks. Keith Chandler* found newspaper accounts of 21 village morris sides in Buckinghamshire in the 19th century but there was little left for Sharp to work with.
Nevertheless he collected 19 songs/tunes from 5 informants, whose average age was 65. Of the 3 men with stated occupations, 1 each agricultural labourer, wheelwright and brick labourer.
*Chandler, Keith 'Ribbons, Bells and Squeaking Fiddles' (Hisarlik Press 1993)
http://www.chilternfolk.org.uk is a starting point to folk music and dance in Buckinghamshire today.
