Cumbria
Sharp was invited to adjudicate at the Folksong Competition held at Kendal in 1905 and 1906. This was part of the Westmorland Musical Festival, originally founded as the Kendal Musical Competition in 1885 by Mary Augusta Wakefield (1853-1910). Frank Kidson had been the adjudicator from 1902-04. Sharp took the opportunity to collect songs from Rev Heelis and blacksmith John Collinson at the event. The folksong competition was cut after 1906 but the festival continued.
Sharp spent a few days in Keswick (30 miles NW of Kendal) in March 1911, collecting a morris tune from Headmistress Miss Hayes as well as dance figures that her school children had learned from Mr Southworth of Mawdesley in Lancashire via Miss Marshall. The average age of the 4 informants from Cumbria was 43 yrs.
Cumbria was formed in 1974 by amalgamating Cumberland and Westmorland, incorporating also portions of Lancashire and Yorkshire.
