Swallow, Mr Thomas

Dancer

Collection date: Aug 1909

Area: Gloucestershire

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Thomas Swallow of Guiting Power, Glos (1873-1945): age 36, 2 fiddle tunes (Country dances with full figures) on 2 August 1909: The 2 tunes were ‘The Swedish Dance’ and ‘The Butterfly Dance’ (FT2240-41). Sharp published the latter dance in his (first) Country Dance Book in Dec 1909.

Sharp did not give the age of this fiddler but we can with some confidence presume it was Thomas Swallow, born 5/5/1873 and baptised at Naunton 1/6/1873. He was son of John Swallow, beerhouse keeper and his wife Jane. Thomas became a threshing machine engine driver and married Mary Elizabeth Yeates at Guiting Power on 26/10/1893. They had 7 children, one of whom died young. Thomas Swallow died 26/1/1945 at Cheltenham.