Teale, Mrs

Singer

Collection date: Apr 1909

Area: Gloucestershire

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Mrs (Elizabeth) Teale at Winchcombe workhouse, Glos (1841-1910): age 68, 1 song 8 Apr 1909: As was the case with William Shepherd, Mrs Teale had been visited by Percy Grainger in April 1908 when she sang 2 songs for him – Cold blows the wind (Unquiet Grave) and Lord Lovell. The songs were recorded on a phonograph by Miss Eliza Wedgwood (1859-1947), who lived 4 miles away at Stanton and it is interesting to compare Grainger’s notation of ‘Lord Lovell’ (PG/5/209) with Sharp’s notation of the same song a year later (FT2149). Grainger jumps in and out of 6/8 barring with 9/8, 7/8 and 4/8 at times, in an attempt to capture the rhythms of the singer. Sharp just sticks to 6/8 throughout.

Of Mrs Teale, Grainger wrote that she was ‘over 60’ and ‘a bit gone in the head’. He also said that she was a native of Bishop’s Cleeve (PG/5/208). There can be little doubt but that this refers to Mrs Elizabeth Teale, who was later committed to Gloucester Asylum and died there in 1910. Her maiden name was Stanton.

Elizabeth Stanton was baptized at Bishop’s Cleeve church on 3/1/1841, daughter of Joseph Stanton, labourer and his wife Jemima. Their abode was Woodmancote village, a mile away. Joseph Stanton was absent from the 1851 census but present in 1861, by which time Elizabeth had left home probably to go into service. She married George Hall Teale on 18/7/1864 at Winchcombe. Neither could sign their names. George was baptized on 10/10/1841, illegitimate child of Sarah Teal, single woman. At his wedding he declared that his father was ‘George Hall, cordwainer’.

George and Elizabeth can be tracked through the various censuses at Bishop’s Cleeve. In 1881 George was simply ‘George Teale’ but in 1871 and 1901 he was ‘George Hall Teale’ (1901 ref RG13/2457 f8 p7). They had no children. George died in January qr 1908 and Elizabeth died in Gloucester Asylum but was returned home for burial at Bishop’s Cleeve church on 22/4/1910.