About Malmesbury Morris
Morris dancing in Malmesbury can be traced back to at least 1641. A reference to the Malmesbury Morris men describes a conflict with neighbours from Long Newnton...
It was the custom in Long Newnton, Wiltshire of marking Trinity Sunday & commemorating the granting of a common in Saxon times by having a maid of the town drape a garland of flowers around the neck of a bachelor from another parish while claiming a monetary payment and granting three kisses. In June 1641 Long Newnton men carrying the garland were met by a gang of about 80 men from nearby Malmesbury, led by one John Browne “with a hobby-horse and bells on his legs” and accompanied by bells & drums. “Win it and wear it” challenged one of the Malmesbury morris men, “come three score of you, you are but boies to we.” A bloody melee ensued. Magistrates termed it "an unlawful assembly" and six months later were still proceeding against some for actions of 'riot & battery'.
The local Morris side does not appear to have survived the advent of the industrial revolution and the tradition seems to have died out in the Malmesbury area.
This changed when Malmesbury Mixed Morris was formed in the summer of 2004 to provide a local Morris Dancing group for the Malmesbury area. In September 2005 we changed our name to Malmesbury Morris.
In our first season we put on ten public performances and two introductory workshops and since then have done many more of both. We've marched in several of the Malmesbury Carnival processions; taken part in folk festivals in Chippenham and Stroud many times; danced in Malmesbury's twin towns of Niebull, Germany and Gien, France; and we have taken part in setting a World Record for the largest ever Morris dance in Moreton-in-Marsh. We meet up with other sides for pub dance-outs, and perform at local events.
Malmesbury Morris is a member of the Morris Federation.
The aims of Malmesbury Morris are:
This changed when Malmesbury Mixed Morris was formed in the summer of 2004 to provide a local Morris Dancing group for the Malmesbury area. In September 2005 we changed our name to Malmesbury Morris.
In our first season we put on ten public performances and two introductory workshops and since then have done many more of both. We've marched in several of the Malmesbury Carnival processions; taken part in folk festivals in Chippenham and Stroud many times; danced in Malmesbury's twin towns of Niebull, Germany and Gien, France; and we have taken part in setting a World Record for the largest ever Morris dance in Moreton-in-Marsh. We meet up with other sides for pub dance-outs, and perform at local events.
Malmesbury Morris is a member of the Morris Federation.
The aims of Malmesbury Morris are:
- To have fun
- To enjoy keeping fit
- To entertain the public and bring traditional English dances to Malmesbury and the surrounding area.
- To encourage and maintain the interest in the practice of Morris Dancing
- To contribute to communication between Morris sides
- To encourage the improvement of standards of dancing among team members
