William Nathan 'Jingy' Wells danced, fooled and played the fiddle for Bampton Morris from the late nineteenth century and well into the twentieth. In this picture he is seen with his fiddle. The hat, waistcoat, trousers and socks (odd socks) are still cared for by the Bampton Traditional Morris Men.
This is a newspaper article from the Oxford Times June 10th 1960 which talks about the fete held at Weald Manor by kind permission of Mrs A.M. Colvile and her son Major R.A. Colvile. It was to raise funds for the renewal of part of the floor inside Saint Mary The Virgin Church, specifically the parquet flooring across the front of the aisles by the pulpit and lectern. It was Whit Monday, the day of Morris Dancing in Bampton (until the government stopped Whit Monday being a Bank Holiday and fixed it at the last Monday in May with may or not be Whit Monday) and the dancers called at the Fete.
Bampton Traditional Morris Dancers under squire Francis Shergold, fool Terry Rouse outside The Talbot about 1982. Brother and sister Francis Shergold and Ruth Wheeler on the right looking down at the two little boys
L-R Bill Daniels, Ray Borrett, Billy Main, Tony Daniels (started dancing in 1965), Martin Ferguson, David Rose dancing outside The Talbot under squire Francis Shergold
Two visiting teams outside the George & Dragon; Eynsham are dancing and Abingdon Morris are waiting to dance. There are no signs outside the inn so it must be post 1994.
This photograph was taken in Tickhill at Rock House when Bampton Traditional Morris Men went up to Yorkshire for a weekend of dancing. The date is probably 1995 but could be 96 or 97. The ladies are wives and girlfriends and daughters of the dancers and Jasper, the fool is at the centre back.
Bampton Morris dancers c1924/5 outside the Elephant & Castle.
The sign over the pub door says Posting House, Horses, Carriages, Brakes. Personal attention given, Albert Townsend. The 3rd and 4th lines are hard to read which is a pity but it looks like 'For Hire All Trains Met On The Shortest Notice.
On 23rd September 1935 the Townsend family moved across the road to Castle View and made a farm of it having much more room to fatten more pigs.
William Kimber, who played for Heading Quarry was a friend of Bampton Morris. His side danced at Mrs Birch's Sandfield Cottage in Headington and her son-in-law was staying.