Tunes from Stanton Manuscript
Stanton Church Manuscript
This is a manuscript of 105 dance tunes. Our source is is R.G. Marriott’s transcripts, which are held by the Morris Ring. A copy of them was passed to us by Paul Burgess, who also provided the following information.
One handwritten sheet says:
“TUNES TAKEN FROM M.S. OF J. WINTER 1833 (STANTON CHURCH DOCUMENTS) (Housed in bank safe deposit)
Loaned for a very limited period to R.G. Marriott; photographed on black and white 35 mm film, and later transcribed (in selected form) by him. Prints are an incomplete attempt to print negatives by Geoffrey Mendham.”
The prints that we have are mostly low quality, with words very difficult to read. Most of the content is song, though I have located some of the tunes. Sadly, as Paul told me, Richard Valentine went to Stanton church about 1980 to view a “fiddler’s tunebook” that was kept in the Parish Chest. He made an appointment with the vicar, but when they opened the Chest it had vanished. “Oh dear, it was here when those two girls had a look at it, those two Canadian students…” said the vicar.
Notes by Charles Menteith; information from Paul Burgess.
Index to Stanton Manuscript
J Winter of Stanton
The Stanton manuscript is dated 1833 and in 1841 the only Winter living in Stanton was John Winter, an agricultural labourer. His father was also called John Winter and was a weaver who had married Mary Barrows in Stanton in 1800. John Winter was baptised in Stanton on 12 February 1804 and had at least four siblings: William baptised in 1800, Thomas baptised in 1808, Elizabeth baptised in 1810, and Charles baptised 1813 all in Stanton. John Winter married Jane Mary Simpson, who was born in Richmond, Yorkshire and they had at least six children: Ann born about 1832, Tabitha born about 1834, Frances Morris born about 1836, Jane born about 1840, Mary Ann born about 1844 and John born about 1846. They lived in Stanton where John Winter was working as a gardener in 1951 and 1861. By 1861 his son, John was the only child still living at home. His daughter, Mary Ann was working as a housemaid but was in Cheltenham General Hospital at the time of the Census. By 1871 John Winter and his wife had moved to North Nibley where they were living in Wick Road and John was working as a gardener. John Winter died and was buried in North Nibley on 1 May 1878.
John Winter’s daughter, Jane continued to live in North Nibley where in 1881 she was living and working as a lady’s maid at Isle of Rea House.
John Winter’s daughter, Tabitha, married Mark Bayliss, a labourer, and in 1861 they were living in Stanton. They had at least two daughters. One daughter, Annie, married Harry French and had a son, Maurice, born on 19 July 1887 and a daughter, Frances Annie, born 24 March 1891. Annie died on or shortly after Frances’ Annie’s birth as at the time of the 1891 census Harry was a widower living next door to his mother-in-law, Tabitha who was caring for his two children. The children, Maurice and Frances Annie, continued to live with their grandmother, Tabitha, and were still living with her in 1901 when she had been widowed. Frances Annie was staying with her aunt, Jane, in Stapleton at the time of the1911 census. Tabitha Bayliss died in 1911 in the Winchcombe registration district.
Tabitha’s daughter, Frances Annie French, married Eustace Cyril Arthur Augustus Bayliss in early 1936 in the Winchcombe registration district. He was a road surveyor as was his father before him. When living at The Mill, Greet, he enlisted in the 14th Bn Gloucestershire regiment in 1917 but after 41 days’ service with the French Expeditionary Force he was invalided out of the army in 1918 and returned to North Street, Winchcombe.
Tabitha’s other daughter, Jane, married Robert Miles, a police constable born in Oddington who worked for Gloucestershire County Council in the Bristol area. Their first child, Frederick, was born in Stapleton about 1889, then followed Robert M. Miles and Edith May Miles, both born in Mangotsfield in about 1890 and 1892 respectively. A daughter, Elsie F. J. Miles was born in Shirehampton in about 1896 and two further daughters, Winifred W. Iles and Evelyn Miles were born in Soundwell in about 1899 and 1902 respectively. In 1911 the family were living at Soundwell Road, Stapleton. Frederick was working as a mining labourer at Kingswood Colliery, Robert was working as a carter employed by an Edward Turner and Edith May was a dress maker employed by a Mrs Rose Kendall.
John Winter’s daughter Frances (Fanny) was working as a housemaid at Hagley Park, Lugwardine, Herefordshire owned by the local JP in 1881. By 1901 unmarried and aged 63 she was living with her sister, Tabitha, in Stanton where she was working as a domestic cook.
Notes by Carol Davies