Charles Benfield was the main informant for the Bledington tunes, most of which were noted by Cecil Sharp at Benfield’s house at Bould (Oxon), a hamlet about a mile from Bledington (Glos). William and Nancy was also collected by George Butterworth, who is our only source for Trunkles and Ladies of Pleasure.
CJ Sharp wrote, 2 September 1909
“Ch. Benfield was fiddler to the Bledington Morris till it lapsed about 15-20 years ago. He afterwards taught some younger men but could not induce them to continue. He is an agricultural labourer and a keen morris dancer. His fiddle was bridge-less and bow-less so he half hummed and half whistled this & following 2 tunes.” However, when the Travelling Maurice returned in the 1920’s CB was playing his fiddle, and R Peck and RJ Schofield collected tunes from George Hathaway, who had been in CB’s junior side.

Ladies of Pleasure is the tune for the morris jig from Bledington, now usually known as Ladies’ Pleasure.