Carlisle MS

Also known as The Carlisle (1861) MS and The Nicholson (1861) MS

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Introduction by Chris Partington. 2005. Revised 2017

This manuscript was purchased on holiday in Carlisle in 1920 by Charles Lolley of Leeds, a friend of Frank Kidson's, in 1920.
and placed in the Frank Kidson Collection.
Anne Geddes Gilchrist at some point had access to it, transcribing twenty four of the seventy three tunes she says there were, and made annotations.
Her transcription is held in the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library, Part of QM 9732, filed within the Anne Geddes Gilchrist Manuscript Collection, AGG/2/137
These twenty two tunes have been entered into ABC by Chris Partington, 2005, and can be found on the Village Music Project Website with the suffix "Car(G).xx". The original MS that Lolley bought in 1920 has since disappeared from view, presumably to the Mitchell Library in Glasgow.

In addition to the above, it has come to light through research by Gill Baldwin of Hebden Bridge that Charles Lolley himself made copies of some forty of the tunes when the manuscript was still in his possession. He interleaved them among tunes that he'd previously noted down on spare staves of another manuscript book that he'd also acquired, that had belonged to the Ostler family of Leeds. He was at pains to indicate which tunes came from the 1861 MS. I have transcribed these also, and given them the suffix Car(L).xx

Lolley copied the tunes in no particular order, so I have interleaved them with AGG's, as AGG's transcription seems to indicate the order in which the tunes are found in the original, even listing ones she didn't transcribe. It does not however add up to 73 tunes, only 63. Lolley transcribes several tunes positively identified as from the 1861 manuscript that nevertheless don't appear in AGG's list, but may account for some of the missing number. We now have 50 tunes transcribed, some of them twice.

Some of the tunes were transcribed by both AGG and Lolley, and there are often differences, even to the extent that more than one tune has been transcribed into a different key altogether. Without recourse to the original it is difficult to say for certain which is the more faithful copy, but due to the more frequent occurrence of grace notes and violinistic flourishes, and general playability, of the Lolley version, perhaps that would be closest. It does cast a searchlight onto the Gilchrist's transcriptions of other manuscripts.

Although it has been referred to in some places as the 1861 Carlisle Manuscript or the J.Nicholson MS, due to its inscription as such that AGG records as being inside the cover, there is not much about the contents to suggest anything later than the 1812 mentioned after two of the tune titles. For example, there are no quadrilles, polkas, schottisches etc., and the waltzes are of the early style, being rhythmical rather than lyrical, and are notated in 3/8 or 6/8, at a period when 3/4 was still likely to be a minuet. All the personalities too are from this period. It seems likely that AGG thought so too, judging by her cautious introduction. Of course, we do not know whether the manuscript was all the work of one person at one point in time.

AGG was interested in the Morgiana tunes, the possibility that waltz tunes could be used in a country dance formation (see Madame Catalani's Waltz and The Three Knights Waltz), and that so could hornpipe tunes (see Calver Lodge). 2005

Important note:-

I have taken AGG's transcript to be the contents list, and added onto the end of it those tunes which Lolley transcribed that don't otherwise appear in her list. In the ABC file these are all the tunes including and after "New Claret. Car(L).40"
AGG's notes, and the tunes not transcribed, are in normal script, the tunes she transcribed are in Bold, the tunes Lolley transcribed (see below) are Underlined, and my editorial comments are in italics.

AGG's Transcription

"Carlisle MS
(in F.Kidson's collection)
MS "purchased at Carlisle 1920 - C. Lolley"
Contains a date "1861" in pencil on p.1, and inside the end cover:
"J.Nicholson, Jan. the 15th, 1861"
Also in pencil "Charlie"
(C. Lolley was a friend of F.K.'s and supplied him with tunes)
The book occasionally contains directions for the dances, from which we learn that a "waltz" might serve as a country dance tune e.g. "Madame Catalani's Waltz" (in 6/8 time) [Ed. In fact she notes it in 3/8 time, as was normal for the early period waltzes, but it does include directions for a country dance].
?46 [or ?96..AGG's writing not clear] leaves, a few missing as the MS begins at p13 with "Lowther Castle". Seventy three named tunes, with a few later insertions in blank spaces, such as "The Blue Bonnets Over The Border" "The Troubadour" etc., and in a different hand.
The long oblong book is ruled in four staves. The music script and manuscript are in the same hand throughout *(except for the few later insertions above mentioned), both very clear, neat, and slender and generally slightly sloped.
Many local titles:-
Lowther Castle,
Carlisle Races,
The Cumberland Reel,
The Richardly Quickstep,
The Edenside Ranger's Quick March,
A Trip To Netherby.
The following may also be of local allusion
Miss Sara Graham's Favourite Waltz 6/8 time Eb
Miss Bunch of Brown Park's Waltz 6/8 time Bb
The Birthday of The Little Doctor
Miss Tilney Long's Waltz
Major Cawood's compliments to Miss Warwick
Miss Ord's Reel
Miss Ponsonby's Reel
Farewell to Low House
Calver Lodge
Calver Quickstep
General graham's Waltz
Flim's Castle

The tunes begin with:-
Lowther Castle
Carlisle Races
Crop The Croppies
The New Grand O.P. Dance
The Recovery
Crop The Croppies. Directions are given for this: Hands across, back again, down the mid, up again, poussette. On the opposite page is a jig tune:-
Port and Sherry and a Dram of Brandy
The Runaway
Don Quixote's Waltz
The Dutch Skipper (see Kershaw)
[Directions(For the New Grand O.P. Dance)] The first lady to promenade round the first gentleman into her place. First gentleman do the same (which forms the O). Down the middle and cast up (to form the P) then the whole of the company foot it in the O.P style.
The Gloucester Waltz p42
An Original Swiss Waltz
[Directions to unspecified dance]Change sides, back again, down the middle, up again, turn your partner and swing corners
The Amazon Frigate or Mrs Courteney [How dare you speak of my wife in that manner!]
[Directions to unspecified dance] Cast off three couples and back again. Allemande at the top with your partner. Down the middle. Allemande and Pousette.
Julia's Cottage 1812
Richards or Persian Dance
The Spanish Patriots-1810
Morgiana In Spain in Ld. Wellington's Camp
The Birthday of the Little Doctor
The Richardly Quickstep
(This comes next to Julia's Cottage with the date 1812)
Wellington was created Earl, and next Marquis, in 1812.
M. Morgiana etc.
B.G.? Begin again? The Fine must be at the end of the stave.
[Directions] Set and hands four around and back again. Poussette right and left at top.
Morgiana in Nova Scotia 6/8
Tarry a while with me, my cher pettite. Country Dance
Leith Races 2/4
The Ridicule, a reel
p60 Major Cawood's Compliments to Miss Warwick (a reel)
No directions for dancing this
Mony Musk
Epsom Races 6/8
The Soldiers Joy M W (?)
Miss Tilney Long's Waltz 1812
The Cumberland Reel
The Savage Dance
The Edenside Rangers Quick March
The Miller Of Drone
The Fairy Dance (Neil Gow's)
Lead out sides and back again, hands four round wind quite back again right and left (The dotted form)
[Red Red Roses]
Another hand has inserted "near Carlisle" after Netherby
Farewell to Low House
A Trip To Netherby by Mr Hill
The Marchioness of Douglass' Favourite
Morgiana in France
Miss Gayton's Hornpipe This is "Hornpipe as played in Carlisle Theatre" W.Irwin
My Wife a Winsome Wee Thing
The Three Knights Waltz but directions for a country dance
Fairy Revels (like Fairy dance?)
Calver Lodge like hornpipe [country dance from description]
Marchioness of Queensbury by Mr Don 9/8
Morgiana in France see also Irwin 2[ie.Folio] the London Morgiana
Antinon 2/4 by Lady Caroline Bertie
Tank see Kershaw
The directions are:- "four hands round back again, down the middle up again lead out sides, poussette."
And at the bottom of the page :- "Hands across, back again, down the middle, up again.
These may have been written earlier. They are not in the same pen.
The Woodbine 6/8
The Brighton Rondo 6/8 (Brighton Row according to Lolley)
Calver Lodge
Flim's Castle a country dance
The Light Company's Quick March, this has a bass part
Madame Catalani's Waltz
Pam Loo or Who's Lucky 2/4
Whittington's Cat (Waltz?)
Don Whiskerand's? Waltz Steibelt
Silver ?Miners Waltz
General Graham's Waltz
The Light Company's Quick March
La Belle ?Laitrere
The Rising of the Lark
Madame Catalani's Waltz
Directions to Madame Catalani's Waltz:- Hands across, back again, down the middle up again, allemande. Catalani 1779-1849 debut at Venice 1797. Thirty years triumph all over Europe. £10,000 during 4 months engagement in London 1806. Retired from stage 1827.
The Honey Moon"

AGG's transcript ends.

The following tunes were transcribed by Lolley but aren't listed by AGG

New Claret
Braes o'Marr
The Castle
Lady E. Lindsay's Strathspey
Malcolm Greame
Lady Charlotte Campbell's Strathspey
Lady Montgomery's Reel
Miss Ord's reel
Miss Ponsonby's reel
Mrs Burrell of Broom Park
Lady Shaftsbury's Reel

The Ostler Manuscript

The book came into Lolley's possession around 1922. It already contained a number of tunes of a light classical nature, marked here with an asterisk but not transcribed by me. He infilled with more light classical and other pieces, some from a periodical call "The Musical Budget", which I have also not transcribed, and then infilled again with pieces from the "manuscript of 1861", which I have marked in bold and with a slash and hash, and transcribed into ABC. Despite his efforts, there are one or two tunes where the provenance is not clear. All the transcribed tunes are also accounted for in the previous list above.

"James Smith Ostler b Hull abt 1840 died Leeds – Roundhay 17 Aug 1920 Leather Factor Probate £17902 (Gill Baldwin's research)
(In pen) Charles Lolley Leeds 1922, (stamped) James S Ostler

*No.1 Andante in Bb
Evening Rest - Sketch for Fiddle by Chesney Haddon, very minor writer of children's and comic songs pre WW1
*No.2 Adagio
*No.3 Adagio
*No.4 Die Kappelle, Moderato – Von Kreutzer
/#The Brighton Row – from an old MS book dated 1861
*No.5 Maestoso
/#Julia's Cottage – 1812 - from etc.
*No.6 Allegretto
*No.7 Andante
*No.8 Parade March
*No.9 Aber our? den Lieber Gott – Choral
*No.10 Non Danket Aller Gott – Choral
*No.11 Die Freude – Moderato
*No.12 Shusucht – Allegretto
*No.13 Abend Lied – Andante
*No.14 Andantino
*No.15 Scherzando
*No.16 Allegro
*No.17 Andante
*No.18 Andante
Quick Step played by the Duke of York's Band – C. F. Eley ...196 Strand
Prince of Wales's March
The Duke of Clarence's March
Marche Romaine – R.Graham Harvey
Reverie - by Oscar Nilssen – The Musical Budget
Barcarolle – Chesney Haddon
Sunrise – Albert H. Oswald
Plantation Gambols – R. G. Harvey
/#The New Claret – from etc
The Motor Car Galop by George Hawkins – The Musical Budget
Schottische
Paradise Polka – 'before 1859'
Military Schottische – Jones 'previous to 1858'
Polka - 'previous to 1858'
Peep o'Day Polka - 'previous to 1858'
/# The Honeymoon – from an etc.
Grand Galop Militaire La Esprit - 'previous to 1858'
Galop – by King
/# The Runaway – from an etc.
Les Bon Vivantes Galop - 'previous to 1858' 'by W Money Bandmaster 3rd York Militia
The Queen's Polka - 'previous to 1859'
The Venus Polka – J. King - 'previous to 1858'
British Army Polka – J. King 'previous to 1858'
Marguerite Polka – Mr ?
Marmion Polka - 'previous to 1858'
Galop – by Weipert
Amelia Galop
/# Leith Races – from etc
Balmoral Polka - 'previous to 1858'
The Review Polka - 'previous to 1858'
Country Dance – Musical Budget
Paddy O'Rafferty – Musical Budget 1894
A Box of Bon-bons Two Step – Cecil Ray 1912
Reverie for Fiddle – Vincent Johns - Musical Budget 1916
Barcarolle – by Lena Fosbrooke – Musical Budget 1914
Reverie for Fiddle – Walter Stevenson
Moonlight on the Ocean – Cecil Ray
Abend Lied – Arthur H. Oswald
/# Braes o' Marr, Strathspey – from an
# Crop the Croppies – from an
A Dream of Home – S. Hart - Musical Budget
/# Lowther Castle – from an
/# Carlisle Races – from an
/# Port and Sherry and Brandy- from
/# The Spanish Patriots 1810 – from
/# The New Grand O. P. Dance - from
/# The Amazon Frigate – from
/# The Birthday of the Little Doctor
/# Pam Loo or Who's Luckey
/# Calver Lodge
/# Fairy Revels
/# The Eden Side Rangers Quick Step
/# The Cumberland Reel
/# A Trip to Netherby – by Mr Hill
/# The Marchioness of Douglas' Favourite
/# The Castle
/# Major Cawood's Compliments to Miss Warwick
/# Ricardo or A Persian Dance
/#Ridicule, a reel
/# Lady E. Lindsey's Strathspey
/# The Miller of Drone
/# Morgiana in Spain in Lord Wellington's Camp
/# Morgiana in France
/# Morgiana in Nova Scotia
/# Tarry a While with Elle My Cher Pet
/# Malcolm Graeme
/# Lady Charlotte Campbell's New Strathspey – 'B. M. '
/# Lady Madalina Sinclair's Strathspey
/# Lady Charlotte Campbell's Reel
/# Lady Montgomery's Reel
/# Miss Ord's Reel
/# Miss Ponsonby's reel
/# Mrs Burrell of Broom Park – Waltz
#/ Calver Lodges
/# Lady Shaftsbury's Reel

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