Paper 50

A Selection of Balls from 1810

Contributed by Paul Cooper, Research Editor

We've investigated numerous historical balls in our previous research papers, this paper will continue that theme by reviewing a medley of balls hosted by the British elite in the year 1810; in each case we have a brief description of the dances that were enjoyed at the events, we'll investigate the dances and tunes that are named. Over the course of this paper we'll review eight different balls held in London and elsewhere.

We've previously studied a pair of balls hosted by the socialite Mrs Beaumont in 1810, they were her balls of April 1810 and of May 1810. We'll see that some of the tunes danced at the Beaumont balls were also danced elsewhere that year; several of the other tunes we'll encounter in this paper have also been the subject of our previous research papers.

The tunes and dances that we'll be investigating further in this paper are:

• The Fairy Dance
• Morgiana (and Morgiana in Ireland)
• Scots Medlies, Reels and Strathspeys
• German Waltzes and Waltz Medleys
• Irish (and Scottish) Jigs
• Patrick's Day in the Morning
• Montreal
• French figure dances
• Lady Madelina Sinclair
• The Persian Dance
• Reel of Tulloch Gorum
• Lord Home's Reel
• Sleepy Moggy / Sleepy Maggy
• The Opera Hat / The Russian Dance

Figure 1. A View of Cliefden House from Maidenhead Bridge, c.1776 [pictured prior to the fire of 1795].

The Earl of Orkney's Ball, at Clifden House

The Morning Post newspaper for the 15th of January 1810 wrote (with dance references highlighted in bold):

The ball and supper given last week by Lord and Lady Orkney, at their seat near Maidenhead, were of the first description. The company exceeded 150 persons of rank and fashion. The preparations were truly magnificent in every respect. In consequence of the central part of the mansion (which was destroyed some years since by fire) not having been rebuilt, it became necessary to attach two noble wings of the building to each other; this was effected by means of a long triumphal arch or covered way, composed of frame-work, having entwined in it laurel and other evergreens, intersected by branches of furze-blossoms. This passage was illuminated by radiant arches of variegated lamps. The long line of perspective, was terminated by the British star, which appeared with a brilliancy unrivalled by any other ornament of a similar kind. All the apartments were superb; and as the furniture was classically elegant and modern, the chef d'ouvre was admirable. The company began arriving at ten o'clock, the dancing soon afterwards commenced with The Fairy Dance, by Lord Orkney and the Hon. Miss Crawford Bruce. The Hon. Mr Macdonald followed, with Miss Scot Murray; two sets were formed of twenty couple in each. The second dance was Morgiana; the latter was the favourite throughout the night. The spirit of the scene continuing throughout unabated, at half-past one in the morning the accomplished Peer ordered the supper to be delayed for another hour; it was nearly three o'clock before the dancers retired. In a very noble saloon the supper was set out; more taste and profusion were never seen displayed with a better effect; the ornaments in confectionery were beautiful. E'er the hour of four the dancing was renewed with Scots medlies and German waltzes. At six o'clock, the company being then almost quite exhausted with fatigue, the Earl and Countess entertained their guests with an Irish gig; which was performed with inimitable perfection, as to charm those who were competent judges of its merit, and convulse with laughter, others. The same dance was exhibited at the Duchess of Gordon's ball, in Piccadilly, about ten years since. The parties were Mr Quin and Lady Kier. All the neighbouring Gentry were at Clifden House, including Sir Joseph Mawbey, the Scott Murrays, Crawfurd Bruces, Smiths, and Thompsons.

The 4th Countess of Orkney was Mary FitzMaurice (1755-1831), her husband (the Earl) had died in 1793 and as the Orkney title was hers (suo jure) it's not entirely clear who the host of our ball actually was. I imagine it was hosted by her son John FitzMaurice, Viscount Kirkwall (1778-1820); if so, the referenced countess was perhaps his wife Anna Maria de Blanquiere (d.1843). This couple never formally held the titles of Earl and Countess of Orkney but perhaps our correspondent had assumed that they did.

The programme for the evening evidently involved a number of popular dances which we'll investigate further below. One interesting detail is that for the first country dance two sets were formed of twenty couple in each; this suggests that around 80 people were dancing from a total attendance of around 150, to have roughly half the guests dancing is an unusually high proportion for this type of event. We're informed that the ball closed with the hosts performing an Irish Jig for the entertainment of their guests, some of whom found this spectacle to be highly amusing, whether the hosts appreciated their laughter is not recorded.

Figure 2. Portman Square in London, pictured c.1810.

Dowager Countess of Clonmell's Ball and Supper

The Morning Post newspaper for the 19th of March 1810 wrote (with dance references highlighted in bold):

On Friday night the Countess Dowager of Clonmell gave a grand Ball and Supper at her elegant mansion in Portman-square, which, in point of taste, elegance, and splendour, excelled any entertainment given this Season. The two beautiful front drawing-rooms were lighted up in the most tasteful and superb style, with brilliant chandeliers, lustres, Grecian lamps, and vases; the floors were elegantly chalked in emblematic designs by an eminent artist. At eleven o'clock dancing commenced, and at two o'clock an elegant supper, consisting of all the delicacies of the season, was served up on a superb service of plate. The dining-rooms were admirably well arranged and lighted up. Two hundred covers were laid. After supper, it then being St. Patrick's day, the merry dance was resumed, and led off by Lady Charlotte Scott and the Marquis of Downshire, to the favourite and much-admired tune of Patrick's day in the Morning. Among the company were...

The first dance after supper was led off by Lady Charlotte Scott (1787-1846), she was the countess' daughter; her partner for the dance was Arthur Hill, 3rd Marquess of Downshire (1788-1845). Hill was a highly eligible young bachelor, he was a prominent dancer at many of the balls we'll be studying of 1810. He went on to marry a daughter of the 5th Earl of Plymouth in 1811.

The Duchess of Dorset's Ball

Figure 3. Grosvenor Square in London, pictured c.1810.

The Morning Post newspaper for the 23rd of March 1810 wrote (with dance references highlighted in bold):

Dorset House, in Grosvenor-place, was opened on Wednesday evening, for the first time. This mansion is of the most elegant description, and we shall take an early opportunity of describing its beauties.

The bustle of the scene commenced at eleven o'clock; the carriages being kept in line by the excellent arrangement of Townsend no confusion prevailed, although they were not unfrequently three deep, to the extent of more than a quarter of a mile, even unto the turn-pike gate at Hyde-park-corner. About eleven o'clock the dancing commenced. The Marquis of Downshire led off with Lady Mary Sackville, the beautiful and accomplished daughter of the Noble hostess. Among the other couples were the following:-

Duke of Dorset ... Lady Georgina Bathurst
Sir George Warrender ... Lady Charlotte Scott
Earl of Guernsey ... Lady Margaret Gordon
Hon. Col. Greville ... Lady Georgina Cecil
Hon. Capt. Bishop ... Hon. Miss Smith
Marquis of Hartington ... Lady Charlotte Greville
Hon. Capt. Warrender ... Lady Frances Pratt
Hon. Mr Ord ... Lady Charlotte Clinton

The second dance was Montreuil; the third a Medley. Two sets were formed. At two o'clock the company descended to the supper-rooms; the principal one displayed uncommon taste. In this banqueting-chamber, which is of an oblong form, was a table resembling a horse-shoe, on which were placed covers for 250 persons. At the head of the table appeared a magnificent temple, composed of ornamental pastry; in the centre, was a Cupid, in an ariel posture, supporting a beautiful cypher, i.e. the initials of the name of the Duchess's daughters. Disposed around the table were castellated towers, grottos, cottages, and rocky landscapes; each of these various objects contained concealed confectionery, and preserved fruits. A vast deal of taste in the disposition of the various ornaments was displayed. The Prince of Wales's own Confectioner superintended this entertainment. The dancing recommenced at three o'clock, with reels and strathspeys; French figure dances concluded the night's entertainment. The Prince of Wales, the Royal Dukes of Cumberland and Cambridge, and the Persian Ambassador retired before supper.

The dancing once again involved a variety of different styles, we'll investigate the dancing further below. One of the guests at the event was the Persian Ambassador, we'll hear more of him shortly.

The Duchess Dowager of Newcastle's Ball

Figure 4. Berkeley Square in London, pictured c.1810.

The Morning Post newspaper for the 4th of April 1810 wrote (with dance references highlighted in bold):

On Monday evening, at her Grace's residence in Charles street, Berkeley-square, far excelled every similar entertainment yet produced this season, if we except the very superb fete given lately by the Duchess of Dorset. The preparations at Newcastle House displayed the most refined taste, insomuch that the Prince of Wales was charmed by the uniform elegance which reigned throughout the whole. Ere eleven o'clock Berkeley-square was filled with elegant equipages; half an hour after 400 persons had gained admittance into the house. About the latter period the dancing commenced with a new reel, called Lady Madelina Sinclair. The Marquis of Downshire led off with Lady Charlotte Pelham Clinton, a most interesting and beautiful young Lady, having the advantages of being tall, and singularly elegant in her proportions. Lady Clinton is the daughter of the Duchess of Newcastle; it was her first introduction to the fashionable world, and on that account the ball was given. Among the couples who danced were the following:-

Lord Brownlow ... Lady C. Fitzroy
Hon. Mr Macdonald ... Miss Catharine Tylney Long
Sir George Warrender ... Miss Bishop
Hon. Capt. Warrender ... Lady M. Yorke
Sir Robt. Sinclair ... Lady Georgiana Cecil
Lord Clive ... Lady Frances Pratt
Lord Arthur Somerset ... Hon. Miss Montagu
Hon. Capt. Bennett ... Lady Mary Grenville
Earl of Guernsey ... Lady Harriet Clive
Hon. Brownlow North ... Miss Elphinstone Mercer
Hon. Mr Ord ... Lady Margaret Gordon
Hon. Mr Frazer ... Lady Charlotte Scott

The dancing was kept up without a moments intermission (notwithstanding the vast crowd in the rooms, which produced a degree of heat almost insufferable) until half past two in the morning; the company retired to the supper-rooms soon after. It is supposed that 600 people were there in the course of the night; many of them retired early. Dancing was renewed about half-past three o'clock. A favourite reel, in which Hon. Captain Macdonald, Lady Pelham Clinton, Sir Robert Sinclair, and a Lady (unknown) joined, was given in the true Highland fling; the latter closed the night's amusements at six o'clock yesterday morning. All the ladies were dressed most superbly; they were mostly attired in white satin or sarsnet dresses, with Grecian head-dresses; many made a grand display of diamonds, but the Countess of Clonmell, as usual, excelled; her tiara was supposed to be worth 21,000 guineas.

The Persian Ambassador wore, for the first time, his state costume; it was a superbly embroidered vest, almost wholly composed of real gold; he wore many jewels. The Duke of Cumberland held a long conversation with his Excellency, in which the Prince of Wales occasionally joined. Among the company we noted...

Lord Sydney's Ball and Supper

Figure 5. Grosvenor Square in London, pictured c.1750.

The Morning Post newspaper for the 4th of May 1810 wrote (with dance references highlighted in bold):

On Wednesday evening his Lordship gave a magnificent ball and supper, at his superb mansion in Grosvenor-square. The house was illuminated with wax candles only, placed in chrystal lamps. The ball was opened by the Marquis of Hartington, and the Hon. Miss Townshend, to the new tune of Morgiana in Ireland. Thirty couple went down the dance; it was so great a favourite that it lasted one hour and a half. Among the dancers were the following:-

Sir Charles Douglas ... Lady Charlotte Leveson Gower
Earl of Dalkeith ... Lady Pelham Clinton
Lord Mark Kerr ... Lady Catherine Gordon
Marquis of Downshire ... Lady Margaret Scott
Mr Dashwood ... Lady C. Stewart
Hon. Capt. Warrender ... Miss Mildmay.

The second was The Persian Dance, composed in compliment to his Excellency Mirza Abul Hassan, which was likewise a great favourite. At half past two o'clock the company supped; tables were set out in different apartments, with covers for about three hundred persons. The banquet was sumptuous in the extreme; and among the novelties were an abundance of peacocks roasted, with the plumage on their heads, and brought to table entire. Dancing was resumed about half past three o'clock, and the evening's amusements concluded with reels and Strathspeys about seven in the morning. In the latter the Earl of Dalkeith and Lord Mark Kerr greatly excelled.

One unexpected couple reported to have danced consisted of the eligible Marquiss of Downshire and Lady Margaret Scott. Margaret Scott was presumably the Dowager Countess of Clonmell (hostess of one of our earlier balls). If that is correct then her presence in this dance is curious, it's more likely that her daughter Lady Charlotte Scott was the dancer and that our correspondent made a small mistake.

Figure 6. Kensington Palace in London, pictured c.1820.

The Princess of Wales's Grand Ball

The Morning Post newspaper for the 7th of May 1810 wrote (with dance references highlighted in bold):

On Friday evening her Royal Highness gave a Ball and Supper, at her apartments in Kensington Palace. The company invited were select; the principal drawing-room was fitted up for dancing; it was brilliantly illuminated by a single Grecian chandelier of the richest cut paste drops ever seen. The amusements commenced with the reel of Tulloch-goram, by the Duchess of Manchester, Hon. Mr St Leger, and the Hon. Capt. Warrender. Country dances ensued; Lord Hume was led off by Lord Ashbrooke and the Duchess of Manchester; followed by

Hon. Colonel Capel ... Lady Barbara Ashley Cowper
Hon. Mr Montagu ... Lady E. Herries
Earl of Dalkeith ... Lady M. Grenville
Captain Warrender ... Lady C. Greville

Sleepy Moggy was the second dance; it was given with admirable spirit by the Duchess of Manchester, Lady Cowper, &c. A supper, the most sumptuous, the company partook of at two o'clock, served wholly on plate. The dancing was afterwards resumed, and at six o'clock in the morning the party broke up.

This ball was hosted by Caroline of Brunswick (1768-1821), the estranged wife of the Prince of Wales, at Kensington Palace (see Figure 6). We're not told much about the ball but the Duchess of Manchester (1774-1828) was evidently one of the more honoured of guests; the Duchess was similarly estranged from her husband (the 5th Duke) who had left the country in 1808 when appointed to the role of Governor of Jamaica. Perhaps the two ladies felt they had something in common.

The Countess of Shaftesbury's Ball

Figure 7. Portland Place in London, pictured c.1815.

The Morning Post newspaper for the 19th of May 1810 wrote (with dance references highlighted in bold):

Given on Thursday evening, at the magnificent mansion in Portland-place, is another proof of the great request in which such fetes are held this season. The capacious apartments, and there are four or five on each floor, were decorated with flowers and other fragrant shrubs; every room was illuminated by wax candles only. The Ball was opened at eleven with The Persian Dance, by the Marquis of Hartington and Lady Barbara Ashley Cowper. About twenty couple followed, among whom were the following:-

Earl of Aboyne ... Lady Charlotte Clinton
Earl of Ilchester ... Lady Frances Pratt
Viscount Palemerstone ... Hon. Miss Bankes
Sir George Warrender ... Lady Georgiana Cecil
Earl of Kinnoul ... Lady E. Clive
Mr Wynne ... Miss Bouverie
Hon. Capt. Warrender ... Lady C. Scott
Hon. Mr. Robinson ... Lady C. Gordon
Lord Hawarden ... Lady M. Sackville

The second dance was a Waltz Medley. The spirit of the scene remained unabaited until half past three o'clock (an hour unusually late), when the supper was announced. The banquet was extremely sumptuous; it was served wholly on plate, and French china. Covers were laid for 320, in the two principal apartments on the ground floor. At half past five in the morning the dancing recommenced with a French figure dance by Lady B.A. Cowper. Reels and strathspeys concluded the whole at eight o'clock.

This ball was hosted by Barbara Ashley-Cooper the Countess of Shaftesbury, she married the 5th Earl of Shaftesbury in 1786. Their daughter was the 18 year old Lady Barbara Ashley-Cooper (1788-1844), the ball may have been held as her formal introduction to society; she led off the first dance with (once again) the 19 year old William Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington (1790-1858). We'll investigating the dancing further below.

The Barfield Ball at Broadstairs

Figure 8. A View of Broadstairs, pictured c.1828.

The Morning Post newspaper for the 18th of September 1810 wrote (with dance references highlighted in bold):

The Ball, last night, at Mr Barfield's small though elegant little Room, was crowded to excess, and was opened by the Hon. Miss Maynard, and Miss Henniker, to the delightful tune of The Opera Hat, and followed by about 30 couple.

The company began to assemble about nine, and before ten upwards of 200 people of the most select fashionables in the island were present. Between eleven and twelve, when the company were thinking of retiring (as Lord Hanniker gave a grand supper), a Gentleman whose name we could not learn (but generally believed to be a foreigner of distinction), accompanied by a Lady dressed in the Spanish costume, made their entre. The company were not a little surprised, but this surprise was heightened into admiration, when, in the Persian Dance, this elegant foreigner, and his no less amiable partner, displayed all the graces of a Des Haynes and an Angeolini.

Lord Henniker, whose affable manners are as much the general theme, as the beauty and amiable condescension of his lovely niece, were present, besides Mr Gosling and family, the Duchess of Chandos, Lady Brooke and daughter, Mrs Ratteray...

It's not entirely clear who Mr Barfield the proprietor of this ball was but he evidently lived at Broadstairs on the Isle of Thanet in eastern Kent (see Figure 8). He may have been the owner of the local Assembly Rooms, his venue is described elsewhere as Barfield's Library. It's possible that this event was a public ball at which tickets could be purchased by anyone who wished to attend, or it may have been a private invitational event. The guests consisted of all the notables on the small island, notably Lord Henniker (1752-1821) and his family. Mr Barfield hosted a large company at his rooms with 30 couples dancing together. Many of the guests evidently went on to attended Lord Henniker's supper after this event ended.

One unusual observation involving this ball was that the opening dance was apparently led off by two ladies, this was contrary to the typical conventions followed at most of the nation's Assembly Rooms. Each Assembly Room would publish its own bylaws to govern such matters, an example issued by Edward Payne in 1814 directed: No two Ladies must dance together whilst two Gentlemen in the room are disengaged, the same rule must be observed by the Gentlemen.. A private ball was of course a different type of event, if Mr Barfield as the host had invited the ladies to lead off together than that would be their prerogative. We've previously investigated a ball held in 1803 that began before the men had even arrived! It is of course possible that the ladies did not dance together as a couple, perhaps each led a different longways set or they occupied the first two positions in the set.

A mysterious foreigner and his partner impressed the locals in the Persian Dance. They are reported to have danced with the elegance of the leading stage performers of the London Opera House.

The Fairy Dance

... the dancing soon afterwards commenced with The Fairy Dance, by Lord Orkney and the Hon. Miss Crawford Bruce. The Hon. Mr Macdonald followed, with Miss Scot Murray; two sets were formed of twenty couple in each. (Earl of Orkney's Ball)

We've studied the Fairy Dance (and investigated its disputed composition credit) in a previous research paper, you might like to follow the link to read more. It was a popular tune that had been introduced to society back in 1807, it was well known and widely danced at our date of 1810. We're informed that two sets of 20 couples danced to it at Lord Orkney's ball of 1810, they must have enjoyed it.

Morgiana (and Morgiana in Ireland)

Figure 9. Morgiana from Skillern & Challoner's c.1809 8th Number.

The second dance was Morgiana; the latter was the favourite throughout the night. (Earl of Orkney's Ball)

The ball was opened by the Marquis of Hartington, and the Hon. Miss Townshend, to the new tune of Morgiana in Ireland. Thirty couple went down the dance; it was so great a favourite that it lasted one hour and a half. (Lord Sydney's Ball and Supper)

Morgiana is the name of a tune that became popular in London c.1808, it went on to inspire a family of related country dancing tunes including the c.1810 Morgiana in Ireland. We've studied Morgiana in Ireland before (together with the Morgiana tune that inspired it), you might like to follow this link to read more. We didn't investigate the publishing history of the initial Morgiana tune on that previous occasion so will do so now.

A precise chronology of publication for Morgiana can't be established but examples include: Campbell's c.1808 1st Number, Clementi & Co's c.1809 6th Number, Cahusac's collection of 24 Country Dances for 1809, Skillern & Challoner's c.1809 8th Number (see Figure 9), James Platts's c.1809 9th Number, Goulding's c.1809 14th Number, Button & Whitaker's c.1809 11th Number, Andrew's c.1809 19th Number, Monzani's c.1809 10th Number, Ball's c.1809 1st Number and Dale's c.1809 13th Number. It was also published in Bland & Weller's collection of 24 for 1810, Preston's 24 for 1810, Fentum's 24 for 1810 and in Davie's c.1810 20th Number (under the name Morgiani). Nathaniel Gow published it in Edinburgh in his c.1810 Morgiana, with Five more new Country Dances and Archibald Duff printed it in his 1812 Part First of A Choice Selection of Minuets, Favourite Airs, Hornpipes, Waltzs, &c.. The Gow publication was especially interesting as it offered a composition credit for the tune to a Miss Bouvrie; she was Miss Charlotte Bouverie (d.1810), the second daughter of Bartholemew Bouverie (1753-1835). Charlotte would go on to marry Sir Henry St John-Mildmay (1787-1848) later in 1809, she died from complications of childbirth the following year. Nathaniel Gow referred to Charlotte a second time in his collection of The Favourite Dances of 1810 where he referred to the tune's author by her new name of Lady Mildmay (and also identified her as the composer of two other popular tunes: The Nameless and La Terza). It's likely that she also composed The Prime of Life.

We've animated a suggested arrangement of Skillern & Challoner's c.1809 version (see Figure 9) and of Button & Whitaker's c.1809 version.

For futher references to the tune, see also: Morgiana in England at The Traditional Tune Archive.

Scots Medlies, Reels and Strathspeys

E'er the hour of four the dancing was renewed with Scots medlies... (The Earl of Orkney's Ball)

... the third a Medley... The dancing recommenced at three o'clock, with reels and strathspeys (The Duchess of Dorset's Ball)

A favourite reel, in which Hon. Captain Macdonald, Lady Pelham Clinton, Sir Robert Sinclair, and a Lady (unknown) joined, was given in the true Highland fling; the latter closed the night's amusements at six o'clock yesterday morning. (The Duchess Dowager of Newcastle's Ball)

... the evening's amusements concluded with reels and Strathspeys about seven in the morning. (Lord Sydney's Ball and Supper)

Reels and strathspeys concluded the whole at eight o'clock. (The Countess of Shaftesbury's Ball)

Scottish themed dances were an important part of many London balls at this date, they were especially likely to feature towards the end of an event. We've investigated the confusion around the use of the terms Reel, Strathspey and Medley in a previous paper, you might like to follow this link to read more. We've also described the Reel of Four in a previous paper. We'll go on to consider a specific Reel named the Reel of Tulloch Gorum later in this paper. An interesting observation from the Duchess Dowager of Newcastle's Ball was that a favourite reel was given in the true Highland fling, this might imply that a great deal of energy was expended in the performance of that specific Reel of Four.

The precise details of what was danced at our Balls is unknown, these dances were probably less formal than the preceding Country Dances and probably danced with greater vigour.

German Waltzes and Waltz Medleys

E'er the hour of four the dancing was renewed with Scots medlies and German waltzes. (The Earl of Orkney's Ball)

The second dance was a Waltz Medley. (The Countess of Shaftesbury's Ball)

The couple waltz had been growing in popularity in Britain since the 1790s, especially so since the turn of the 19th century, we've investigated the phenomenon in a previous paper. A waltz medley is a series of waltz tunes played in succession for waltz couple dancing, we've also investigated this concept in another previous paper, you might like to follow the links to read more.

Irish (and Scottish) Jigs

Figure 10. A selection of Jigs. A Jig on Board, 1818 (top left); The Last Jig, 1818 (top right); Meg of Wapping, date unknown, She'd shine at the Play & she'd Jig at the Ball (bottom left); A Tipperary Jig, 1818 (bottom middle); Hibernia in a Jig, 1801 (bottom right).

the Earl and Countess entertained their guests with an Irish gig; which was performed with inimitable perfection, as to charm those who were competent judges of its merit, and convulse with laughter, others. The same dance was exhibited at the Duchess of Gordon's ball, in Piccadilly, about ten years since. The parties were Mr Quin and Lady Kier. (The Earl of Orkney's Ball)

The Jig is a challenging dance to write about. It was widely referenced in the early 19th century both in the names of tunes and in vague references to dancing, rarely with any specificity. The dancing masters advertised tuition in the jig but they didn't write much on the subject, hence little is definitively known. The jig is therefore something of a mystery. Some modern authorities have attempted to reconstruct what dancers of the early 19th century would have understood by the word jig by projecting backwards from later conventions. For the purposes of this paper we'll limit ourselves to material from the approximate date range in question.

One immediate observation is that the word jig can apply both to a tune and also to a dance. The same is true for such terms as reel, hornpipe and strathspey (some of which are referenced above). Some uses of the term are clearly musical in context, others pertain to dancing, yet more are of indeterminate meaning. Many uses of the word jig appear in a non-technical context implying little more than an energetic and usually improvised dance, our jig danced at the Earl of Orkney's ball in 1810 was evidently considered a comic dance by the uninitiated. We're informed that a similar jig was danced at a ball held by the Duchess of Gordon a decade earlier, we've studied one of her balls from 1803 in a previous paper (though with no suggestion that it featured a jig).

The 1766 edition of Samuel Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language defined the jig as A light careless dance, or tune and to jig as To dance carelessly; to dance. The key word in these definitions is careless, the dancing was not studied and perfected so much as it was fun and carefree. Frederick Burton's 1773 Complete English Dictionary defined jig as a light, quick dance or tune and to jig as to dance a quick and light dance called a jig. Used in contempt for dancing in general; this definition emphasised that the jig was danced quickly and that the term was often used pejoratively. William Perry's 1795 A General Dictionary of the English Language defined jig as to dance nimbly, once again hinting at a rapid dance. William Nicholson's 1809 The British Encyclopedia contrasted several forms of dancing, it explained that: The hornpipe, rigadoon, cotillion, waltz, &c. are various kinds of dances, in rather a slow time, so as to admit of much grace; while the jig, the reel, the country dance, &c. are more active amusements, and require less finish from the dancing master.. Once again we're given the impression that the jig was an unscripted and energetic dance requiring little in the way of tuition. A jig, in many contexts, was simply a solo or duo look at me dance; an improvised and rapid performance piece of no great significance often associated with the working classes.

The story doesn't end there however. Some dancing masters did teach a performance jig in the early 19th century. The most prominent among whom was Alexander Wills; he entered into partnership with Mr Second in 1801, they jointly advertised (The Courier, 5th December 1801) that: Their original Irish Steps and Jigs having now received uncontrouled pre-eminence, in consequence of Mr Second having acquired them in Ireland, they no longer withhold them from the London Masters; and Country Masters will, as usual, be taught them during the holidays, in the same manner they teach them at their own Schools. Wills had previously published his Ten New Fashionable Irish Dances in the year 1800, this publication included references to several distinctively Irish steps: double Irish footing, the running step, the double footing step, the back step, the single Irish footing step, the running footing step and the Irish shuffle. Early in 1801 another dancing master named Mr Burghall (Morning Chronicle, 16th of January 1802) advertised tuition in the much admired Irish single and double Jigs along with a variety of easy Steps, particularly the manner of introducing the Irish ones, now so fashionable, to 9-8 tunes. By 1804 the Courier newspaper (20th December 1804) noted of the Assemblies at Bath that It was formerly the practice for the opening of the Dress Balls here to be distinguished by minuets; but this custom seems now totally exploded; and the more merry notes of a Scotch or an Irish jig generally begins and ends the graceful diversion - whatever pejorative implications the word jig may have previously held seems to have been lost (at least amongst the Bath and London elite) by the start of the 19th century. The dancing master Thomas Wilson offered tuition in the Irish Comic Dance in 1808 (presumably a reference to a performance jig) and Messrs Southern and Foster taught Scotch and Irish Jigs in 1812 (Hull Advertiser, 11th July 1812). The phenomenon of Irish steps being introduced into Country Dancing was current around the turn of the 19th century, there were techniques that a dancing master could teach to someone who wanted to perfect their jig dancing. One family who was particularly associated with the Jig were the Marquis and Marchioness of Abercorn (we've studied some of their balls in a previous paper); the Statesman newspaper for the 19th January 1810 reported of the Abercorns that: His Lordship's German Band perform during dinner, and, for the honour of the country, Irish jigs are danced at night, to the enlivening sounds of the Irish harp and bagpipes. The Abercorns were members of the Irish peerage resident in London, they evidently encouraged the dancing of jigs at the society Balls that they hosted.

But how was a jig typically danced? Several caricature images of jig dancing do survive (see Figure 10), they are curiously consistent in the movements depicted. They generally depict either a solo or duo dance; the male partner will be shown with an arm in the air and the other hand at his hip, the female partner will have both hands at her hips or waist. Both partners will be shown performing complex step patterns with their feet. The dancers are evidently engaged in a performance. A trained dancer might have a fancy repertoire of steps to draw from but anyone could have a go at dancing a jig.

Patrick's Day in the Morning

After supper, it then being St. Patrick's day, the merry dance was resumed, and led off by Lady Charlotte Scott and the Marquis of Downshire, to the favourite and much-admired tune of Patrick's day in the Morning (Dowager Countess of Clonmell's Ball and Supper)

Figure 11. St Patrick's Day from Johnson's c.1740 A Choice Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances (top left), from Wilson's 1816 A Companion to the Ballroom (top right), and from Dale's c.1809 15th Number (bottom).

This tune had already been in circulation for at least seven decades at the date of our ball, it was supposedly of Irish origin although its roots are uncertain. The earliest publication of the tune that I can find was issued in London, it's the c.1740 first volume of Johnson's A Choice Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances (see Figure 11). It would also appear in the c.1756 first volume of Rutherford's Compleat Collection of 200 of the most celebrated Country Dances (it's the first dance in that collection). It would then be printed in the c.1759 12th volume of James Oswald's Caledonian Pocket Companion, once again in London. The tune reached further levels of popularity after being used by Thomas Arne in his 1762 opera Love in a Village to accompany a song named A plague of these Wenches; Arne identified the tune as being an Irish Melody. It then appeared in Thompson's c.1790 Hibernian Muse publication where it was credited as being In Love in a Village; the publication date of Thompson's work is not at all obvious but it clearly post-dates Arne's opera.

The first publication of the tune under the longer name of St Patrick's Day in the Morning may have been from Glasgow in James Aird's 1782 first volume of his A Selection of Scotch, English, Irish and Foreign Airs. It would then appear under the same name in Niel Gow's 1806 Part Third of the Complete Repository of Original Scots Slow Strathspeys & Dances where it was explicitly identified as being a Jig, Irish. It presumably entered the repertoire of the Gow bands at around this date, they in turn may have championed the tune in London. The tune must have been popular as it would go on to be published at least a further dozen times over the following few years, such publications included: Walker's 1806 11th Number, Dale's c.1809 15th Number (see Figure 11), James Platts's 1813 36th Number and Button & Whitaker's 1813 24th Number. Other publications included a c.1808 edition of Wheatstone & Voigt's 1st Book and Button & Whitaker's Le Sylphe publication for 1814. The tune would also be referenced in Thomas Wilson's 1809 Treasures of Terpsichore, in Edward Payne's 1814 New Companion to the Ballroom and in Wilson's 1816 Companion to the Ballroom (see Figure 11).

Whatever the origins of the tune actually were, by our date of 1810 it was considered to be Irish. It was eminently suitable for an Irish themed ball held in London by a member of the Irish peerage. The tune had previously featured in a Dublin ball of 1802 (True Briton, 25th of Febuary 1802) and again in 1808, the Dublin Evening Post for the 26th of July 1808 reported of that ball that The Duchess of Manchester led off the 2d set with Capt Gore, one of his Grace's Aid-de-Camps, to the favorite air of St Patrick's Day. It was also danced at a St Patrick's Day celebration in Bangalore in 1812 (Government Gazette, 26th of March 1812). I've not encountered any other references to the tune being danced socially but it must have been fairly well known.

One complication with the tune is that most of the published variants involve an irregular second strain. Most country dancing tunes are phrased in either 4, 8 or 16-bar strains; the Walker variant of our tune has an 8-Bar A strain followed by a 14-Bar B strain, both Dale (see Figure 11) and Button & Whitaker arranged it the same way. James Platts arranged it as an 8-bar A strain followed by a 6-bar B strain with an 8-bar C strain and Wheatstone & Voigt arranged it as an 8-bar A strain followed by a 10-bar B strain. Thomas Wilson in his 1816 Companion to the Ballroom arranged it in two 8-bar strains and added a footnote: To adapt this tune for Country dancing 2 bars have been added to the last strain to make it the proper length as the original contains only 6 bars before the DC which is 2 bars too much for short & 2 bars too little for long measure. It's unusual to find an irregularly phrased country dancing tune that was genuinely popular in the early 19th century, this is a rare example. Arranging dancing figures to fit the irregular music is a challenge, most of the published examples made little effort to resolve this issue. The earlier 18th century arrangements of the tune were regular, Johnson published it as an 8-bar A strain followed by a 16-bar B strain (see Figure 11), so too did Rutherford. The exotic arrangement was (as far as can be discerned) the invention of Thomas Arne for use with A Plague of these Wenches, the comic song was evidently popular as the subsequent publications were influenced by it. Wilson evidently thought that the Arne arrangement was the original version, Wilson's adaptions actually reverted the tune back to something closer to its 18th century predecessor.

We've animated an arrangement of the first of Thomas Wilson's figure sequences for St Patrick's Day from his 1816 A Companion to the Ballroom (see Figure 11), we've done so using his adapted arrangement of the music.

Montreal

The second dance was Montreuil... (The Duchess of Dorset's Ball)

Figure 12. Montreal from Skillern & Challoner's 1809 8th Number

The Montreal tune was widely published in London in both 1809 and 1810, it can be found within at least a dozen dance collections published at around this date. The name of the tune remains a mystery however, it's not clear why it was named Montreal. Montreal was (at the time) a city in Lower Canada, part of the British North American colonial territories. Many popular tunes took their names from topics that were being discussed by ordinary Londoners, in many cases the name will surface in the pages of the London newspapers in some other context; not so in this case however, there's no immediately obvious reason for a tune to have been named after the city of Montreal.

1809 saw the erection of Nelson's Column in Montreal in dedication to the British Admiral Horatio Nelson, it's possible that the tune's name references this monument, though this seems unlikely (whereas Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square wasn't constructed until the 1840s). A Danish ship named the Montreal had been captured by HMS Brilliant in December 1807, the prize money for which was distributed in January 1809 (The Star, 18th January 1809), it's possible that this success was what the tune was named in reference to, though once again this seems improbable. Perhaps the unknown composer was from Montreal? All we can do is speculate.

Regardless of the origins of the tune it was clearly a hit in 1809. The precise chronology of publication can't be known but examples include: Halliday & Co's Collection of Dances for 1809, Wheatstone & Voigt's 1809 4th Book, Skillern & Challoner's 1809 8th Number (see Figure 12), Goulding & Co's c.1809 15th Number, Dale's c.1809 15th Number, Davie's c.1809 23rd Number, Wheatstone's 24 for 1810, Fentum's 24 for 1810, Bland & Weller's 24 for 1810, Andrew's c.1810 23rd Number and Monzani's c.1810 11th Number. It can also be found in Goulding's 24 for 1811, Walker's 1812 29th Number and is referenced in both Thomas Wilson's 1809 Treasures of Terpsichore and in Edward Payne's 1814 New Companion to the Ballroom. Yet for all this publication history the tune is rarely mentioned in the newspapers, our event in 1810 is the only Ball for which I can positively identify that the tune was danced.

This tune is an example of something that was popular back in 1810 but that was largely forgotten thereafter.

We've animated a suggested arrangement of Skillern & Challoner's 1809 version (see Figure 12).

French Figure Dances

... French figure dances concluded the night's entertainment. (The Duchess of Dorset's Ball)

We've studied the concept of French Figure Dances in previous papers. They were choreographed dances of a generally French origin, often arranged in a square formation; the term was sufficiently vague that it could refer to a Minuet, a Cotillion or even to a couple Waltz. You might like to follow the link to read an investigation of the term in relation to a society ball of 1803, or this second link that explores the general concept of figure dances. We can't know exactly what was danced at the Duchess' ball. As the last dance of the end of the evening it may have been something special, perhaps a Cotillion dance or maybe even an early Quadrille. Those involved in the dancing (whatever form the dance took) would have prepared their display-dance in advance, this performance would have been carefully prepared by the hostess and her friends, the other guests should have been suitably impressed.

Lady Madelina Sinclair

... the dancing commenced with a new reel, called Lady Madelina Sinclair. (The Duchess Dowager of Newcastle's Ball)

Figure 13. Lady Madelina Sinclairs Strathspey from Niel Gow's 1792 Third Collection of Strathspey Reels (above), and The Braes of Aberarder from the 1794 4th volume of James Aird's Selection of Scotch, English, Irish and Foreign Airs (middle), and Lady Madelina Sinclair's Strathspey from Davie's 1803 8th Number (below).

Lady Madelina Sinclair (1772-1847) was the second daughter of the 4th Duke of Gordon. Her sisters were numbered amongst the most elite of society hosts, her mother Jane Gordon (c.1748-1812) had been one of the most influential social dancers of her generation. Madelina married Sir Robert Sinclair (1763-1795) in 1789; after he died she went on to marry Charles Palmer (1769-1843) in 1805. By the date of our ball her name was Lady Madelina Palmer; meanwhile three of her sisters had become the Duchesses of Richmond, Manchester and Bedford. Madelina would have either been known to, or at least known of by, most of the guests at the Duchess of Newcastle's ball. She may even have been present at the ball in person.

We're informed that the tune was a new reel. This is a doubly curious phrase. It seems to imply that the tune was of recent composition, but if that was so then why dedicate the tune to Lady Madelina Sinclair (using the name from her first marriage) rather than Lady Madelina Palmer? Perhaps what was meant was that the tune had been recently introduced to London society. And why refer to it as a reel? Was that a carefully selected technical use of the word reel or was it a throwaway expression with little meaning beyond Scottish in style? Both questions will become relevant in just a moment.

Several tunes dedicated to Madelina Sinclair were in circulation in 1810, by far the most popular was named Lady Madelina Sinclair's Strathspey, it had been known (under that name) from at least as early as 1792. It was published in Edinburgh in Niel Gow's 1792 Third Collection of Strathspey Reels (see Figure 13), in London in William Campbell's c.1793 8th Book and in Preston & Co's 24 Country Dances for 1795 under the name Lady Madelon Sinclairs Fancy. It was also published in Robert Petrie's c.1799 Third Collection of Strathspey Reels, in Davie's 1803 8th Number (see Figure 13) and in John Anderson's c.1810 Budget of Strathspeys, Reels & Country Dances under the modernised title of Lady Madelina Palmer's Strathspey. The origins of the tune may be a little older however, I understand (but have been unable to confirm for myself) that it can be found in Charles Duff's 1792 A Collection of Strathspeys, Reels, Jiggs &c. under the title The Braes of Aberarder; the possibility exists that Niel Gow (or someone else) renamed Charles Duff's tune in tribute to Lady Madelina Sinclair, perhaps she had expressed a preference for the tune after having heard it somewhere. I've been unable to consult Duff's publication but have found our tune in the 1794 4th volume of James Aird's Selection of Scotch, English, Irish and Foreign Airs, once again under the name The Braes of Aberarder (see Figure 13).

Lady Madelina Sinclair's Strathspey may have been a successful tune but was it danced at our ball? We noted above that the tune was described as being a new reel rather than an 18 year old strathspey, could some other tune entirely have been danced at the ball? A reel named Lady Madelina Sinclair's Birth-Day had been published several times between 1801 and 1810 but this tune wasn't new either. Malcolm Macdonald published a tune named Lady Madelina Sinclair's Reel in his c.1793 Third Collection of Strathspey Reels, but this tune wasn't widely published. Maybe some other tune was newly composed around 1810 under the same name?

The tune is known to have been danced at one further ball of 1810 in addition to that of the Dowager Duchess of Newcastle. It was also, according to the Morning Post newspaper, danced at Hon. Mrs Knox's Ball (Morning Post, 30th April 1810): At half an hour after ten the dancing commenced with Lady Madelina Sinclair's Reel, a new and very sprightly tune. This second reference once again emphasises that the tune was new, a reel, and also very sprightly. We can't say with any certainty which tune was being danced at the society balls of 1810; my guess is that the tune better known as Lady Madelina Sinclair's Strathspey is the most likely candidate, perhaps having recently been introduced to London society; but some other tune may subsequently emerge as being a better candidate.

We've animated a suggested arrangement of J. Davies 1808 version and of Preston's 1795 version.

For futher references to the tune, see also: Lady Madelina Sinclair (1) at The Traditional Tune Archive.

The Persian Dance

The second was The Persian Dance, composed in compliment to his Excellency Mirza Abul Hassan, which was likewise a great favourite. (Lord Sydney's Ball and Supper)

The Ball was opened at eleven with The Persian Dance, by the Marquis of Hartington and Lady Barbara Ashley Cowper. About twenty couple followed... (The Countess of Shaftesbury's Ball)

... in the Persian Dance, this elegant foreigner, and his no less amiable partner, displayed all the graces... (The Barfield Ball at Broadstairs)

The Persian Dance was composed by John Parry and was named in reference to the Persian ambassador to London, he was a regular attendee of society balls in 1810 (he is named among the guests of two of the balls above). It was an immensely popular tune for the season; we've written about it elsewhere, you might like to follow the link to read more.

Reel of Tulloch Gorum

The amusements commenced with the reel of Tulloch-goram, by the Duchess of Manchester, Hon. Mr St Leger, and the Hon. Capt. Warrender. (The Princess of Wales's Grand Ball)

Figure 14. Tulloch Gorm from the c.1757 second volume of Robert Bremner's Collection of Scots Reels or Country Dances (top), Tulloch Gorum from Thomas Skillern's collection of 24 Country Dances for 1791 (bottom left) and the Reel of Tulloch Gorum from Thomas Wilson's 1816 Companion to the Ballroom (bottom right).

The Reel of Tulloch-goram is a curiously ambiguous reference, it's not entirely obvious what would have been danced at our ball of 1810. Two candidate tunes emerge, both of which had been widely published in both London and Edinburgh over the several decades leading up to our ball; one candidate is usually named Tulloch Gorum (or a variation of that name), the other The Reel of Tulloch. Both tunes have remained popular into the modern era (a dance named The Reel of Tulloch remains a staple of modern Scottish country dancing). But which tune was danced at our ball? Let's consider the two options.

The tune named Tulloch Gorum first appeared in print in the c.1757 second volume of Robert Bremner's Collection of Scots Reels or Country Dances under the name Tulloch Gorm (see Figure 14); at this early date the tune lacked the strathspey rhythm that some arrangements would subsequently acquire. Its next appearance in print (as far as I can discern) was once again in Edinburgh in Angus Cumming's 1780 A Collection of Strathspey or Old Highland Reels, this time under the title Tullochgorm's Reel; it then appeared in Glasgow in James Aird's 1782 first volume of A Selection of Scotch, English, Irish and Foreign Airs under Bremner's earlier name of Tulloch Gorm (albeit arranged with a different time signature). It was then published by Niel Gow in Edinburgh in his 1784 A Collection of Strathspey Reels under the name that would go on to remain associated with the tune, Tulloch Gorum. It was published several times c.1789, in Edinburgh by John Anderson in his A Selection of the most Approved Highland Strathspeys, Country Dances, English & French Dances and in Glasgow by Joshua Campbell in his A Collection of New Reels & Highland Strathspeys. It would thereafter appear in several collections issued in London: in a c.1789 Thompson publication named The Caledonian Muse, in Thomas Skillern's collection of 24 Country Dances for 1791 (see Figure 14) and again in Skillern's 24 Country Dances for 1796 (this latter publication reused the same plate that had been used 5 years earlier). It also appeared in William Campbell's c.1796 11th Book, in George Walker's c.1810 25th Number and, perhaps most tellingly, in Thomas Wilson's 1816 Companion to the Ballroom (under the name Reel of Tulloch Gorum, see Figure 14). Nathaniel Gow also published the tune in Edinburgh his 1818 Part First of The Beauties of Niel Gow. The publishing history of the tune suggests that it was well known in Scotland throughout the second half of the 18th century and only became known in London a little later on.

The tune named the Reel of Tulloch appeared in print only slightly later than did Tulloch Gorum. One of the earliest publications was within the 1761 eleventh volume of Robert Bremner's Collection of Scots Reels or Country Dances (see Figure 15), another was the 1761 first volume of Neil Stewart's A Collection of the Newest and Best Reels or Country Dances, both of which were published in Edinburgh. It then appeared in London in Bride's collection of 24 Country Dances for 1770 and in Edinburgh in Angus Cumming's 1780 A Collection of Strathspey or Old Highland Reels (as The Cumming's Rant or Reell of Tulloch with Variations). The firm of Longman & Broderip published it twice in London in the 1780s, firstly in their c.1781 Compleat Collection of 200 favourite Country Dances, Cotillons and Allemands then again in their collection of 24 Country Dances for 1789 (this time as the Reel of Tullock). It was also published in Glasgow in the 1794 fourth volume of James Aird's A Selection of Scotch, English, Irish, and Foreign Airs and in Edinburgh in Niel Gow's 1799 Part First of the Complete Repository of Original Scots slow Strathspeys and Dances. Once again we find that we have a tune that was well known in Scotland but less widely published in London.

So which tune was danced at our ball? We're informed that the reel of Tulloch-goram was danced, several considerations emerge from this phrase. It's clear from context that the word reel applied more to the style of dancing than to the title of the tune, either candidate remains viable based on this consideration. A similar reference exists from a London ball of 1804 hosted by the Countess of Balcarras, it was reported of her ball (Morning Post, 28th April 1804) that At three o'clock the dancing re-commenced with The Reel of Tulloch-gorum introduced by Mr Murray of Henderland, who gave it the true Highland Fling. It's likely that both the 1804 and 1810 events featured the same tune and dance, it's therefore improbable that the 1810 reference was a mere misprint made by the newspaper. Most of the published versions of the two tunes are distinctively named; the title of the first tune invariably includes the gorum suffix, the title of the second omits it but includes the word reel. Two example publications do not follow this pattern however: Angus Cumming published Tulloch Gorum under the name Tullochgorm's Reel in 1780 and Thomas Wilson did so in London in 1816 under the name Reel of Tulloch Gorum. It's evidently possible for the first tune to have been referenced with the word reel within the title. It is particularly significant that Thomas Wilson published the first tune under the same name that was used to describe a tune at our ball, this suggests that the first tune was better known in London and that Wilson was influenced by the aristocratically popular dance.

Figure 15. Reel of Tulloch from the c.1761 eleventh volume of Robert Bremner's Collection of Scots Reels or Country Dances (top) and The Reel of Tulloch from Joseph Lowe's 1862 2nd Book of The Royal Collection of Reels, Strathspeys & Jigs (bottom).

As a further consideration, the Scots Magazine for the 1st of January 1809 published a biography of Neil Gow that commented: To this extraordinary power of the bow ... must be ascribed the singular felicity of expression which he gave to all his music ... such as Tulloch Gorum, in which his taste and style of bowing could never be exactly reached by any other performer. If Tulloch Gorum was especially noted as being a speciality of Neil Gow then it's likely that the same tune would be promoted in London by the highly influential Gow band (who were directly responsible for numerous Scottish tunes becoming popular in London). My impression is that the first of the two tunes is far more likely to have been danced at our ball based on the available evidence.

If we consider references from later in the 19th century then the identity of the tune becomes less certain. Our second tune, the Reel of Tulloch, would go on to become associated with a specific dance that would live on into the modern RSCDS dance repertoire. This dance was evidently a favourite of Queen Victoria, she mentioned it in her diaries from at least as early as 1843. The dancing master Joseph Lowe (1796-1866) described playing a Reel of Tulloch for Queen Victoria and her children several times in the 1850s; for example, a diary entry for 1856 recalls that The Queen, the Princess Alice, Prince of Wales and my daughter danced the Reel of Tulloch with great spirit, swinging each other without ceremony sometimes rather too roughly; a similar passage from 1852 recorded that the whole party went through ... the Reel of Tulloch in which Her Majesty took a part and danced in the most spirited style. The numerous references across the diaries indicate that it was a favourite dance for the royal family. This Reel of Tulloch was arranged for four dancers however, the dance at our 1810 ball seems only to have involved three. The Victorian Reel of Tulloch would go on to be an important dance and could conceivably have been known in 1810 but it's unlikely to have been the dance enjoyed at our event.

What can we say of the dance at our ball? It was probably a Reel of Three and was probably danced to the tune of Tulloch Gorum (but played as a reel rather than a strathspey). It may have had a choreographed sequence of steps and figures but may have involved an improvised routine. It was probably danced with vigour (or, as described above in 1804, with the true Highland Fling). We've discussed the general confusion around Scottish dance references in early 19th century London elsewhere, you might like to follow the link to read more; we've also discussed the Reel of Four of the late 1790s elsewhere. Our Reel of Tulloch Gorum may have influenced the development of the Victorian Reel of Tulloch, it may be possible to reconstruct it by taking figures from the Victorian dance and reimagine them into a Reel of Three, but that falls beyond the scope of this investigation.

The three dancers from our ball were named as the Duchess of Manchester, Hon. Mr St Leger, and the Hon. Capt. Warrender. The Duchess of Manchester was Susan Montagu (1774-1828), she was the third daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Gordon (and sister to Lady Madelina Sinclair). The Duchess of Gordon is celebrated as having been an influential promoter of Scottish dance forms in London, her daughters were favourites across the ballrooms of the aristocracy. The other two dancers were presumably minor members of the British nobility. It's no surprise that a daughter of the Duchess of Gordon should be invited to dance an iconic reel at the start of the Princess of Wales's ball.

We've animated suggested country dance arrangements of Tulloch Gorum from the Skillern collection of 24 for 1791 (which was duplicated in their collection for 1796, see Figure 14) and of Thomas Wilson's 1816 Double Figure. We've also animated a suggested country dance arrangement of Longman & Broderip's c.1781 version of The Reel of Tulloch.

For futher references to the tune, see also: Reel of Tulloch (The) at The Traditional Tune Archive.

Lord Home's Reel

Figure 16. Earl of Home's Strathspey from Neil Gow's 1792 Third Collection of Strathspey Reels (top) and Lord Homes Reel from Campbell's c.1805 20th Book.

Lord Hume was led off by Lord Ashbrooke and the Duchess of Manchester (The Princess of Wales's Grand Ball)

This tune was widely published in London in both the 1790s and 1800s, it was variously known as Lord Home's Reel, Lord Hume's Reel, the Earl of Home's Strathspey and other similar variants. The dedicatee was Alexander Home, 10th Earl of Home (1769-1841), he sat in the House of Lords at the date of our ball, it's possible that he was a guest at the Princess of Wales' ball. He had married a daughter of the Duke of Buccleuch in 1798.

The tune was first published in Edinburgh in Neil Gow's 1792 Third Collection of Strathspey Reels, it was issued under the name Earl of Home's Strathspey (see Figure 16) and the composition credit was explicitly given to Nathaniel Gow (1763-1831). It's likely that the Gow band in London under John Gow (1764-1826) promoted the tune, the subsequent publications of the tune were mostly issued in London. Over the next few years it would be issued in Thomas Budd's 24th Book for 1794 (as Lord Home's Reel), in Longman & Broderip's 1794 Fourth Selection of the most favorite Country Dances, Reels &c (as Lord Homes Strathspey) and in John Fentum's A Collection of all the favorite Dances for the year 1795 (as Lord Humes). It would also be issued in Preston's c.1795 Second Selection of the most Favorite Country Dances, Reels &c. (as Lord Hume's Fancy), in Longman & Broderip's collection of 24 for 1796 (as Lord Home's Strathspey) and in Dublin in Hime's Collection of Favorite Country Dances for the present Year 1799 (as Lord Hume's Reel). It was also published in Davie's 1803 8th Number and in Campbell's c.1805 20th Book (both as Lord Home's Reel, see Figure 16). The tune was also referenced in Thomas Wilson's 1809 Treasures of Terpsichore, was published within his 1816 Companion to the Ball Room (as Lord Hume's Reel) and was again published by Nathaniel Gow in Edinburgh in his 1819 2nd Part of The Beauties of Niel Gow (as the Earl of Home's Strathspey).

The tune had been popular with the Royal family. The Kentish Gazette newspaper (for the 10th August 1798) reported on a royal ball at which The first dance, called Lord Hume's reel, was led down by Prince Ernest and Princess Mary. A few days later the Evening Mail (13th August 1798) reported on a ball held by the Duke and Duchess of York at which the first dance, Lord Hume's Reel, was led down by Lord Pagett and the Princess Augusta. The Queen hosted a ball at Frogmore (Jackson's Oxford Journal, 1st December 1798) at which ... Lord Hume's Reel followed ..., then again at Buckingham-House in 1800 (Ipswich Journal, 24th May 1800). It featured at yet another of the Queen's balls at Frogmore in 1803 (Salisbury and Winchester Journal, 10th January 1803) and at a ball hosted by the Duchess of Bedford in 1805 (Morning Post, 10th January 1805). The tune may have fallen from fashion thereafter, our ball of 1810 is the last at which I can confirm that the tune was danced.

The dance at our 1810 ball was led off (once again) by the Duchess of Manchester, her partner this time was Lord Ashbook. Ashbook has featured in our research before; his first wife was Deborah Ashbook (c.1780-1810), she died in March 1810 leaving him a widower, he evidently took to dancing shortly thereafter. Lady Ashbook had composed several popular country dancing tunes including Ferne Hill (a tune better known as The Tank), you might like to follow the link to read more.

We've animated a suggested arrangement of Budd's 1794 version, of Hime's 1799 version and of Campbell's c.1805 version (see Figure 16).

For futher references to the tune, see also: Earl of Home at The Traditional Tune Archive.

Sleepy Moggy / Sleepy Maggy

Sleepy Moggy was the second dance; it was given with admirable spirit by the Duchess of Manchester, Lady Cowper, &c. (The Princess of Wales's Grand Ball)

This tune is readily identifiable as it had been widely published in both London and Edinburgh since the 1750s. The London publications invariably named the tune Sleepy Moggy, the Scottish publications named it either as Sleepy Maggy or Sleepy Maggie, the tune in each case being the same.

Figure 17. Sleepy Moggy from Johnson's c.1751 6th volume of A Choice Collection of 200 favourite Country Dances (left) and from William Campbell's c.1802 17th Book (right).

The first publication of the tune that I can find was in London in the c.1751 6th volume of Johnson's A Choice Collection of 200 favourite Country Dances (as Sleepy Moggy, see Figure 17), it then appeared in Edinburgh in the c.1759 6th part of Robert Bremner's A Collection of Scots Reels or Country Dances (as Sleepy Maggy) and in Oswald's c.1760 10th volume of his Caledonian Pocket Companion (as Sleepy Moggy). Rutherford published it in London in the c.1764 2nd volume of his Compleat Collection of 200 of the most celebrated Country Dances (as Sleepy Moggy), then Alexander McGlashan published it in Edinburgh in his c.1786 Collection of Reels (as Sleepy Maggy), this time with two additional strains of music appended. Robert Mackintosh offered a similar arrangement to McGlashan in his c.1796 3rd Book of Sixty Eight New Reels and Strathspeys (as Sleepy Maggie) once again with four strains of music, then Preston & Son issued it in London in their 24 Country Dances for 1797 (as Sleepy Moggy). Niel Gow published it in Edinburgh in 1799 in his Part First of the Complete Repository of Original Scots slow Strathspeys and Dances (as Sleepy Maggy), then William Campbell offered it in London in his c.1802 17th Book (as Sleepy Moggy, see Figure 17); James Platts included it in his 1810 19th Number (as Sleepy Moggy), Edward Payne mentioned the tune in his 1814 New Companion to the Ball Room and Thomas Wilson included it in his 1816 Companion to the Ball Room.

In addition to having been danced at the Princess of Wales's Grand Ball in 1810 it is also known to have been danced at one other early 19th century event, the Aberdeen Journal for the 30th of June 1800 reported that it was the second dance at a recent Duchess of Gordon's Ball.

We don't know who led off this dance at our event in 1810 but once again the Duchess of Manchester is named as having danced it with admirable spirit; the Duchess was of course a daughter of the same Duchess of Gordon who featured this tune at a ball in 1800, perhaps it was a favourite tune in their family. The socialite Lady Cowper (1787-1869) is also named as having danced well.

We've animated a suggested arrangement of William Campbell's c.1802 version (see Figure 17) and of James Platts's 1810 version.

For futher references to the tune, see also: Sleepy Maggie (1) at The Traditional Tune Archive.

The Opera Hat / The Russian Dance

... was opened by the Hon. Miss Maynard, and Miss Henniker, to the delightful tune of The Opera Hat, and followed by about 30 couple. (The Barfield Ball at Broadstairs)

This tune was a popular favourite in both 1809 and 1810, it was widely published in London under the names The Opera Hat and also The Russian Dance. It became popular once again in 1814 during the state visit to London of the Russian Tsar amidst the premature celebrations for the end of the Napoleonic wars. We've studied this tune before, you might like to follow the link to read more.

Conclusion

We've seen a diverse collection of tunes being danced at our balls of 1810. They include several tunes or dances of Irish derivation, also Scottish and English dances; a French figure dance and Waltzes were also enjoyed. 1810 was a year at which the Country Dance continued to dominate the ballrooms of the aristocracy but other dance forms were increasingly of interest. We've read of a moderately diverse collection of events: balls held at large town-houses, at Royal Palaces and at popular spa towns. Many of the events were coming out parties for the daughters of the hosts. Several guests attended more than one of the events. We've read of thirty couples dancing the same Country Dance and a single dance lasting 90 minutes in duration. There have been performance of jigs, reels and figure dances. As many as 600 guests have attended over the course of an event, typically starting around 10 or 11pm. New tunes have been introduced as well as old favourites, a few of the tunes have even survived into the modern era.

We'll leave the investigation here however. If you'd like to recreate a ball of 1810 then the tunes and dances we've investigated in this paper would be very suitable to be used. Perhaps you could create a video of your ball to share with the world? If you have any further information to share, perhaps involving these or any other dances, then do please Contact Us as we'd love to know more.