Paper 56

A Selection of Balls from 1811

Contributed by Paul Cooper, Research Editor

In this paper we'll continue the theme of studying a selection of historical balls that were all held in the same year. The selection isn't entirely random, the balls have been picked as some of the dancing at these events can be reconstructed, albeit imperfectly. We'll consider seven such balls in this paper, in so doing we'll discover several country dancing tunes that were popular in the year 1811. There's no connecting theme for the events other than that they were all held in the same year, most were held in London and all were hosted by members of Britain and Ireland's aristocracy and gentry.

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

• The Marquis of Queensberry's Medley
• The Castillian Dance
• Lady Matilda Bruce's Reel
• Juliana
• The Recovery
• The Pic Nic Dance
• Lord MacDonald's Reel
• Paddy O'Carrol
• Blaise et Babet

Figure 1. The Royal Institution on Albermarle Street, c.1838. Our ball of 1811 was held on the the same street.

Marchioness Dowager of Lansdowne's Ball

The first event we'll study was hosted by the Marchioness Dowager of Lansdowne. The Morning Post newspaper for the 23rd of March 1811 wrote of this ball (with dance references in Bold):

A splendid Ball was given by the above distinguished Lady, at her residence, in Albemarle-street, on Thursday night. The magnificent proportions of the state apartments; their uniquely beautiful and very costly embellishments; the exquisitely fine collection of inestimable pictures; the vases, statues, and other precious relicts of antiquity, were the admiration of the company, exceeding in number 400 of the leading Fashionables now in town. The effect of all these varieties was considerably heightened by the admirable disposition of the lights. A brilliant Grecian chandelier, carrying an innumerable quantity of wax candles was happily disposed in a situation to shew the uncommonly chaste style of the furniture to the best advantage. Where the productions of Guido, Titian, Corregio, and Van Dyke, were hung, a quiet light, produced by an opake lamp (the largest ever seen), gave an interest to the subjects which multiplied their perfections ad infinitum. The dancing commenced at eleven o'clock with the favourite tune of Lady Montgomery, led off by Mr Lyon and Miss Giffard. Next followed:-

Lord Brooke - Miss Fawkener
Colonel Greville - Lady Georgiana Cecil
Mr Macdonald - Lady Frances Pratt
Mr Dashwood - Countess Cowper
Mr F. Macdonald - Miss Banks
Marquis of Tweedale - Miss Mildmay

The second dance was the Waltz Medley. About half an hour after two, the party sat down to a most sumptuous banquet, arranged on a variety of tables; the principal one extended the whole depth of the house, by means of the folding doors being thrown open. Dancing recommenced afterwards, the soul inspiring fiddle did not cease to vibrate on the ears of the lovers of the light fantastic toe, until long after the dawn of day; it was six o'clock when the company departed. There were present, among others, the following:- His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland; Duchesses Beaufort, Gordon, Manchester, Newcastle, Leeds; ...

The Marchioness Dowager of Lansdowne was born Lady Mary Arabella Maddox (d.1833), she had married John Petty, 2nd Marquess of Lansdowne (1765-1809) in 1805. The Marquess died in 1809 and the title passed to his brother Henry (1780-1863), she evidently retained access to their London mansion. The Marquess was her second husband, she had first married the Irish peer Duke Giffard (d.1801, Saunders's News-Letter 2nd of January 1802); she had several children from the first marriage presumably including the Miss Giffard who led off the first dance with Mr Lyon. Miss Giffard may have been her daughter Maria who was understood to have been born in 1798, this would make her only 13 years old at the date of the ball (which seems improbable but isn't impossible). Alternatively, perhaps the Miss Giffard who danced was the daughter of one of her first husband's relatives.

The first tune to be danced was Lady Montgomery's Reel, an immensely popular tune that we've written about before. The second dance was a Waltz Medley. A Waltz medley is a sequence of Waltz tunes to which the couple-waltz would be danced. We've written of Waltz Medleys elsewhere, you might like to follow the link to read more. The Waltz couple dance was considered risque at the 1811 date of our ball though it was widely danced. One commentator on the waltz in 1811 recommended that that genteel couples should hold each other by the elbows to form an open circular embrace, the dancing at our ball may have involved something polite of that nature (Morning Post, 5th of August 1811). Many leading members of the aristocracy were present for this ball; we're not informed precisely who was waltzing, the newspapers rarely identified dancers except for the first dance of the evening, the identity of the waltzing couples seems not to have been of interest.

We're informed that the soul inspiring fiddle did not cease to vibrate on the ears of the lovers of the light fantastic toe, until long after the dawn of day. This statement, if taken literally rather than as poetic imagery, suggests that the music for the ball was led by a violin. It's likely that a band of several performers would have been present, the leader of the orchestra may indeed have played a violin.

Mrs Calvert's Ball

The Morning Post newspaper for the 13th of May 1811 wrote of this ball (with dance references once again in Bold):

Figure 2. James Gunter's trade-card, 1810. Image courtesy of the British Museum.

A very magnificent Ball and Supper were given, on Friday evening, in Mansfield-street, Portland-place. The interior decorations were very elegant. About half-past eleven o'clock, the dancing commenced with The Prince Regent's Medley, (an entirely new and very lively tune), led off by Sir David Hunter Blair and Miss Calvert. Next followed:-

Marquis of Lansdowne - Lady Catherine Gordon
Colonel Bisshopp - Miss Tylney Long
Mr W. Wellesley Pole - Miss C. Long
Colonel Bloomfield - Lady C. Cholmondeley
Lord Hinton - Lady C. Scott
Lord Burghersh - Miss Perceval
Earl of Aboyne - Miss Dashwood

The second dance was likewise a new one, viz:- The Marquis of Queensbery's Medley. These dances were completely in the waltz style. A supper, the most abundant and excellent, with ices, fruits, and confectionery, provided by Mr Gunter, formed the repast, and of which the company partook about half-past two o'clock. Dancing was afterwards resumed, and kept up with great spirit, under the able superintendance of the Noble Marquis (Lansdowne), who did not quit the merry round until long after the dawn of day. To complete this unrivalled entertainment, a dejeune of tea, coffee, chocolate, &c. was provided; it was served up about six o'clock, in a very superior way. The following Fashionables were of the party:- Princess Castelcicala; Dukes De Berri, Bourbon, and Gordon; Duchess of Leeds; Marquis of Huntley ...

Mrs Calvert (1767-1859) was the wife of Nicholson Calvert (1764-1841), the Member of Parliament for Hertford. She was born Frances Pery, the daughter of Viscount Pery, they had married in 1789. She was reputed to have been a popular society hostess and a personal friend of the Prince of Wales. The Calvert's daughter Lavinia was born in 1791 and was 19 years old at the date of the Ball, it's likely that she was the Miss Calvert who led off the first dance with Sir David Hunter Blair (1778-1857).

The two tunes that are named as having been danced were both medleys and both in the waltz style. We've written of the The Regent's Medley before, we'll go on to study The Marquis of Queensbery's Medley shortly below. Nathaniel Gow published both Medleys in Edinburgh in a publication of 1811, it's therefore quite likely that the London based Gow band (under John Gow) provided the music for our Calvert ball (either the publication was influenced by this event, or the event by the publication). The Marquis of Lansdowne (son of our preceding hostess) is reported to have acted as superintendant of the dancing, presumably he was the Master of the Ceremonies, or perhaps served in a less formal role, for the evening. The confectionery was provided by James Gunter (1731-1819) of New Bond Street, he was a celebrated Italian Confectioner who had catered for many society balls; a copy of Gunter's trade-card can be seen in Figure 2.

Lady Metcalfe's Ball

Figure 3. Portland Place c.1790. Image courtesy of the British Museum.

The Morning Post newspaper for the 16th of May 1811 wrote of this ball (with dance references in Bold):

The above Lady gave a very elegant Ball and Supper, on Tuesday night, at her splendid mansion in Portland-place. The principal rooms (three in number) were lighted up by wax-candles, places in cut glass chandeliers, lustres, and chrystal lamps. Precisely at half-past eleven o'clock, the ball was opened by the Earl of Ilchester and the Hon. Miss Metcalfe, to The Castillian Dance, a new and spirited tune. Among the couples (twenty in number) who went down were:-

Mr W. Wellesley Pole - Miss Tylney Long
Lord Burghersh - Lady Margaret Gordon
Mr Montagu - Countess of Aboyne
Sir David Hunter Blair - Lady F. Pratt
Mr Robinson - Miss Mildmay

The second dance was much admired; it was called Lady Matilda Bruce's new Reel. A supper, of a superior description, the company partook of at three o'clock; and at the hour of six, the party, after having partook of an elegant dejeune, broke up. Among the company were the leading branches of the Noble Houses of Warwick, Gordon, Leeds, Mansfield, Kinnoull, Salisbury, Camden, Sefton, Mildmay, Westmorland, Montagu, Aboyne and Beaufort.

Lady Metcalfe, the hostess of this event, was born Susannah Debonnaire (1756-1815), she was the daughter of a European trader in India. She had previously married a Major in the Bengal Infantry who died almost immediately thereafter in 1777. She married Sir Thomas Metcalfe (1745-1813, later 1st Baronet) in 1782, he was another major in the Bengal Infantry at the time. The Metcalfes had eight children together. Sir Thomas served as a director of the East India Company between 1789 and 1812 and was the Member of Parliament for Abingdon between 1796 and 1807. Their daughter Emily was just about to turn 21 at the date of their ball, she led off the first dance with the 24 year old Henry Fox-Strangways, 3rd Earl of Ilchester (1787-1858).

We're informed that twenty couples followed Emily and Henry down the first country dance, their immediate successors being William Wellesley Pole (1788-1857) and Catherine Tylney Long (1789-1825); this couple are particularly noteworthy as they married each other in 1812 - they are a rare example of a couple who were named as having danced together in a newspaper who went on to marry each other. Indeed, they are the first such example that I have stumbled upon.

Two tunes are named as having been danced at the Ball, The Castillian Dance and Lady Matilda Bruce's new Reel, we'll go on to study them both shortly.

Figure 4. John Pooley Kensington, 1805. Image courtesy of the British Museum.

Mr Kensington's Grand Ball, Lime-Grove

The Morning Post newspaper for the 24th of May 1811 wrote of this ball (with dance references in Bold):

The elegant mansion of this Gentleman was on Wednesday thrown open. About nine the company began to assemble, including all the families of rank and fashion in the neighbourhood. The grounds and the approach to the house were most superbly illuminated with coloured lamps in variegated devices. The floors were most tastefully ornamented with coloured chalks, emblematic of our late brilliant victories, and the windows were filled with the most rare plants from the conservatory. About ten the Ball commenced, which was led off by Miss Kensington and Mr Whitmore, to the fashionable air of Juliana. At two the company, consisting of nearly 200 persons, sat down to a most magnificent supper; after which, dancing recommenced; and the company did not depart till a late hour, charmed with the attention and hospitality of their Host, and the affability and taste of Mrs Kensington, under whose directions the whole entertainment was arranged.

John Pooley Kensington (1764-1818) was the host for this ball. He was a banker and also the Lieut Colonel Commandant of the 3rd Regiment of the Loyal London Volunteers (they were the banking regiment of civilian volunteers, one of many part-time militia and volunteer regiments raised in anticipation of a French invasion from around the year 1808). His first wife had been Elizabeth Turner (1769-1807), their eldest daughter was named Frances Kensington (1793-1833). It was presumably Frances who led off the first dance with Mr Whitmore. John remarried in 1810, this time to Anne Rawlins (1783-1856), she was the Mrs Kensington under whose direction the ball was reportedly arranged.

Frances Kensington, who led off the first dance, went on to marry an Edward Whitmore (1784-1857) in 1812. Edward was presumably Frances' partner in that first dance. This makes for another rare discovery of a couple who would go on to get married having previously danced together at a society ball. On this occasion they led off the first dance of the evening together. Mr Kensington, the host, would unfortunately be declared bankrupt in 1813, perhaps the lavish scale at which he was entertaining the social elite was unsustainable.

A single tune was named as having been danced at this event, Juliana, we'll study it further shortly.

Mrs Chandos Pole's Ball

The Morning Post newspaper for the 5th of June 1811 wrote of this ball (with dance references in Bold):

Figure 5. Days of Prosperity in Gloucester Place, or a Kept Mistress in High Feather, 1809. Image courtesy of the British Museum.

The above Lady gave a Ball and Supper of the most elegant description on Monday night, at her house in Gloucester-place. The two drawing rooms were both appropriated for dancing in. About half past eleven o'clock the Ball was opened with a new dance called The Recovery. The following were among the couples:-

Lord Brooke - Miss Pole
Earl of Bective - Lady M. Greville
Mr Dashwood - Lady C. Scott
Lord Kinnoul - Lady C. Cholmondeley
Mr Robinson - Lady Taylor
Mr Harvey - Mrs Wrottesley

The Pic Nic, another novelty, distinguishable for its grace and spirit, followed. Soon after three in the morning about 210 persons partook of a Supper, in which a more than ordinary attention was paid to the embellishment of the tables, together with the choicest wines. The dancing was resumed; it concluded with reels, strathspeys, &c. at an hour after six. The following Fashionables were present:- The Dukes de Berri and de Castries; Duchesses de Castries, Manchester and Leeds ...

The hostess of this event was Mary Chandos Pole (c.1775-1848). She was born Mary Ware, a daughter of Rev Henry Ware the Rector of Balrothery in Ireland. She married Sacheverell Pole (1769-1813) in 1791. Pole was the inheritor of the Radbourne estate in Derbyshire. He could trace his lineage back to Sir John Chandos (c.1320-1369), a founding Knight of the order of the Garter, also a hero of the Hundred Years War. Sacheverell Pole received Royal License in 1807 to change his surname from Pole to Chandos Pole in tribute to this honoured ancestor; thus our hostess became Mrs Chandos Pole from that date.

The couple had at least six children together, three sons and three daughters. The Miss Pole who led off the first dance was presumably their daughter Elizabeth Chandos Pole (1793-1873). Her partner in the dance was the 31 year old Henry Greville (1779-1863), later the Earl of Warwick. The attendees at the party included a large number of society fashionables.

Two tunes are named as having been danced at this event, The Recovery and The Pic Nic. We'll go on to study both of these tunes shortly.

Figure 6. Statue of the 3rd Marquis of Downshire at Hillsborough, 1848

Hillsborough Ball

The Globe newspaper for the 1st of August 1811 wrote of this ball (with dance references in Bold):

On Wednesday evening the Ball was fashionably attended, was led off by the Marquis of Downshire and Lady Harriet Savage, to the tune of Lord McDonald's Reel. Among the company were, the Marquis and Marchioness of Donegal; Lady Clanwilliam, Lady Maria Meade, Lady Sarah Butler; the Misses Montgomery; Sir George Hill; Col. Meade; Col. Forde, &c.&c.

This ball was held as part of the annual Hilsborough Races in Ireland. We've investigated the dancing at the Perthshire Race Week of 1809 and 1810 in a previous paper, you might like to follow the link to read more. The Hillsborough Ball will have been a similar event to that held in Perth the previous year.

The Marquis of Downshire who led off the first dance was Arthur Hill (1788-1845), the Downshires were the most prominent family in the local area. A large statue of Arthur still stands in Hillsborough atop a giant column (see Figure 6). Arthur led down the dance with Lady Harriet Savage (d.1865), the wife of Francis Savage (1768-1823). It's unusual to discover a married lady dancing in a country dance at this date, one might have expected a young and wealthy bachelor like Arthur to have been a desirable partner. He would go on to marry Lady Maria Windsor (1790-1855) in October of 1811.

Only one tune is explicitly named as having been danced at the Ball, Lord McDonald's Reel, we'll go on to study it shortly.

Margate Ball

The Saunders's Newsletter newspaper for the 30th of October 1811 wrote of this ball (with dance references in Bold):

Figure 7. The Duke of Clarence c.1800

Margate, October 24. Last night his Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence honoured our Rooms with his presence, and Mr. Le Bas had the honour of ushering his Royal Highness into the Ball Room, who appeared highly gratified at the politeness of our accomplished Master of the Ceremonies. The Ball was opened at half-past nine, by his Royal Highness, with Mrs McMahon, to the tune of Paddy O'Carrol. The second and third dance was led off by his Royal Highness, with the beautiful and accomplished Miss Thompson, to the tunes of La Blaize Berbet and We'll gang nae more to yon Town.

We noticed amongst the nobility the Earl and Countess of Mayo, Lord Ashbrook, Lord Alveny, Colonel and Mrs McMahon, Sir Drummond and Lady Smith, and the same list of nobility as were at Broadstairs, as we cannot remember their names or titles. The company consisted of nearly 300, composing a great portion of the beauty and gentry of the Isle of Thanet. The room was brilliantly illuminated with variegated lamps, forming the initials of his Royal Highness's name, which reflected great credit on Mr. Howe, of the Royal Hotel; and the chandeliers were beautifully ornamented with wreaths of laurels and roses; the whole forming a most pleasing effect. His Royal Highness left the brilliant circle in good spirits, and highly pleased with the evening's amusement, at his usual hour of one o'clock.

The final ball we're studying in this paper was held at the resort town of Margate under the direction of their veteran Master of the Ceremonies, Mr Le Bas. Le Bas had occupied the role of M.C. at both Ramsgate and Margate since at least as early as 1789 (Kentish Gazette, 1st of September 1789). This particular ball was graced by the Duke of Clarence (1765-1837), the King's third son, who would in 1830 go on to become King William IV (see Figure 7). It was evidently well attended by the those members of the aristocracy present in the area at the time.

Another attendee was Colonel John McMahon (c.1754-1817) the private secretary to the Prince Regent. McMahon, according to the History Of Parliament website, married a woman at once amiable and handsome; it goes on to explain that the Duke of Clarence took a great fancy to Mrs McMahon. It was evidently this Mrs McMahon who led off the first dance with the Duke of Clarence at our ball, I've been unable to discover her name however. The next two dances were led off by the Duke with Miss Thompson, her identity also remains a mystery.

We've studied one of the three tunes named as having been danced at this event before, that was I'll Gang Nae Mair to Yon Town, it was the favourite tune of the Prince Regent. We'll study the other two tunes, Paddy O'Carrol and "La Blaize Berbet" shortly.

Figure 8. Nathaniel Gow's 1811 The Marquis of Queensberry's Medley

The Marquis of Queensberry's Medley

The second dance was likewise a new one, viz:- The Marquis of Queensbery's Medley. These dances were completely in the waltz style. (Mrs Calvert's Ball)

The first tune we'll consider from across our 1811 balls is named The Marquis of Queensberry's Medley. The Marquis of Queensberry was, in 1811, Sir Charles Douglas (1778-1837). He had inherited the title from a distant cousin the year before in 1810, the medley was presumably composed in his honour at around this same date. The composer of the medley was Nathaniel Gow, he issued it in 1811 in a publication of the same name (see Figure 8) that also included his Prince Regent's Medley. Gow, according to the cover of his publication, had performed the medley in Edinburgh at his Annual Ball in George Street Assembly Rooms, the 5th March 1811.

The Medley was composed in two parts, it began with a Waltz tune in 6/8 rhythm and concluded with a Reel in Common time. A footnote in Gow's publication indicated that Each Tune makes a distinct Country Dance. Our ball featured the medley arrangement rather than two separate dances, presumably both tunes would have been played in succession with a more complicated figure sequence spanning them both. Mrs Calvert, the hostess of our ball, featured both this Medley and also Gow's Prince Regent's Medley at her event; the correspondent emphasised that both were in the waltz style and new. It seems likely, under these circumstances, that the band for her event was the London based Gow band under John Gow and that they were playing Nathaniel's latest music from Edinburgh. Medley arrangements of tunes were common in Scottish publications of this date, they'd usually combine a Strathspey tune with a Reel; it's unusual to find a Waltz tune paired with a Reel however, Nathaniel Gow may have been experimenting with something a little unusual, perhaps in response to the increasing popularity of the Waltz rhythm in the early 19th century.

This particular medley is known to have been featured at one further event of 1811, Mrs Crawford Bruce's Ball (Morning Post, 30th of May 1811). It was led off at that event by Viscount Hawarden and Miss Bruce. It may of course have been danced elsewhere too, I've failed to find any further references to it however.

Gow's Medley seems not to have been published by the London music sellers, at least not in its entirety. At least two London publishers issued versions of the Reel tune (the second part of the Medley), it can be found in the Cahusac collection of 12 Country Dances for 1813 and also in the Preston collection of 24 Country Dances for 1815. I've not found any versions of the Waltz tune amongst the London publications however.

We've animated a suggested arrangement of the Cahusac version for 1813.

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

The Castillian Dance

the ball was opened by the Earl of Ilchester and the Hon. Miss Metcalfe, to The Castillian Dance, a new and spirited tune. (Lady Metcalfe's Ball)

The next tune to consider was named the Castillian Dance. At least two different tunes have been published under this name; one example can be found in Button & Whitaker's c.1807 5th Number, the other in James Platts's 1812 30th Number. The two tunes are entirely unrelated, their similarity in name appears coincidental. Neither tune was widely published but one has a much stronger claim to probably having been danced at our ball, that tune is the 1812 version published by James Platts (see Figure 9).

Figure 9. The Castillian Dance from James Platts's 1812 30th Number. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD, h.726.m.(10.) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

The Platts tune is unusual for several reasons. Once consideration is that it was written in two different time signatures, the first part is in common time and the second part in 6/8 measure; one might almost describe it as a medley tune for this reason. Next, Platts described the tune as Property of J. Platts; this indicated that he owned the copyright and was keen to ensure that his competitors knew this. Platts would go on to be involved in several copyright disputes in 1814 and 1815, we've written of them in a previous paper. He evidently considered this tune to be commercially valuable and worthy of protection. Platts also described the tune as being Composed by a Lady. He didn't identify the composer but she is hinted to have been a member of the aristocracy or gentry. Any one of these considerations would make the Platts tune interesting, the three combined make it more so.

Platts didn't name the composer of his tune but we can make an educated guess as to her identity. Platts had previously published several other tunes that he identified as being composed by A Lady, one such tune was named Ferne Hill, it was published in his c.1809 13th Number. This tune was the subject of one of Platts' copyright disputes of 1815, the composer was identified in the associated legal documentation to have been Lady Ashbrook (c.1780-1810), we've written of this tune elsewhere. Lady Ashbrook had died in 1810 but she might well have been the composer of our Castillian tune too. The young Lady Ashbrook was almost certainly a close friend of the Metcalfe family who hosted the ball; Lady Ashbrook's Ferne Hill tune was actually named for the Berkshire home of Lord Metcalfe and family. The Metcalfe and Ashbook estates were quite close. The connection therefore seems especially likely, the Metcalfes more than anyone else had a reason to champion a tune in Lady Ashbook's memory. Indeed, Lord Ashbrook would go on to remarry in 1812, his second wife was one of Lord Metcalfe's daughters, he might well have been present at the ball. The Hon. Miss Metcalfe who led off the dance at our Ball was probably Emily Metcalfe, Lord Ashbook's future wife (and almost certainly the dedicatee of another of Lady Ashbrook's tunes, Miss Metcalfe's Waltz). In all probability Lady Ashbrook was the composer of The Castillian Dance and Platts was authorised to sell copies of it in her memory.

How Platts came to publish the tune after Lady Ashbrook's decease is unclear. Perhaps a family member had supplied tune to Platts for posthumous publication, knowing that he had previously published some of her other dances; or perhaps he had received a copy before her untimely death. The suggested dancing figures attached to the tune are also a little unusual, perhaps Lady Ashbrook had arranged those figures herself.

I'm not aware of any other music sellers issuing copies of this tune, or of any other balls to feature the tune.

We've animated a suggested arrangement of the dance here.

Lady Matilda Bruce's Reel

Figure 10. Lady Matilda Bruce from James Platts's c.1812 33rd Number. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD, h.726.m.(10.) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

The second dance was much admired; it was called Lady Matilda Bruce's new Reel. (Lady Metcalfe's Ball)

Lady Matilda Bruce (1802-1857) was the second daughter of Thomas Bruce (1766-1841), the 7th Earl of Elgin. She was around nine years old at the date of our ball. She suffered the misfortune of her parent's very public divorce in 1807 (under English law) and in 1808 (in the Scottish courts), it was something of a scandal and involved an Act of Parliament. Matilda's mother, Mary Bruce (1778-1855), had been accused of adultery. The facts of the divorce are unclear, her mother did however remarry in 1808 (her second husband being the man with whom she was accused of committing adultery), her father did so too in 1810.

The tune was composed and dedicated to Lady Matilda by Nathaniel Gow and was published in Edinburgh in a collection of the same name in 1810. Gow described the collection as being performed at all fashionable meetings in Autumn 1810. It might seem odd that he dedicated the tune to the young Matilda who was perhaps only 8 years old at that time, this is something that we've seen of Gow before; for example, a report from 1806 (Morning Post, 29th November 1806) mentioned a tune named Lord Ramsay that was composed by Mr Gow, in complement to the infant son of Lord Dalhousie. Dedicating a tune to a child seems to have been an accepted mechanism to court favour from the parents. We've previously investigated a tune named Lady Loudon's Strathspey that was dedicated to a perhaps seven year old, also a tune named Master F. Sitwell's Strathspey that was dedicated to a perhaps two year old.

Lady Matilda Bruce's Reel was promoted by the Gows from around 1810 and achieved wider support in 1811. In addition to our Metcalfe ball it also featured at The Duchess of Bedford's Ball (Morning Post, 3rd of June 1811) where it was the first dance of the event and where the Gow band led the music. It was also used at Lady Mary Lindsay Crawfurd's Party (Morning Post, 24th of June 1811) where it was described as a favourite dance and featured at the Kelso Race Week Balls in 1812 (Caledonian Mercury, 12th of September 1812).

The London music sellers began issuing arrangements of the tune from around 1811; examples include William Campbell's c.1811 26th Book, James Platts's c.1812 33rd Number (see Figure 10), Skillern & Challoner's c.1812 16th Number, Wheatstone & Voigt's c. 1813 8th Book, Augustus Voigt's Fashionable Country Dances for the Year 1814 and in Button & Whitaker's c.1814 26th Number (I've not been able to confirm this last reference as I don't have a copy to review).

We've animated a suggested arrangement of the Platts version from around 1812 (see Figure 10).

For futher references to the tune, see also: Lady Matilda Bruce's Reel at The Traditional Tune Archive.

Juliana

About ten the Ball commenced, which was led off by Miss Kensington and Mr Whitmore, to the fashionable air of Juliana (Mr Kensington's Grand Ball)

Figure 11. Juliana from George Walker's c.1811 27th Number.

Juliana was a popular tune that was widely published by London's music sellers between the years 1810 and 1813. The origins of the tune remain a bit of a mystery however, so too does the meaning of the name. It may perhaps have been derived from a stage performance c.1810, if so then the details remain lost.

The precise sequence of publication is unknowable but examples include: Dale's c.1810 17th Number, Wheatstone & Voigt's c.1810 5th Book, Campbell's c.1810 25th Book, Walker's c.1811 27th Number (see Figure 11), Monzani's c.1811 18th Number, Goulding's c.1811 19th Number, Andrews's c.1811 29th Number, Skillern & Challoner's c.1811 14th Number, Button & Whitaker's 1811 17th Number, Hime's c.1812 11th Number and Parry's c.1813 Collection of New & Favorite Country Dances & Waltzes. It was also referenced in Thomas Wilson's Treasures of Terpsichore publications for both 1810 and 1811, in Edward Payne's 1814 New Companion to the Ballroom and in Wilson's 1816 Companion to the Ballroom. An unrelated tune with the similar name of Julien's Cottage was also circulating at around the same date, there is some evidence of confusion between the two tunes; for example, Martin Platts's c.1813 7th Number included a tune that he named The Hornsey Dance, or Juliana's Cottage; it's not our tune but it does demonstrate an uncertainty amongst music sellers.

Our Juliana tune was also danced socially. It was danced at our event in 1811 and also at a Broadstairs Ball later that same year (The Globe, 8th of October 1811), at Margate the following year in 1812 (The Star, 9th of January 1812) and at The Hon Miss Knox's Ball in 1813 (Morning Post, 16th of March 1813). It was even described as being that long acknowledged favourite tune at the Knox event. It was also referenced in an advertisement of a music shop in Cheltenham in 1812 (Cheltenham Chronicle, 13th of February 1812).

We've animated suggested arrangements of Dale's c.1810 version, of Wheatstone & Voigt's c.1810 version and of Walker's c.1811 version (see Figure 11).

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

The Recovery

About half past eleven o'clock the Ball was opened with a new dance called The Recovery (Mrs Chandos Pole's Ball)

Figure 12. The Recovery from James Platts's 1811 28th Number. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD, h.726.m.(10.) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED .

Several different tunes named The Recovery had been published towards the end of the 18th century or around the start of the 19th, they generally referred to the health of the King. King George III (1738-1820) famously endured persistent ill-health. Some suggest that he suffered from a genetic disorder named porphyria, others suggest arsenic poisoning, others still a psychiatric illness. There were several bouts of acute suffering throughout his reign. This most famously resulted in his oldest son George, the Prince of Wales, being appointed Prince Regent in 1811. Examples of tunes that refer to the hoped for recovery of the monarch include that of John Anderson who published His Majesty's Recovery in Edinburgh in his c.1789 Selection of the most Approved Highland Strathspeys, Country Dances, English & French Dances. Another tune simply named The Recovery was published in several Scottish dance collections starting with Malcolm McDonald's c.1789 A Second Collection of Strathspey Reels &c.. Neither of these tunes were the tune that would go on to be danced in 1811 however. These tunes referred to the recovery of the King following his incapacitation of 1788; his son was almost made Regent at this far earlier date, except of course that the King did indeed recover before the appointment could be ratified. The earlier tunes named The Recovery celebrate that return of health.

King George fell dangerously ill once again in late 1810. In early 1811 his first son was duly appointed Prince Regent and went on to rule in his place, thus began The Regency proper. Meanwhile the populace dutifully prayed for the King's recovery. One digital newspaper archive that I use has indexed a clear spike in appearances of the word recovery in British newspapers at around the start of 1811, the three months between December 1810 and February 1811 recorded as many appearances of the word as might normally be expected for an entire year. The newspapers were full of dutiful hopes for the King's full and rapid recovery.

It was at this time that the new tune named The Recovery emerged. The composer of the tune has not been identified but the tune is easily located, it was published by most of London's music sellers between about 1811 and 1813. One of the publishers, James Platts, went so far as to describe the tune as property (see Figure 12), thereby implying that he had either purchased the copyright to the tune or at least secured a license to sell it. The other vendors did not make this distinction. This could be a clue that Platts was amongst the first to issue the tune in London. Platts hadn't composed the tune himself, he was a composer and he clearly identified the tunes that he had composed within his publications, he evidently purchased this tune from someone else.

The precise sequence of publication cannot be known but examples include: James Platts's 1811 28th Number (see Figure 12), Monzani's c.1811 21st Number, Wheatstone's c.1811 24th Number, Goulding's c.1811 23rd Number, Clementi's c.1811 23rd Number, Hodsoll's c.1811 15th Number, Halliday's c.1811 9th Number, Falkner & Christmas's c.1811 1st Number, Campbell's c.1811 26th Book and Wheatstone & Voigt's c.1811 6th Book. It also featured in Skillern & Challoner's c.1812 17th Number, Andrews's c.1812 32nd Number, Walker's c.1812 30th Number, Dale's c.1812 18th Number, Button & Whitaker's c.1812 19th Number, Cahusac's collection of 12 Country Dances for 1813, Goulding & Co's 1813 2nd Collection of New & Favorite Country Dances, Reels, & Waltzes, Gerock's collection of 24 Country Dances for 1813 and in Bland & Weller's collection of 24 Country Dances for 1813. It would also be referenced in both Edward Payne's 1814 New Companion to the Ballroom and in Thomas Wilson's 1816 Companion to the Ballroom. Nathaniel Gow included the tune in his A Select Collection of Original Dances that was published in Edinburgh in 1815.

It was also danced socially. In addition to our ball of 1811 it would also feature at a ball held by Mrs F.G. Smyth in 1811 (Morning Post, 10th of May 1811), at Lady Mildmay's Ball in 1811 (Morning Post, 8th of July 1811) and at a Broadstairs Ball of 1812 (The Globe, 22nd of September 1812). It was clearly both a popular and patriotic tune.

We've animated suggested arrangements of the Platts version of 1811 (see Figure 12), the Hodsoll version of c.1811 and of the Button & Whitaker version of c.1812.

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

The Pic Nic Dance

The Pic Nic, another novelty, distinguishable for its grace and spirit, followed (Mrs Chandos Pole's Ball)

Figure 13. Blowing up the Pic Nic's, -or- Harlequin Quixotte attacking the puppets, 1802. Image courtesy of the British Museum.

The word Pic Nic had only recently been adopted into common usage in the English language at the date of our ball. The word (or phrase) did not have exactly the same meaning as it has today, at least not at this early date. I've struggled to find any usage of the term prior to 1801 within the indexes of the newspaper archives that I have access to. Picnic meals were evidently known about amongst aristocratic circles from the mid-18th century, they seem not to have found their way into common parlance until the turn of the 19th century. The Times newspaper for the 16th of March 1802 noted some confusion surrounding the word and explained the concept:

As the expression of a Pic-Nic Supper is become so fashionable, though it is much oftener used than understood, it may be necessary to explain it for the information of many of our Readers:-

A Pic-Nic Supper consists of a variety of dishes. The Subscribers to the entertainment have a bill of fare presented to them, with a number against each dish. The lot which he draws obliges him to furnish the dish marked against it, which he either takes with him in his carriage, or sends by a servant. The proper variety is preserved by the talents of the Maitre d'Hotel, who forms the bill of fare. As the cookery is furnished by so many people of fashion, each strives to excel; and thus a Pic-Nic Supper not only gives rise to much pleasant mirth, but generally can boast of the refinement of the art.

Figure 14. The Pic Nic Dance from James Platts's 1811 28th Number. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD, h.726.m.(10.) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

By 1810 the word Pic Nic had been borrowed to describe a new model of carriage; The Sun newspaper for the 23rd of July 1810 explained that it: carries two persons before and two behind. Our dance of 1811 may have been named either in reference to the meal, or perhaps to the carriage, or even to something else entirely (e.g. several race-horses named Pic Nic were mentioned in the press at a similar date).

At least two dance tunes named Pic Nic were published, one in 1809 and another in 1811. The 1809 tune was credited to Nathaniel Gow and was published in Edinburgh in the 1809 A 5th Collection of Strathspeys, Reels &c. by Niel Gow & Sons. This particular tune is interesting as it combined eight-bar passages from three different composers: Gow, Giornvichi and Haydn; it was essentially a medley tune. The combination of passages from different composers was a form of medley, or one might almost suggest, a PicNic in musical form! Whereas, the 1811 tune was published by James Platts in his 28th Number (see Figure 14). Their two tunes are quite different.

Ordinarily I would assume, in the absence of information to the contrary, that in any dispute over dance provenance the Gow variant would have been the more likely tune to have been danced socially in London. The Gow band were immensely popular and they had a unique opportunity to promote their own work with the London elite. But on this occasion the Platts tune is the better candidate: it is of the correct date, is found within the same collection as Platts' The Recovery, both tunes are marked by Platts as Property and both names were featured at our Chandos Pole Ball. It seems likely to me that someone supplied both tunes to Platts at the same time, potentially one of the musicians who was present at the Chandos Pole Ball; Platts then marked them both as Property and issued them for sale in his next collection. This theory is not provable, the Gow tune (or some other tune) may have been danced at our Ball, the Platts tune seems the most probable of the two candidates to me.

We've animated a suggested arrangement of the Platts version of 1811 (see Figure 14).

Lord MacDonald's Reel

the Ball ... was led off by the Marquis of Downshire and Lady Harriet Savage, to the tune of Lord McDonald's Reel (Hillsborough Ball)

Figure 15. Lord Macdonalds Reel from William Campbell's c.1793 8th Book. Image © National Library of Scotland.

Our next tune is named Lord MacDonald's Reel. This tune is unusual for not being named in dedication to Lord MacDonald, rather it is understood to have been composed by Lord MacDonald (c.1745-1795) himself. Macdonald held titles in both the Scottish and Irish peerages and had a career in the military. He was the president of the influential Highland Society of London in 1791 which is the approximate date at which our tune was composed. He is known to have composed other dance tunes too, examples of his work were published in collections issued by Niel Gow amongst others; one other such tune was even named The London Highland Society. Our tune, which carries his name, was probably his most successful composition.

Lord MacDonald's Reel first appeared in print around the year 1791, it would remain in print in both London and Edinburgh for much of the next twenty years. It was evidently a favourite tune. Two major variants of the tune are known, one was arranged in four strains of music and the other in only two. Both variants were widely published. The first appearance of the shorter version of the tune may have been in Edinburgh in John Anderson's c.1791 A Second Selection of the most Approved Highland Strathspeys, Country Dances, English & French Dances, the longer version appeared shortly thereafter in Niel Gow's 1792 A Third Collection of Strathspey Reels &c.. Other publications of the shorter version of the tune include Malcolm MacDonald's c.1792 A Third Collection of Strathspey Reels, the Preston collection of 24 Country Dances for 1793, Kauntze's c.1799 Collection of the most favorite Dances, Reels, Waltzes, &c., Walker's c.1805 5th Number and also his c.1806 11th Number, Napier's c.1806 Selection of Dances & Strathspeys, Thomas Wilson's 1816 Companion to the Ballroom and Nathaniel Gow's 1818 Part First of The Beauties of Niel Gow. The longer version of the tune can also be found in Campbell's c.1793 8th Book (see Figure 15), Aird's c.1794 4th volume of A Selection of Scotch, English, Irish and Foreign Airs, Longman & Broderip's c.1795 5th Book, Dale's c.1806 8th Number and in Goulding's c.1813 31st Number. A further variant of the tune can also be found in John Gow's c.1795 A Favorite Collection of Slow Airs, Strathspeys and Reels.

The tune was also danced socially. Events known to have included the tune include The Duchess of Chandos's Ball in 1802 (Morning Post, 26th of April 1802), Mrs Hamilton's Masqued Ball in 1805 (Morning Post, 29th of June 1805), The Duchess of Gordon's Ball in 1806 (Morning Post, 8th of March 1806), a Ball at Brighton Castle in 1806 (The Sun, 14th of August 1806), The Master of the Ceremonies Ball in Ramsgate in 1807 (Morning Post, 26th of September 1807) and at Lord Macdonald's Dinner and Ball in 1808 (Morning Post, 23rd of April 1808). It was also etched on to the drum of a Barrel Organ that was advertised for sale in 1798 (Caledonian Mercury, 24th of March 1798).

We've animated a suggested arrangement of the Campbell version of c.1793 (see Figure 15).

For futher references to the tune, see also: Lord MacDonald (4) at The Traditional Tune Archive.

Paddy O'Carrol

The Ball was opened at half-past nine, by his Royal Highness, with Mrs McMahon, to the tune of Paddy O'Carrol. (Margate Ball)

Figure 16. Paddy O Carol from William Campbell's c.1807 22nd Book. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD, b.96. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

The next tune we'll investigate is named Paddy O'Carrol, it had been wildly popular in London for several years by the date of our ball (assuming that the publication frequency is a reliable indicator of popularity). The tune emerged in London c.1805 and was heavily published between the years 1807 and 1809. It was considered to be of Irish origin; for example, William Campbell described the tune as A Favorite Irish Air in his c.1807 22nd Book (see Figure 16).

The name Paddy O'Carrol refers to a comic stage character that dated back to the 1770s. The character appeared within The Register Office, a farce performed at Drury Lane in London from 1773 (Hibernian Journal, 24th of March 1773). The character was a relatively minor role credited simply as Irishman within the production (though naming himself as Patrick O'Carrol within the dialogue), he was however the only character to sing a song. When the play was subsequently performed in Dublin in 1781 it was renamed as The New Register Office; Or Paddy O'Carrol in High Life (Saunders's News-Letter, 25th of April 1781), Paddy evidently becoming the title role. The text of the play was credited to Joseph Reed and was published in 1786. By 1787 the same work was being performed as an interlude, this time in Manchester (Manchester Mercury, 1st of May 1787), the character of Paddy O'Carrol remained the headline billing. It was once again on stage in Dublin in 1806 (Saunders's News-Letter, 9th of May 1806). It's likely either that our tune was used within the stage production, or that the tune was subsequently named in reference to the stage character. Paddy sings a song within the performance beginning My sweet, pretty mog, you're soft as a bog, And as wild as a kitten, as wild as a kitten;, our tune may perhaps have been associated with this song. If so then it's entirely possible that the tune was of English origin and only Irish in so far as it was associated with a stereotypically Irish character. The tune may have been much older than the play of course, we can only speculate.

The precise chronology of publication of the tune is unknowable. One of the earlier music sellers to issue the tune in London was Goulding & Co. who published it as Paddy O'Carril in their c.1805 8th Number; it also appeared in Davie's c.1806 15th Number under the same name. It went on to be included within Hodsoll's collection of 12 Country Dances for 1807, Campbell's c.1807 22nd Book (see Figure 16), Button & Whitaker's c.1807 6th Number, Skillern & Challoner's c.1807 4th Number, Monzani's c.1807 4th Number, Dale's c.1807 10th Number, Hannam's c.1807 3rd Number, Clementi's c.1808 5th Number, Kelly's New Country Dances for the Year 1808 and in James Platts's c.1808 7th Number. It was also referenced by Thomas Wilson in his 1809 Treasures of Terpsichore and by Edward Payne in his 1814 New Companion to the Ballroom.

The tune was also danced socially. In addition to our 1811 Ball it is also known to have been danced at another Ball held in Margate in 1812 (The Star, 9th of January 1812). Perhaps it was a favourite tune amongst the dancers at Margate.

We've animated a suggested arrangement of Campbell's c.1807 version (see Figure 16).

For futher references to the tune, see also: Paddy O'Carrol (1) at The Traditional Tune Archive.

Blaise et Babet

The second and third dance was led off by his Royal Highness, with the beautiful and accomplished Miss Thompson, to the tunes of La Blaize Berbet and ... (Margate Ball)

The final tune we'll investigate in this paper was named as La Blaize Berbet. No tune of this precise name is known to have existed (at least by me), I imagine instead that a popular tune named Blaise et Babet was danced at our ball, the title having been confused in transmission.

Figure 17. Blaize et Babet from what I've guessed to be Preston's 24 Country Dances for the Year 1789.

Blaise et Babet was a comic operetta produced in Paris in 1783, the music was by Nicolas Dezède (1740-1798) and the libretto by Jacques Marie Boutet de Monvel (1745-1812). The entr-acte music played before the start of the second act introduced a tune that would go on to become especially successful, this tune was adapted into at least two social dances in London in the 1780s. A copy of the score is available on-line courtesy of the Petrucci archive.

The first of our dances was actually a Cotillion dance, it appeared in Longman & Broderip's 1786 Book the VI, Twenty Four New Cotillions under the name Blaise et Babet. The second was a Country Dance arrangement that (probably) appeared within the Preston collection of 24 Country Dances for the Year 1789 under the name Blaize et Babet (see Figure 17). I wrote probably as the publication that I've studied had lost its cover and I may therefore have misidentified it; both the plate and page numbers, together with the general setting of the work, makes me fairly confident in identifying it as the Preston publication for 1789 pending evidence to the contrary. There may have been other adaptions of the tune of course, these are the only two that I know of. I also understand, courtesy of the Traditional Tune Archive, that the tune was pinned for a barrel organ produced by John Langshaw (1725-1798) around the year 1785.

It's surprising that a tune from the 1780s would be danced at Margate in 1811, seemingly in isolation. I have no evidence of the tune being danced elsewhere at a similar date, or even of it having been published in the early 19th century at all. Perhaps this particular tune was a favourite of Miss Thompson, the lady who danced down with the Duke of Clarence, perhaps her family owned a Barrel Organ which played the tune. A new ballet named Blaise et Babet; or, La Fete au Village was advertised in Dublin in 1815 (Dublin Evening Post, 4th of March 1815) with music by Bossi and the Finale by Jean Jacque Rousseau, this might hint that the earlier work had remained sufficiently popular to inspire a sequel.

However it came to be, this particular tune from 1781 is probably what was danced in Margate in 1811. My archives are incomplete of course, it's always possible that a better candidate tune will emerge. We've animated a suggested arrangement of what I've identified to be the Preston version of 1789 (see Figure 17).

For futher references to the tune, see also: Blaize et Babet at The Traditional Tune Archive.

Conclusion

If you enjoy recreating the balls of the past then the tunes and dances encountered in this paper would be very suitable for any event themed around the year 1811. And as always, if you have anything further to share then do please Contact Us as we'd love to know more.