The Morris Ring celebrated its 75th Anniversary in 2009 so a list of our previous Meetings was long overdue. At that time such a record did not exist - except in fragments: with Keith Francis holding some as Keeper of the Log; John Frearson, our previous Bagman, in the form of an Excel workbook; and most of the rest of the information in the Morris Ring Log books held by our Archivist, Chris Metherell. Matters were complicated by our (then) Treasurer, the late Steve Adamson, suffering a disastrous house fire back in 2001.
Chris has used John Frearson's spreadsheet to prepare a more complete list {meetings until 2004, number 300}. Of Past Morris Ring Meetings Chris offered the following:
Historically there seems to have been some confusion as to what constituted a Morris Ring Meeting. I suggest this as a way forward:
“A simple and foolproof way of defining a Morris Ring Meeting: the official record is the Log Book. When the Squire signs off the log as correct, if the meeting is stated in the log to be a Morris Ring Meeting then that's what it is.”
“A simple and foolproof way of defining a Morris Ring Meeting: the official record is the Log Book. When the Squire signs off the log as correct, if the meeting is stated in the log to be a Morris Ring Meeting then that's what it is.”
Early Morris Ring meetings were not organised by a host team but rather by one or two individuals on behalf of the Morris Ring, hence the lack of host team. For many years instructional meetings were also classed as Morris Ring meetings and included in the numerical sequence. This practice stopped in the late 1970s and instructional meetings are not now numbered.
Sometimes the documents produced by the host team are wrong - but not the Log! Examples are the Ludlow meeting of 1959 (No71) For some reason the publicity material gives it as No68, however the logs are quite clear that it was No71. Similar confusion arose in 1980 due to the cancellation of the Bodmin Meeting (No181). Although it was decided to stick with the numerical sequence, the message did not reach the Bristol men who renumbered their event to take account of the cancellation, hence the publicity material gives it as No185 when in fact it was No186.
The Morris Ring Archive holds a mass of information on Morris Ring meetings, although the volume for each meeting is very variable. For some all that exists is the log entry, for others we have a whole file of information ranging from minutes of the organising committee to meal tickets and accounts.
The Web list below, produced from the Excel workbook, shows the Morris Ring Meetings according to the organising morris club, but also, and where necessary, shows the site for the meeting and other notes. Some precise dates were missing and we welcome contributions, comments, errors, etc., these should be reported to the WebEditor
All "official" events recorded since the creation of this website are now displayed in our Morris Ring Event Calendar and Morris Ring Meetings are automatically appended to this index and you can click on the entry to display the actual meeting's details
27th Oct 2006: Some corrections, thanks to the late John Prie of St Albans MM, who pointed out:
... we (SAMM) have the same problem as you when it comes to giving the Morris Ring Meeting date as either a single day (normally the Saturday) or as the spread of days (normally Friday to Sunday). Sometimes our log reports state when men arrived and left: sometimes they don't. Your list is not consistent in this ...
Yes, Chris Metherell's Excel file reports the date as the Saturday, but this web version uses Friday to Sunday for recent meetings. The first log used Friday to Sunday, then w/e, and there were also single day meetings.
In 1935, the Earliest Morris Ring Directory listed fourteen clubs. Between 1935 and 1940 The Morris Ring held 18 more meetings; Thaxted MM hosted five of these, the rest were organised by various individuals under the auspices of the Morris Ring.
|
1934 |
1 Inaugural Meeting Cecil Sharp House 20th October |
|
1935 |
2 Thaxted MM 31stMay to 2ndJune 3 Stow-on-the-Wold 13thto 15thSeptember |
|
1936 |
4 Cecil Sharp House 1stFebruary 5 Thaxted MM 5th to 7thJune 6 Wargrave 4th to 6thSeptember 7 Grasmere 18th to 20thSeptember |
|
1937 |
8 Cecil Sharp House 13thMarch 9 Thaxted MM w/e 5thJune 10 Tideswell w/e 12thJune 11 Kettering w/e 18thSeptember |
|
1938 |
12 Cecil Sharp House 12thMarch 13 Thaxted MM w/e 11thJune 14 Stow-on-the-Wold w/e 17thSeptember 15 Manchester 29thOctober |
|
1939 |
16 Cecil Sharp House 18thMarch 17 Longridge w/e 13thMay 18 Thaxted MM w/e 10thJune |
|
1940 |
19 Cecil Sharp House 10thMarch |
After the 19th Meeting clubs found increasing difficulties in arranging a Morris Ring Meeting due to the 1939/45 war, However, a number of clubs, for example Oxford MM with their May Day celebrations, did manage some dancing during the war, but there were no Morris Ring Meetings. The meetings started again in 1946. In the list below, where a morris side organises the meeting, this is shown as the first entry, where there is no 'organising side', the name of the place where the meeting was held is given.
| 1946 | 20 | Cecil Sharp House 23rd March |
| 21 | Stratford with folk festival 4th August | |
| 1947 | 22 | Cecil Sharp House 22nd March |
| 23 | Thaxted MM 14th July | |
| 24 | Stratford 3rd August | |
| 1948 | 25 | Thaxted MM 22nd May |
| 26 | Cecil Sharp House 25th September | |
| 1949 | 27 | Cecil Sharp House 26th March |
| 28 | Thaxted MM 28th May | |
| 29 | St Albans MM 10th September | |
| 1950 | 30 | Cecil Sharp House 25th March |
| 31 | Thaxted MM 20th May | |
| 32 | Bedford 9th September | |
| 1951 | 33 | Thaxted MM 2nd June |
| 34 | Oxford University MM Oxford 15th September | |
| 1952 | 35 | Cecil Sharp House 22nd March |
| 36 | Thaxted MM 7th June | |
| 37 | Abingdon MM 6th September | |
| 38 | Tideswell 20th September | |
| 1953 | 39 | Cecil Sharp House 14th March |
| 40 | Thaxted MM 6th June | |
| 41 | DerwentMM / Kings MM / Newcastle MM Derwent Valley/Consett 29th August | |
| 42 | Ravensbourne MM Tonbridge 5th September | |
| 1954 | 43 | Thaxted MM 29th May |
| 44 | Whitchurch MM 21st Anniversary Aylesbury 3rd July | |
| 45 | White Horse MM Salisbury 4th September | |
| 46 | Coventry MM 11th September | |
| 1955 | 47 | Cambridge MM 21st Anniversary of Ring Cambridge 15th April |
| 48 | Thaxted MM 21st May | |
| 49 | Oxford University MM Cotswolds 28th May | |
| 50 | London Morris Clubs 9th July | |
| 51 | Men of Mercia Lichfield 3rd September | |
| 52 | Manchester MM 17th September | |
| 1956 | 53 | Leeds MM / White Rose MM West Riding - Leeds 21st April |
| 54 | Thaxted MM 26th May | |
| 55 | Abingdon MM 15th September | |
| 56 | Ring / EFDSS Instructional Cecil Sharp House 22nd September | |
| 1957 | 57 | Cecil Sharp House Instructional 30th March |
| 58 | Thaxted MM 1st June | |
| 59 | Winchester MM 29th June | |
| 60 | Burton upon Trent MM Derby 7th September | |
| 61 | Thames Valley MM Kingston 21st September | |
| 1958 | 62 | Cecil Sharp House 22nd March |
| 63 | Thaxted MM 31st May | |
| 64 | Colchester MM 6th September | |
| 65 | Monkseaton MM Whitley Bay13th September | |
| 1959 | 66 | Cecil Sharp House 11th April |
| 67 | Kings MM Instructional Newcastle 18th April | |
| 68 | Thaxted MM 30th May | |
| 69 | Exeter MM 11th July | |
| 70 | Headington MM Silver Jubilee Meeting 5th September | |
| 71 | Ludlow MM 27th September | |
| 1960 | 72 | Cecil Sharp House Instructional 12th March |
| 73 | Thaxted MM 11th June | |
| 74 | East Surrey MM Reigate 10th September | |
| 75 | Monkseaton MM Whitley Bay 24th September | |
| 1961 | 76 | Leeds Instructional 15th April |
| 77 | Cecil Sharp House Instructional 22nd April | |
| 78 | Thaxted MM 50th Anniversary 27th May | |
| 79 | Birmingham 5th July | |
| 80 | Bedford MM 9th September | |
| 81 | Manchester MM 23rd September | |
| 1962 | 82 | London Instructional 10th March |
| 83 | Thaxted MM 16th June | |
| 84 | Gloucestershire MM Cheltenham 14th July | |
| 85 | Newcastle MM 22nd September | |
| 1963 | 86 | Sheffield University Instructional Sheffield 9th March |
| 87 | Cecil Sharp House Instructional 16th March | |
| 88 | Thaxted MM 8th June | |
| 89 | London Clubs Lond on 6th July | |
| 90 | Martlets MM Chichester 7th September | |
| 91 | Sheffield University Instructional Sheffield 23rd November | |
| 1964 | 92 | Cecil Sharp House Instructional 8th February |
| 93 | Thaxted MM 23rd May | |
| 94 | Shakespeare MM Stratford 13th June | |
| 95 | Newcastle/Monkseaton/Stockton/Derwent Valley MM Durham 5th September | |
| 96 | Winchester MM 12th September | |
| 1965 | 97 | London Instructional 13th March |
| 98 | Thaxted MM 22nd May | |
| 99 | Mendip MM Wells 3rd July | |
| 100 | Oxford City MM Oxford 4th September | |
| 101 | Hand sworth Traditional Sword Dancers Sheffield 18th September | |
| 102 | London Instructional 30th October | |
| 1966 | 103 | Cecil Sharp House Instructional 19th March |
| 104 | Thaxted MM 21st May | |
| 105 | Leicester MM 3rd September | |
| 106 | St Albans MM 24th September | |
| 107 | Sheffield University Instructional Sheffield 19th November | |
| 1967 | 108 | Cecil Sharp House Instructional (Roy Dommett on Longborough) 11th March |
| 109 | Thaxted MM 3rd June | |
| 110 | Chanctonbury Ring MM Brighton 8th July | |
| 111 | Green Man MM Sutton Coldfield 16th September | |
| 1968 | 112 | London Instructional (Rapper) 30th March |
| 113 | Thaxted MM 18th May | |
| 114 | Monkseaton MM Whitley Bay 13th July | |
| 115 | Derby MM 14th September | |
| 1969 | 116 | London Instructional 22nd March |
| 117 | Thaxted MM 20th June | |
| 118 | Shakespeare MM Stratford 28th June | |
| 119 | Colchester MM Colchester 26th July | |
| 120 | Uttoxeter & Stafford MM Staffordshire 6th September | |
| 1970 | 121 | London Instructional 21st March |
| 122 | Thaxted MM June 5th to 7th | |
| 123 | Exeter MM 12th to 14th July | |
| 124 | Foresters MM Nottingham. 24th to 26th July | |
| 125 | Bristol MM September | |
| 126 | Coventry MM 12th September | |
| 1971 | 127 | London Instructional 13th March |
| 128 | Manchester MM 17th Apr | |
| 129 | Thaxted MM 4th to 6th June | |
| 130 | Cambridge MM 2nd to 4th July | |
| 131 | S.Shropshire MM Ludlow 3rd to 5th September | |
| 132 | White Rose MM Huddersfield September | |
| 1972 | 133 | London Instructional March |
| 134 | Thaxted MM 2nd to 4th June | |
| 135 | Westminster MM & London Clubs: Beaux, Greensleeves, Westminster, Hammersmith and London Pride 8th July | |
| 136 | Ravensbourne MM Bromley 1st to3rd September | |
| 137 | Green Man MM Sutton Coldfield 23rdSeptember | |
| 1973 | 138 | London Instructional March |
| 139 | Thaxted MM 1st to 3rd June | |
| 140 | Green Ginger MM Beverley 8th to 10th June | |
| 141 | Gloucestershire MM Gloucester 13th to 15th July | |
| 142 | Wessex MM Yeovil 2nd September | |
| 143 | Uttoxeter & Stafford MM Uttoxeter 8th September | |
| 1974 | 144 | London Instructional 30th March |
| 145 | Thaxted MM 8th June | |
| 146 | West Somerset MM Taunton 13th July | |
| 147 | Winchester MM 20th July | |
| 148 | Headington Quarry MM Headington 7th September | |
| 149 | Handsworth Traditional Sword Dancers Sheffield 14th September | |
| 1975 | 150 | London Instructional 22nd March |
| 151 | Thaxted MM 31st May | |
| 152 | Shakespeare Stratford 28th June | |
| 153 | East Suffolk MM Ipswich 12th July | |
| 154 | Whitchurch MM Aylesbury 6th September | |
| 155 | Furness MM Lakeland 27th September | |
| 1976 | 156 | London Instructional 13th March |
| 157 | Thaxted MM 5th June | |
| 158 | Greensleeves MM Chipperfield 10th July | |
| 159 | Dolphin MM Nottingham 25th July | |
| 160 | Cardiff MM Cardiff 21st August | |
| 161 | Mersey MM Chester 4th September | |
| 162 | East Surrey MM Guildford 11th September | |
| 1977 | 163 | London Instructional 26th March |
| 164 | Manchester MM 23rd April | |
| 165 | St Albans MM 11th June | |
| 166 | Newcastle MM Heddon-on-the-Wall 18th June | |
| 167 | Thaxted MM (Programme shows this as No165) 25th July | |
| 168 | Colchester MM 16th July | |
| 169 | Derby MM 23rd July | |
| 170 | Ravensbourne MM Keston 3rd September | |
| 1978 | 171 | Thaxted MM 3rd June |
| 172 | Offley MM Luton 24th June | |
| 173 | Benfleet Hoymen Rochford 22nd July | |
| 174 | South Shropshire MM Ludlow 2nd September | |
| 1979 | 175 | Thaxted MM 2nd June |
| 176 | Green Ginger MM Hull 23rd June | |
| 177 | Giffard MM Wolverhampton 7th July | |
| 178 | Men of Wight MM Isle of Wight 11th August | |
| 179 | Moulton MM Moulton 1st September | |
| 1980 | 180 | Thaxted MM 31st May |
| 181 | Trigg MM Bodmin Cancelled | |
| 182 | Silurian MM Ledbury 12th July | |
| 183 | Lothians MM Edinburgh 19th July | |
| 184 | Chanctonbury Ring MM Brighton 26th July | |
| 185 | London Clubs London 6th September | |
| 186 | Bristol M 13th September (Due to the cancellation of 181, the publicity material for this meeting erroneously gives this as No 185) | |
| 1981 | 187 | Thaxted MM 30th May |
| 188 | Coventry MM Coventry 20th June | |
| 189 | West Somerset MM Minehead 4th July | |
| 190 | Derby MM Cancelled | |
| 191 | Kennett MM Shiplake 24th to 26th July | |
| 192 | Wath MM Wath on Dearne 5th September | |
| 1982 | 193 | Thaxted MM 5th June |
| 194 | Hartley MM Wrotham 24th July | |
| 195 | Icknield Way MM Cancelled | |
| 196 | Wessex MM Sherborne 21st August | |
| 197 | Stafford/Uttoxeter MM Stafford 4th September | |
| 1983 | 198 | Thaxted MM 4th June |
| 199 | Offley MM Lilley 25th June (Publicity material mistakenly as No 200) | |
| 200 | White Horse MM Warminster 16th July | |
| 201 | Men of Wight MM Isle of Wight 13th August | |
| 202 | Moulton MM 3rd September | |
| 1984 | 203 | Thaxted MM 2 June |
| 204 | Preston Royal MM Preston 23rd June | |
| 205 | Cambridge MM 6th -.8th July | |
| 206 | Greensleeves MM Chipperfield 14th July | |
| 207 | Wantsum/East Kent/Kings MM Canterbury 1st September | |
| 1985 | 208 | Thaxted MM 1st June |
| 209 | Yateley MM 29th June | |
| 210 | Faithful City MM Worcester 20th July | |
| 211 | Helmond MM Holland 24th August | |
| 212 | Cardiff MM 7th September | |
| 1986 | ---- | Manchester MM 10th May (Insufficient sides expressed interest in the 1986 meeting in Manchester, and so it was scrapped) |
| 213 | Shakespeare MM 100th Anniversary Bidford 24th May | |
| 214 | Thaxted MM 31st May | |
| 215 | White Rose MM Yorkshire 5th June | |
| 216 | East Surrey MM Surrey 19th July | |
| 217 | Harthill MM Sheffield 6th September | |
| 1987 | 218 | Colchester MM 16th May |
| 219 | Thaxted MM 6th June | |
| 220 | Claro Sword Knaresborough 4th July | |
| 221 | Exeter MM Crediton 18th July | |
| 1988 | 222 | King John's MM Southampton 21st May |
| 223 | Thaxted MM 4th June | |
| 224 | Whitchurch MM Tring 2nd July | |
| 225 | Trigg MM Bodmin 9th July | |
| 226 | Wantsum MM Canterbury 3rd September | |
| 227 | White Hart MM Redditch 8th October | |
| 1989 | 228 | Thaxted MM 3rd June |
| 229 | Dolphin MM Nottingham 24th June | |
| 230 | Durham Rams MM 8th July | |
| 231 | Kennet MM Douai Abbey Woolhampton 21st to 23rd July | |
| 232 | Dartington MM 2nd September | |
| 1990 | 233 | Thaxted MM 2nd June |
| 234 | St. Albans MM 7th July | |
| 235 | White Horse MM 14th July | |
| 236 | Men of Wight MM Isle of Wight 11th August | |
| 237 | Bristol MM 1st September | |
| 1991 | 238 | Thaxted MM 1st June |
| 239 | Ripley MM 6th July | |
| 240 | Martlet Sword & MM 27th July | |
| 241 | Leicester MM 7th September | |
| 1992 | 242 | Thaxted MM 30th May |
| 243 | Faithful City MM 11th June | |
| 244 | Boars Head MM 27th June | |
| 245 | Bedford MM 18th July | |
| 246 | Forest of Dean MM 22nd August | |
| 247 | Hartley MM Wrotham 5th September | |
| 1993 | 248 | Utrecht MM Holland 15th May |
| 249 | Thaxted MM 5th June | |
| 250 | Richmond shire MM 19th June | |
| 251 | Benfieldside MM 10th July | |
| 252 | Winchester MM 4th September | |
| 253 | Chalice MM 18th September | |
| 1994 | 254 | Thaxted MM 4th June |
| 255 | Letchworth MM 25th June | |
| 256 | Harthill MM Sheffield 16th July | |
| 257 | Silurian Border MM Ledbury 23rd July | |
| 1995 | 258 | Moulton MM 20th May |
| 259 | Thaxted MM 3rd June | |
| 260 | East Suffolk MM 10th June | |
| 261 | Dolphin MM Nottingham 1st July | |
| 262 | Rutland MM 15th July | |
| 263 | Men of Wight MM Isle of Wight 5th August | |
| 1996 | 264 | Richmondshire MM 18th May |
| 265 | Thaxted MM 1st June | |
| 266 | Trigg MM Bodmin 13th July | |
| 267 | Icknield Way MM 20th July | |
| 268 | Silkeborg MM 24th August | |
| 1997 | 269 | Thaxted MM 31st May |
| 270 | Stockton MM 21st June | |
| 271 | South Shropshire/Jockey MM 12th July | |
| 272 | Wessex MM 16th August | |
| 1998 | 273 | Richmondshire MM 16th May |
| 274 | Thaxted MM 30th May | |
| 275 | Shakespeare MM & Chipping Campden MM Chipping Campden 20th June | |
| 276 | Exeter MM 25th July | |
| 1999 | 277 | Thaxted MM 5th June |
| 278 | Long Man MM 17th July | |
| 279 | Silurian Border MM Ledbury 24th July | |
| 280 | Leicester MM 11th September | |
| 2000 | 281 | Richmond on Swale MM 13th May |
| 282 | Thaxted MM 3rd June | |
| 283 | Anker MM 24th June | |
| 284 | Chalice MM 22nd July | |
| 2001 | 285 | Thaxted MM 2nd June |
| 286 | Boars Head MM 30th June | |
| 287 | Greensleeves MM 14th July | |
| 288 | East Surrey MM 18th August | |
| 2002 | 289 | Richmond on Swale MM 30th June |
| 290 | Thaxted MM 8thJune | |
| 291 | Silurian MM 20th July | |
| 292 | Bristol MM 27th July | |
| 293 | Hartley MM Wrotham 31st August | |
| 2003 | 294 | Thaxted MM 31st May |
| 295 | Ripley MM 14th June | |
| 296 | Benfieldside MM 40th Anniversary 12th July | |
| 297 | Winchester MM 50th Anniversary 6th September | |
| 2004 | 298 | Dolphin MM Nottingham 15th May |
| 299 | Thaxted MM 5th June | |
| 300 | Uttoxeter Heart of Oak MM 17th July | |
| 2005 | 301 | Helmond MM 70th Anniversary Holland 21st May |
| 302 | Thaxted MM 4th June | |
| 303 | Durham Rams 40th Anniversary 18th June | |
| 304 | Long Man MM Eastbourne 23rd July | |
| 305 | St.Albans 75th Anniversary 30thJuly | |
| 2006 | 306 | Thaxted MM 3rd June |
| 307 | Greensleeves MM 15th July | |
| 308 | Mendip MM 50th Anniversary 22nd July | |
| 2007 | 309 | Thaxted MM John Bull Meeting 2nd June |
| 310 | Ripley MM 25th Anniversary 30th June | |
| 311 | Stafford MM 50th Anniversary 22nd July | |
| 312 | Ravensbourne & Hartley MM Geoff Metcalf Meeting Tonbridge 1st September | |
| 2008 | 313 | Thaxted MM 75th Anniversary 30th May to 1st June |
| 314 | Whitchurch MM 60th Anniversary, 4th to 6th July | |
| 315 | Liverpool M 80th Anniversary 11th to 13th July | |
| 316 | Dartington MM 40th Anniversary 5th to 7th September | |
| 2009 | The Morris Ring's 75th Anniversary Year | |
| 317 | Thaxted MM 29th to 31st May | |
| 318 | Hartley MM Wrotham 12th to 14th June | |
| 319 | Exeter MM 24th to 26th July | |
| 320 | Men of Wight MM Isle of Wight 21st to 23rd August | |
| 321 | Bathampton MM 4th to 6th September | |
| 2010 | 322 | Morrisdansgroep Helmond 75th Anniversary Meeting Holland 30th Apr to 2nd May |
| 323 | Thaxted MM 4th to 6th June | |
| 324 | Trigg MM Bodmin 3rd to 5th September | |
| 325 | Castleford Longsword 10th to 12th September | |
| 2011 | 326 | Moulton MM 20th to 22nd May |
| 327 | Thaxted MM 3rd to 5th June | |
| 328 | Not held (under-subscribed and replaced by Family Day of Dance run by Wath-upon-Dearne MM 24th to 26th June) | |
| 329 | Greensleeves MM 8th to 10th July | |
| 330 | Rutland MM 22nd to 24th July |
All "official" events recorded since the creation of this website are now displayed in our Morris Ring Event Calendar and Morris Ring Meetings are automatically appended to this index. You can click on the entry to display the actual meeting's details.