52 Ancestors 52 Weeks: Week 13. Music. THOMAS PITTS of SHERBORNE GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Music is a constant feature in my family history and there are a number of suitable people that I could write about, not least my father, who won a scholorship to the Royal College of Music, London at the age of 11. My paternal Great Grandparents were all members of the Salvation Army so many of them and their children were members of their local Salvation Army band. But for this weeks 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks I am going to write up my 2x Great Grandfather Thomas Pitts.

As many of us in the UK discover, our mid 19th century ancestors are Agricultural Labourers or Ag Labs. So we follow them through their descendants baptismal records and the census returns. If we are lucky we may discover them in the local Newspaper, maybe winning a ploughing cup or perhaps being convicted of poaching as they try to put food on their families table. But I am fortunate enough to have an ancestor who over the years has featured more and more online for his social pastime of being a member of the Sherborne Morris Men and a pipe and tabor player.

When I started my family history journey, I found an article online submitted by glostrad.com, a website celebrating Gloucestershire traditions and not only was there a few paragraphs written about my ancestor but, gold dust, there was also a photograph courtesy of Gloucestershire archive. As the years have passed so more people have written about my ancestor and more personal photographs have appearred on Ancestry.co.uk

THOMAS PITTS 1855-1940

 

Gloucestershire Archive. from the Albino Collection

Thomas was the second child and eldest son of RICHARD and CAROLINE PITTS nee HALL living in Sherborne Gloucestershire and were land workers. Despite following his father's occupation of an Agricultural Labourer, most of the articles relating to him online are of his life as a Sherborne Morris man of some renown, having been interviewed by H.H Albino, a collector of many of the folksongs from around the world and involved in the work of the Council for the Preservation of Rural England and was active in the Gloucester Branch of which he was a committee member.However it is known that when visited by Harry Albino in the 1930’ s Thomas sang at least 2 songs; Fair young Damsel also known as The Box on her head and Jim the Carters lad.  Following Thomas' death he also interviewed his  son Charles, who sang several of the local songs.

“Thomas Pitts (1855-1940). Pitts was a multi-talented folk performer, and it is a great shame that more is not known of him and his music. He was born and brought up in Sherborne, but after his marriage he moved around various villages in the area, as the work took him. It is known that as well as pipe and tabor, he also played the melodeon, fiddle and tambourine. At least 6 photographs of Thomas Pitts survive, taken by the folksong researcher Harry Albino, with Thomas holding a tambourine in his left hand, like a tabor. He was also a singer and at least 2 songs of his repertoire survive in collections. Thomas Pitts was, in fact, the last surviving traditional pipe and tabor player.”

http://gwilymdavies.co.uk/pipetabor.htm

In more recent years another researcher, *Keith Chandler, of Folk music, has included Thomas in his research. A distant cousin has kindly shared a copy of some of his notes relating to interviews with the Pitts family and some old photos which I was most grateful to receive.

*Keith Chandler has researched extensively into the historical, social and economic aspects of music and dance, in particular those forms common in the southern half of England during the nineteenth century.

"Keith Chandler, has further researched the Sherborne Morris and, mentions George Simpson a member at the same time as Thomas recalling that during the 1870’s ‘the side danced on and off for 3 weeks at Whitsuntide. That was the regular outing for the year except for special fetes.’ Besides dancing, playing pipe and tabor it is also known that Thomas played fiddle and there are indications that Sherborne morris unusually had 2 fiddle players.  It is also known that Thomas took part in the traditional Mummers plays "(folk plays).

So who was the man behind the music?

Throughout his life Thomas appears to have moved around living where the work took him, but it appears that he never moved much further than a 10 mile radius of Sherborne.

1861 census: Sherborne Glos. Living at the home of widowed Mary Pitts nee Dodge, with parents Richard and Caroline with his elder sister, Mary and brother, John.

 1871 census: Sherborne Glos. Richard and Caroline + children; Thomas, John and William (all plough boys) Sarah and Eliza. Also living with them Thomas Hall, Caroline’s father, a pauper.

     1^st July 1876 marriage at Sherborne Parish Church to Esther Jackson, also of             Sherborne.

crown copyright.

    1876: Birth of son William Richard (great grandfather) b. Sherborne

    1878: Birth of son Charles Edwin b. Sherborne

    1880: Birth of son James Winfred b. Sherborne

 1881 census: Sherborne Glos. Living with wife Esther and 3 sons. Occupation Oxman

     1883: Birth of daughter Sarah baptised in Colne St Aldwyns

     1886: Birth of son Frederick Thomas b. (Aldersworth) Glos

      1887: Birth of daughter Eliza b. Eastleach

1891 census: Aston Blank Farm, Aston Blank. Thomas, Esther and children; William, Charles, James, Sarah, Frederick and Eliza. Thomas’ occupation Carter/Ag Lab

     1891: Birth of daughter Florence Mary E. b. Aston Blank Farm.

1901 census: Living at The Downs Shipton under Wychford, Oxford. Thomas, Esther and children Frederick, Eliza and Florence. Thomas’ occupation Carter/Ag Lab.

1902: Wilts Glos Standard

1911 census: Living at Eastleach Turville. Thomas Esther and Frederick. Thomas’ occupation Labourer on farm.

    Esther Pitts died on 7th Jul 1925 at no.11 Eastleach Turville, aged 72, of arterio-sclerosis and hemiplegia and chronic valvular disease of the heart. Her Daughter Florence, now Bye, was present and registered the death  Esther was buried at Eastleach on 10^th July 1925.

1939 register:  Living at 31 Eastleach, Thomas a retired carter is living with his daughter Sarah and son in law Charles Deaney.

Thomas died on 13th Dec 1940 at no.31 Eastleach, aged 85 of Bronchitis. His daughter Sarah of the same address was present and registered Thomas' death. He too, was buried at Eastleach on 16th Dec 1940.

FURTHER SOURCES & READING: 

Morris Matters Vol & no 2: Morris dancing at Sherborne – chronology and biography

Traditional Singers and Musicians of Gloucestershire. The Really Beautiful Company – Carol Davies.

    Embroidered images are from authors own work.