England: famous people
Charles Benfield 1841-1929
Victorian morris musician
The first issue of the magazine Countryman magazine used this drawing of Charles Benfield
as it's frontispiece. This portrait was then used on the cover of the Fiddlers Tune Book, 1991
When Jim 'the laddie' Simpson died from an overdose of alcohol (Oxford Chronicle 14 June 1856) his pipe
and tabor were passed to Charles Benfield. Benfield became a key character in the local morris playing for Milton-under-Wychwood, Idbury, Fyfield and Longborough, Oxfordshire. By the early 1880s, Benfield led the junior side comprising dancers born in the 1860's, and only ceased playing in the 1890's. His playing ensured a link across almost 4 generations of morris dancers. His enduring enthusiasm eventually enabled the dances to be recorded by Cecil Sharp and later demonstrated and refined by the Travelling Morrice.
1909 tune collected from him by Cecil Sharp:
The Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford, commented on a tabor pipe in its collection [which is no longer online]:
"The Last Player was Charles Benfield of Foxcott nr C. Norton. He is Still Living but Very Feeble
he Played this Pipe 20 odd years ago".
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