Firstly there is nothing like a 'school' of English fiddling, each player is idiosyncratic and most usually, self-taught. Secondly, there is a uniform disregard for tonality, even in the most accomplished players such as Ned Pearson.

That will be my fiddle credo from henceforth, Paul. Being a string player more accustomed to fretted instruments, I've fretted my fiddle with the same 16lb fishing line I use on my crwths & medieval fiddle, thus bringing myself more in line with the first clause than the second. I take heart that fretted fiddles are illustrated on a 13th century post-card from York Minster - and in Beverly Minster it seems that the fiddle & guitar was, in fact, one and the same instrument played by one and the same player. Check out pictures 2 & 9 in a bunch I took there back in the summer.

Medieval Musicians : Beverley Minster

In both, the sculptor (and the restorer) has gone to pains to feature strings rather than frets, but I reckon this is a low-bridged fretted instrument, and it's the same chap playing it, bowed in one and plucked in the other. I also reckon the idiosyncratic fiddle style is a folk memory of such musicians and the uniform disregard for tonality is most likely due to an absense of frets. This begs the question as to why English fiddlers didn't fret their fiddles. I reckon the answer is the same as today - in fear of being sneered at by more accomplished musicians. Myself, I have no such qualms; both my crwths are fretted, likewise my violins and medieval fiddle, though my Black Sea Fiddles / Lyra remain unfretted because it's never been an issue. Oddly, I never had such problems on the double-bass, fretless electric bass likewise...

Meanwhile, I still study the old unfretted fiddlers in awe and deference however idiosyncratic & out-of-tune they might sound to modern ears - and Jim Eldon too, of course, whose playing is examplary in every respect; Michael Hurdley likewise, and that old Catskill fiddler on YouTube, circa 1929, none of whom seem to the same intonation problems as I do. I have an old unfretted fiddle I pick up from time to time; domestically it's no problem at all, but I know if I take it out I'll quickly regret it...