Guest with Insight, you will find much about the Men of Saddlworth here:

http://www.morrismen.saddleworth.org.uk/

The later contributers have certaily added some quality info. I have a copy of'Lancashire & Cheshire Morris Dances, collected and edited by Johhn Graham, published by Curwen & Sons. This gives lots of detail and history taking Northwest back around 500 years.

Does this suggest that Northwest evolved into clogs from what we now cal 'Cotswold' perhaps better 'Mediaeval Morris' with the Industrial Revolution?