For your information another MS book of dance music has come to light. This one is in the private library at Prideaux Place, Padstow, North Cornwall. It seem to have been the private music book of Frances Prideaux and was probably compiled betwen 1788 and 1796. Initial analysis suggests it contains fairly typical country dance tunes and minuets of its time, with some local material. I hope to publish it later this year.

This is the fifth such MS book of social music to be found. The list is now:
John Giddy compiled c 1730-1750
Morval House MS 1750-1780
Frances Prideaux 1788-1796
John Old of Par 1808-1809
William Allen of St Ives 1820-1858

We are also making advances with the music of William Polwhele (1594-c1661) which starts to fill that difficult gap between the late medieval world of minstrelsy, caroles, morris, mumming, church ales, etc. and modern times.

Information from the high medieval period remains difficult. But from various documentary sources we are slowly building a picture of the musical world of the time of the Earls.

Quite a lot of scholarship has been poured onto this study, but I'm always pleased to get suggestions/ideas/references from others working in the same or related areas.