For what it's worth... members of Bolton Folk Dance club and 'Haywain' ceilidh band were amongst those who re-formed Horwich Prize Medal Morris Men in the early 1970s, and their wives/partners were miffed about not being able to join.

A women's garland team was formed as something of a protest, which went on to become Rivington Morris - who founded the Women's Morris Federation.

As I was a member of Haywain, and we played for their first appearances during some of our ceilidhs, so I suppose I'd qualify as being one of their first musicians...!