Info J.W. Allen Folklorist

Subject: Info J.W. Allen Folklorist
From: GUEST,Nick Dow
Date: 05 Feb 21 - 07:55 PM

He was certainly active in the 1950's. I am reading an article by him in the 1954 Journal, and I would like some background information upon his area of expertise, and if he was a collector. Thank you in advance

Subject: RE: Info J.W. Allen Folklorist
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Feb 21 - 08:24 PM

Hi, Nick. My first thought was that if he's significant, he'll be mentioned in D.K. Wilgus, Anglo-American Folksong Scholarship since 1898 (Rutgers University Press, 1959). Sure enough, he's mentioned in half a sentence on page 325:

....though J.W. Allen has demonstrated that it is sometimes possible to trace elements of a composite lyric to their earlier and apparently original home. ₂₃₇

The footnote refers to an article titled "Some Notes on 'O Waly Waly'," JEFDSS, VII (1954), 261ff.

And that's all Wilgus has to say, and I'm wondering if the footnote refers to the same 1954 article you're reading.

I looked in a number of other books, and came up with nothing.

Subject: RE: Info J.W. Allen Folklorist
From: GUEST,#
Date: 05 Feb 21 - 09:53 PM

https://themorrisring.org/sites/default/files/docs/mdancer/volume-5-no-4.pdf

He wrote an article for EFDSS that begins on p.75.

Subject: RE: Info J.W. Allen Folklorist
From: GUEST,#
Date: 05 Feb 21 - 09:54 PM

Sorry. It's from a publication called The Morris Dancer.

Subject: RE: Info J.W. Allen Folklorist
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Feb 21 - 11:27 PM

Good find. Looks like it may well be the same person. The article was written years ago, and published in The Morris Dancer in 2016, after Allen's death.

Subject: RE: Info J.W. Allen Folklorist
From: GUEST,Nick Dow
Date: 06 Feb 21 - 04:19 AM

Thank you. Yes it is the Waly Waly article, and I have found an update to it in an article from 2012 on the website Just another Tune. However nobody seems to know who Mr Allen was. There is nothing on Google, and no obit. for him. No doubt someone will have some more details.

Subject: RE: Info J.W. Allen Folklorist
From: GUEST,Nick Dow
Date: 06 Feb 21 - 04:25 AM

And the moral is look before you post! Thank you Guest. See below.

John Allen 1928-2015
John came up to Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge in 1946 and soon joined
the University Rambling Club, where he was given the number lV to distinguish
him from past and present members. He later joined the Round (The C.U.
Country Dance Club) and was persuaded to join the Cambridge Morris Men
where he retained his well-known "nick name".
John remained a very active member of the CMM, being appointed Squire in
1959 and again in 1963, before moving to St Andrews in 1968. He led tours of
the Travelling Morrice to the Cotswolds in 1960 & 1964, each one finishing
with a joint show in Chipping Campden with his favourite traditional side. After
moving to Scotland, he still often danced with the CMM and almost always
joined the T.M. on the June tours.
Whilst he never claimed to be a really good dancer he studied the different traditions and
held strong views on the active standard that should be aimed at and always encouraged men
to dance with vigour. Longborough was his favourite tradition and he wrote a detailed paper
on the dances and contacts with old dancers. (Unpublished and not dated, but maybe 1965/6)
He was at his best in the “folly”, with his great white beard, which many a small child
discovered was fixed on. In that role he kept one eye on the dancers and also fully reacted
with the audience. His tradition of wading across the stream at Lower Slaughter to take the
collecting tin to the audience was only one of his fine traditions. He handled difficult
situations with academic brilliance, whether they concerned the police and a drunken
spectator in Ross-on-Wye or very verbose member of the IRA in Ireland.
On tours his advice and help to younger men was invaluable and in addition his sense of fun
and enjoyment of life led to many harmless pranks, particularly one to the annoyance of
81
Russell Wortley concerning his tent, but all was soon forgotten due to John’s good humour
and tact.
After obtaining his degree and doctorate in physics at Cambridge, John’s highly respected
professional and academic life took him, while at the Services Electronic Research Laboratory
at Baldock to the discovery and development of what he called a crystal lamp, now known as
a LED, to Scotland and St Andrews University in 1968, initially as Research Fellow, lecturer,
then as a Professor, where the respect to him shown by his students was reflected in that
they bought him a special cushion for his “Chair”. He retired but continued working as
Emeritus Professor of Physics, and in 2010 was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science.
However his scientific brilliance never marred his friendship with traditional dancers or their
families, audiences and lesser academic men. We in the CMM, the TM and the Morris
generally have lost a very fine supporter and friend to all active Morris men.
John Jenner