TITLEY,William MS

Mr William Titley, Pave Lane, Shropshire

Manuscript Book, circa 1860

FOREWORD by Brian Tomkinson

The following pages of music (Ed. See PDFs) are a complete copy of a manuscript book, which I was given by my late uncle Mr Joe Evans of Bromstead near Newport, Shropshire.

The book belonged to his grandfather Mr W. Titley who was an accomplished musician and it records in his own hand writing the music played by him in the area in the mid to late 1800’s. The 1891 census records William Titley, aged 62, was at the time resident at the Plough Inn, Bromstead and his occupation was given as carpenter, farmer, and beer house keeper. This information confirms stories that I heard from family members that Mr Titley worked on local estates as a carpenter and that his musical talent was such that a pony and trap would be sent from as far afield as Shrewsbury to take him to play at hunt balls etc. This crossing of social boundaries would have been uncommon at the time and indicates the level of his musical talent. I have been told that he played the piccolo and may have also played the flute and fiddle. He was well known in the district at the time and played for many village functions.

To obtain some estimate of the date of this music I have assumed that Mr Titley would have been in his 30’s when in peak demand as a musician and resident at Pave Lane, so if he was 62 in 1891 it dates the manuscript book to about 1860. One of his children [also William] was listed in the 1901 census as being born in Pave Lane in 1865, which agrees with the address given in the book. Some of the music is well known tunes of the day, some seem more uncommon. A large number of quadrilles, a dance in five parts for four couples, and a significant number of polka’s are included which goes some way to indicating the types of dances in demand at the time. Pave Lane, where my mother’s family lived for many years, is a small village on the A41 south of Newport. It is now only a cluster of houses, a farm, and a pub but it has had a busy industrial past with a canal wharf and lime kilns.

The book provides a unique insight into one man’s music and is a permanent record of popular music in the Shropshire area in the mid to late 1800’s. I have reproduced and circulated copies in the hope that some of this music may be heard again.

Brian Tomkinson

John Offord wrote an article examining the MS, for EDS magazine. see EDS Autumn 2015 p16

PDFs of the MS

The MS is available as four PDF files:-

File:TitleyW 1of4.pdf

File:TitleyW 2of4.pdf

File:TitleyW 3of4.pdf

File:TitleyW 4of4.pdf

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CONTENTS

Jenny Lind’s Polka

The Trotting Pony Polka

The Dublin Polka

Polka Galop

The National Schottische

Dublin Llasses

The Drum Polka

The Rose of Allandale

St. Patrick’s Day in the Morning (Untitled)

Romeo Waltz

Waltz by Worrall

The New Schottische

Newcastle Schottische

Olga Waltz

Polka

Polka [by Julian]

Walhalla Polka

The Pandowr Waltz

The New Schottische

A Waltz

Waltz by Schubert

Waltz by J. King

Mozart’s Waltz

Music by Winter

Love Not

The Special Polka

The Victorine Polka

The Rose Polka

Waltz [Stoddart]

Waltz

Duke of York’s March

The Opera Schottische

May Queen Waltzes 1&2

Schottische

3rd & 4th Caledonian (Quadrilles?)

Polka

Wild Rose Polka

Lennora Schottische

The Inkerman Polka

Waltz

Silver Lake Varsoviano

Miriam Polka Mazurka (cont.)

The King Pippin Polka

Moldavian Schottische

The Great Eastern Polka

Miriam Polka Mazurka (cont.)

Sandringham Polka

Early in the Morning Schottische

Only a Pansy Blossom

Fizz Galop (?)

God Bless the Prince of Wales

Down by the River Side

Only a Pansy Blossom

Hornpipe The Blue Jacket

The Souvenir Schottische

Victoria Waltz

Scots Abroad Barn Dance

Strolling Players Quadrilles

Sherwins Polka

Susanna Quadrilles

New Caledonians

Musards 43 set

The Caledonians Quadrilles

Le Petit Postilion Quadrilles

Les Belles Nuits de Venise Quadrilles

Jetty Treffz Quadrilles

Quadrilles from the Ofries Masanieto

Les Rats Quadrilles

Lancers Quadrilles

Harlequin

Palmyra Quadrilles

Quadrilles composed by G. Collier

Le Chateau de Kenilworth

Normandie Quadrilles

No 9 set Galop

Souvenir de Loyons Quadrilles

Daughter of St Mark Quadrilles

Margarita Waltzes

Tubal Cain Polka

Cherbourg Quadrilles

Faust Waltzes

No 1 set

Cottage Polka

No 4 set

Coquette Polka

The Elfin Quadrille

The Warrington Quadrille

Le Prophete Quadrille

Storming of Mooltan Quadrille

Elizor de Amour Quadrille

Mandoline Waltzes

Emmeline Waltzes

Rosalinda Waltzes

Nymph of the Wave

Uncle Tom’s Cabin Quadrille

Edinburgh Quadrilles

The Burlesque Quadrilles

Homage to the Prince of Wales: parts named as The Delight of the Men of Harlech

Ar hydy nos

The King’s Joy

Margaret’s Daughter

Rising of the Lark

Ap Shenkin

Rule Brittania

Winter Night Galop

My Grandfather’s Clock

Blue Bells

Palace of Lee Mazurka

Fanny Bell Schottische

The War Galop

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