Oxford Inscriptions: Cecil Sharp & William Kimber
HERE ON BOXING DAY 1899
CECIL SHARP FIRST HEARD
WILLIAM KIMBER PLAY THE
HEADINGTON QUARRY MORRIS
DANCE TUNES.
This plaque, which is now on the side wall of a house near the entrance to Horwood Close, was originally attached to Sandfield Cottage on the London Road. This was a large house standing in two acres of land that was demolished in 1965 to make way for the 39 houses in this Close.
William Kimber (1872–1961) was a famous Headington Quarry morris dancer. On Boxing Day 1899 he came with a group of morris men from Quarry to dance at Sandfield Cottage to earn some money, as there was no building work available because of the bad weather. Cecil Sharp happened to be staying here with his mother-in-law, Mrs Dora Birch, and he made Kimber return the next day and play the tunes on his concertina as he wrote them down. This led to the revival of English morris-dancing.
In 1959 the above plaque was erected on the wall by the front porch of Sandfield Cottage with the permission of Mrs Blackburn (the mother of the famous dog-trainer Barbara Woodhouse), who was then the owner. William Kimber himself unveiled it.
When Sandfield Cottage was demolished just six years after the unveiling, this plaque was preserved and attached to the side of the house nearest the entrance to the close.