author
Herbert C. MacIlwaine
An Irish-born writer, music teacher, and folklife enthusiast, he moved between literature and performance with unusual ease. His work drew on Australian experience and English traditional dance, giving it a lively sense of place and culture.
1 Audiobook
The Morris Book, Part 1 A History of Morris Dancing, With a Description of Eleven Dances as Performed by the Morris-Men of England
by Cecil J. (Cecil James) Sharp, Herbert C. MacIlwaine
About the author
Born in Belfast in 1858 or 1859, Herbert C. MacIlwaine was the son of Rev. Dr. William MacIlwaine. Sources describe him as an Irish writer and music teacher, and they show a career that ranged well beyond fiction into music and dance history.
Several biographical sources note that he spent years in Australia, and that his stories and novels reflect Australian bush life as seen by an English migrant. After returning to London, he is also said to have worked as a reader for the publisher Constable.
MacIlwaine is also remembered for his connection to Morris dancing. He served as musical director for the Esperance Girls' Club in the early 1900s and is best known today as the co-author, with Cecil J. Sharp, of The Morris Book. He died in 1916.