Herbert C. MacIlwaine

author

Herbert C. MacIlwaine

Known for both fiction and music, this Belfast-born writer moved between publishing, storytelling, and the English folk-dance revival. He is best remembered today as a collaborator on early morris dance collections and as the author of adventurous tales shaped in part by his Australian years.

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

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 1859, Herbert Charles MacIlwaine was the son of William MacIlwaine, a minister and literary scholar. Reliable biographical sources describe him as an Irish writer who also spent time in Australia before returning to London.

In London he worked as a publisher's reader and wrote fiction, including novels and short tales such as The Tower Maiden and The Twilight Reef. Reference sources connect some of his storytelling to Australian settings and themes, which helped give his work a distinct flavor.

MacIlwaine also had a place in the history of English folk music and dance. He served as musical director for the Esperance Girls' Club and collaborated with Cecil J. Sharp on The Morris Book, helping preserve and share morris dance music for new audiences. He died in 1916.