Annotation:Trip to Matlock (2)
TRIP TO MATLOCK [2]. English, Jig (6/8 time). C Major (Roose): D Major (Knowles et al). Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. "Trip to Matlock" first appeared in the large (1,120 tunes) in a music manuscript owned by John Roose, Manchester, England. A John Roose is listed in the 1851 and 1861 as a railroad laborer, but later became a Police Constable in Hulme, and later Manchester, serving for over 30 years. His son, also John Roose (Jr.), was born in 1879 and became a professional musician, and it is to he that came into possession of the music ms. collection. The inscription on the inside cover reads "John Roose, 4 Welcombe Street, Hulme, Manchester", however the tune entries indicate it was compiled prior to 1850 by a single individual, and later acquired by Mr. Roose, perhaps from a relative or "some other knowledgable source"[1].
The title probably refers to wikipedia:Matlock Bath in the Derbyshire Dales, central England, once a spa resort dating to 1698 when warm springs were discovered and a bath house was built. As access improved late in the 19th century it became fashionable, with Princess Victoria of Kent's royal visit in 1832 confirming Matlock as a society venue of the time. John Ruskin and Lord Byron were visitors, Byron comparing it with alpine Switzerland, leading to a nickname of 'Little Switzerland'. When the North Midland Railway opened in 1840, carriages plied for hire from Ambergate station. The Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway ran a number of excursions, taking the passengers onward from Ambergate by the Cromford Canal.
- ↑ Researched by Chris Partington and the Village Music team. See http://www.cpartington.plus.com/Links/Roose/RooseInfo.html#ROOSE_BIOGRAPHICAL_NOTES for more.