Nigel Kelsey (1919-1990) worked as a primary school teacher in London from 1952 until his retirement in 1982. Through his teaching Nigel Kelsey developed a keen interest in the lore and language of children, and by 1964 he was collecting examples of singing games and rhymes from children at the Ben Jonson Primary School in Mile End, Stepney, where he was then working. Nigel Kelsey’s collecting activity and interest in the area of children’s folklore was furthered through his decision to study for a Diploma in the Education of Children at the University of London’s Maria Grey College in Twickenham. This involved fieldwork in a number of London schools beyond his own, and was undertaken between 1966 and 1967 whilst he was still a class teacher. In the thesis which resulted from this research, entitled ‘Speech and Creative Writing of Fourth Year Junior School Children’, Nigel Kelsey studied examples of pupils’ poetry and prose writing, taken from a small sample in each of the five participating schools. In analysing the children’s speech he noted their use of language in answers given to set questions and during free conversation on a variety of topics (including family life, hobbies, gender roles, memorable events, fears and superstitions). By way of putting them at ease in a recording situation, Nigel Kelsey preceded this by asking the children to talk about, and give examples of, games, rhymes, jokes, riddles and tongue-twisters known to them. He was awarded the Diploma in 1969.

Kelsey worked as deputy head at Elmwood School in West Norwood, London, from 1969 until 1974, when he was appointed headteacher at another London school, Michael Faraday Junior, in Walworth. Here he taught children, many from impoverished backgrounds, who required extra help, preferring this to work with those from more wealthy areas. During both appointments he continued to record pupils’ games and rhymes, although his duties and position of headteacher presented problems in terms of how much and what type of material he could collect: “As a headteacher I had very little time and a certain mutual understanding inhibited the exchange of the coarser material.”

When, in 1982, Nigel Kelsey retired from the teaching profession he began a project which was to dominate the rest of his life. This involved a study of all aspects of children’s folklore, focusing on twenty inner London schools. By September 1983, with 70% of his fieldwork covered, Nigel Kelsey had collected 75 skipping rhymes, 55 ball-bouncing rhymes, 20 clapping rhymes, 30 “living versions” of traditional singing games, 45 modern action and dance songs, 200 ‘entertainment’ rhymes, including 50 parodies and 25 rhymes on school, school meals and teachers. He had also collected over 100 sayings and taunts, as well as tongue twisters, limericks, catches, puzzles, riddles and jokes. In addition he recorded children’s explanations of over 100 games, and examples of slang, superstitions and beliefs.

This period of school visits and fieldwork recording sessions produced thirty-four tape recordings, all of which Nigel Kelsey transcribed and a typescript of an unpublished by ‘Everybody Gather Round: A Study of Inner London Children’s Folklore 1982-1984 (Plus Some Lore Collected from a few Inner London Schools 1960-1981)’. He did successfully publish a number of articles, based on his research, in prominent folklore journals. These included ‘Tradition and Innovation in Children’s Games and Songs in the Playground’, London Lore London Lore (Volume 1:4, July 1979, pp. 40-49); ‘When they were Young Girls: A Singing Game Through the Century’, Folklore (Volume 92:1, 1981, pp. 104-109); ‘Norman Douglas Revisited’, London Lore (Volume 1:10, October 1983, pp. 117-125); and ‘The Lady on the Mountain: A Century of Play Rhyme Tradition’, Lore and Language (Volume 4:1, January 1985, pp. 78-85).

Nigel Kelsey died in November 1990.