[Bell Historians] Isleham, pre-augmentation

[Richard Smith]

Two questions about Isleham, Cambridgeshire.

1.  Before the augmentation and restoration in the late 
1960s, Isleham were variously claimed to be 20 cwt or 25 
cwt, and sometimes even the heaviest ringable five.  Does 
anyone know if it was weighed before the restoration?  A 
weight of 20 cwt seem quite plausible if it was tuned and 
had canons removed, but 25 cwt for a 48" bells seems pretty 
unlikely.  (For the avoidance of doubt, I don't know the 
bell was tuned then, nor that the canons were not removed at 
an earlier date.)

2.  The Ringing World has occasional references to ringing 
at Isleham in the early 20th century in a context that 
suggests change ringing (e.g. visits by the Ely DA).  Is 
anyone aware of any earlier evidence of changes being rung 
there?  It's quite plausible, being only four miles from 
Soham where there was a strong band.

RAS