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<P>There have been several questions lately refering to "Baldersby St James=
" The=20
Bells are hung on three levels and are chimed by electronic hammers control=
led=20
by Computer installed by Taylors in 1998,and it has to be said they are qui=
te=20
magnificent, a quarter of Grandsire triples being chimed at there re-dedica=
tion=20
One criticism is however the treble is a bit quiet owing to it being below =
the=20
other bells. It is a pity that it could not be moved to its original positi=
on. I=20
am refraining from mentioning the ringing on the bells we have all heard th=
e=20
stories.</P>
<P>However I have enclosed with the Author's permission a snippet from an=20
article shortly to be sent to the Ringing World, written by a North Yorkshi=
re=20
Ringer</P>
<P>The Ripon and Richmond Chronicle of October 3rd 1857 gives a very long a=
nd=20
interesting description of the consecration and opening of the Church which=
took=20
place on Tuesday 29 September 1857 (see also Appendix 1). There are two=20
references to the bells in this article. <I>"Others were in a maze of=20
astonishment at the reports of the great beauty of the new church; but the=
=20
majority seemed most astounded by the fact that the tower and spire were fi=
fty=20
feet higher than Ripon Minster</FONT><FONT size=3D2>, </FONT><FONT size=3D3=
>and that=20
there swung therin eight glorious bells, whose melodious tones would "for e=
ver=20
and a day longer" assert and maintain the skill of one Master Taylor of=20
Loughborough</FONT><B><FONT size=3D1> </B></FONT><FONT size=3D3>the founder=
=20
thereof</I></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3D3>and <I>"The Bells were only chimed, not from any fear of=
=20
injuring the steeple, but on account of the ringers not being able to "rais=
e"=20
the seventh bell, which chipped the wall when it got to a certain height. T=
he=20
Otley ringers had the honour of first handling the ropes. the Sharow ringer=
s=20
were also present and the Ripon Cathedral men were there with their sweet h=
and=20
bells, and rang several changes which were admired both at the Church and i=
n=20
Baldersby village". </I>Did they even at this stage begin to wonder if the =
bells=20
were not suitable for the tower? This casts much light on the folk-lore mys=
tery=20
tale that the bells were only rung the once at their dedication service. In=
fact=20
they appear not to have been rung at all for that occasion! We do know, how=
ever=20
that they were rung, both by a local band and by visiting ringers until the=
turn=20
of the century. The fact that the seventh "chipped the wall" suggests that =
the=20
bellhangers (Taylors of Loughborough) may have been working up to the last=
=20
possible moment to complete the installation. With the first stone of the c=
hurch=20
having been laid on 22nd May 1856, the bells being cast between March and A=
ugust=20
1857<I>, </I>and only despatched from Lougliborough on 3rd September 1857, =
time=20
would have been very tight. Could it possibly be that Taylors never saw or=
=20
surveyed the tower until they arrived on site with the frame and bells, at =
which=20
point they were faced with an impossible task in the time before the dedica=
tion=20
service on 29th September. We do know that other parts of the church were a=
lso=20
not finished for the dedication. The chancel roof was not complete, there w=
as=20
only a temporary organ and some stained glass still had to be provided.</P>
<P> </P>
<P>Yours Ian</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>