<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3c.org/TR/1999/REC-html401-19991224/loose.dtd">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16809" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I think Eddie's reference is now obsolete as "the
first ever". When going through the Leicester papers in the early 1970s for
Cyril Wratten, I came across the following report from the <EM>Leicester and
Notingham Journal</EM> of 13 March 1777</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Perhaps there never was an instance before Tuesday the
25th ult. of three such capital performances (in the art of ringing) being rung
on one and the same day as was done on that, for besides the 10,080 Caters at
St. Margaret's, Leicester, and the 10,080 Major at St. Mary's, Shrewsbury; there
was also rung on that day at Abingdon, in Berkshire, a peal of 5040, (Ten in) on
10 hand bells, by 5 persons, in 3 hours and 10 minutes, which was the first 5040
ever rung on hand bells in the kingdom; and thought to exceed the course of
Treble Bob, (Twelve in) rung on 12 hand-bells by 6 of the society of Cumberland
Youths, in London.</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">The Abingdon handbell peal was also reported in the
<EM>Cambridge Chronicle</EM> of 8 March and the <EM>Northampton Mercury</EM> of
3 March</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Although the details are sketchy, I know of no reason to
disbelieve these reports</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">CP</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT> </P></DIV><!--End group email --></BODY></HTML>