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<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">Hesitate to send this as it might be
thought I've nothing better to do on Christmas Eve (I have and I'm about to),
but the following note on St.Mary's Stamford from notes I researched in 1998 may
be of interest. They may be unringable, but it is a wonderfully historic and
interesting belfry - possibly the one place where I'm tempted to think that it
would be a great shame to do a standard modern rehang. However, as these notes
show, the bells were rung - and most of this activity seems to have been when
the Rev. H. Law James was in Stamford from 1890 to 1898.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -1.0in -.5in"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Times'; LETTER-SPACING: -0.15pt; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"
lang=EN-GB><FONT face=Courier>Ringing at St.Mary's on occasions of national
rejoicing is recorded in the accounts of the Chamberlain who paid the ringers or
provided their drink. No peals are recorded on St.Mary's bells. In 1884 it was
noted that the ring was "considered a good one" and the bells were noted as "in
good condition". A few years earlier, the ringing chamber floor was removed to
reveal the fine tower vaulting with panelled ribs, causing the ringers "to take
up their quarters on the ground floor". The writer of the article in the <I>Bell
News</I> commented that this made ringing "a somewhat difficult task, owing to
the length of rope, nearly 60ft. which has only a poor wood stay suspended from
the wall as a guide". He hoped that this situation might be rectified if it was
pointed out to the church authorities that it was "a detriment to change
ringing".<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -1.0in -.5in"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Times'; LETTER-SPACING: -0.15pt; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"
lang=EN-GB><o:p><FONT face=Courier> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -1.0in -.5in"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Times'; LETTER-SPACING: -0.15pt; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"
lang=EN-GB><FONT face=Courier>A number of touches were rung on the bells by the
St.Martin's Scholars in the 1890s.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: -81.3pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 81.3pt; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -1.0in -.5in 0in .5in 81.3pt 1.5in"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Times'; LETTER-SPACING: -0.15pt; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"
lang=EN-GB><FONT face=Courier>30 March 1894<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>Several plain courses of Grandsire
Triples (<I>Bell News</I> 1894 p.586)<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: -81.3pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 81.3pt; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -1.0in -.5in 0in .5in 81.3pt 1.5in"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Times'; LETTER-SPACING: -0.15pt; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"
lang=EN-GB><FONT face=Courier>9 Sept.1895<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>Touches (168 and about 320 changes) of Grandsire Triples (<I>Bell
News</I> 1895 p.188)<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: -81.3pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 81.3pt; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -1.0in -.5in 0in .5in 81.3pt 1.5in"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Times'; LETTER-SPACING: -0.15pt; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"
lang=EN-GB><FONT face=Courier>30 Sept.1895<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>Touch of 168
Grandsire Triples (<I>Bell News</I> 1895 p.237)<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: -81.3pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 81.3pt; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -1.0in -.5in 0in .5in 81.3pt 1.5in"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Times'; LETTER-SPACING: -0.15pt; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"
lang=EN-GB><FONT face=Courier>9 Dec.1895<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>Touch of 518 Grandsire Triples (<I>Bell News</I> 1895
p.370)<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: -81.3pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 81.3pt; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -1.0in -.5in 0in .5in 81.3pt 1.5in"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Times'; LETTER-SPACING: -0.15pt; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"
lang=EN-GB><FONT face=Courier>14 May 1896<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>Touch of 1008
Grandsire Triples at <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Stamford</st1:place></st1:City> - presumably St.Mary's (<I>Bell
News</I> 1896 p.53)<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: -81.3pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 81.3pt; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -1.0in -.5in 0in .5in 81.3pt 1.5in"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Times'; LETTER-SPACING: -0.15pt; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"
lang=EN-GB><FONT face=Courier>26 June 1896<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>Touch of 672
Grandsire Triples at <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Stamford</st1:place></st1:City> [St.Mary's] (<I>Bell News</I> 1896
p.124)<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: -81.3pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 81.3pt; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -1.0in -.5in 0in .5in 81.3pt 1.5in"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Times'; LETTER-SPACING: -0.15pt; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"
lang=EN-GB><FONT face=Courier>6 Oct.1896<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>Touches of Grandsire Triples (518, 168 and 42) by the St.Martin's
Scholars "assisted by two friends from <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Peterborough</st1:place></st1:City>" (<I>Bell News</I> 1896
p.319)<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: -81.3pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 81.3pt; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -1.0in -.5in 0in .5in 81.3pt 1.5in"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Times'; LETTER-SPACING: -0.15pt; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"
lang=EN-GB><FONT face=Courier>21 Oct.1896<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>Touch of
672 Grandsire Triples at St.Mary's (<I>Bell News</I> 1896
p.384)<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: -81.3pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 81.3pt; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -1.0in -.5in 0in .5in 81.3pt 1.5in"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Times'; LETTER-SPACING: -0.15pt; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"
lang=EN-GB><FONT face=Courier>30 Nov.1896<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>Touch (406
changes) of Grandsire Triples (<I>Bell News</I> 1896
p.455)<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: -81.3pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 81.3pt; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -1.0in -.5in 0in .5in 81.3pt 1.5in"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Times'; LETTER-SPACING: -0.15pt; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"
lang=EN-GB><FONT face=Courier>1 Feb.1897<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>Extent of Oxford Bob Minor on the back six (<I>Bell News</I> 1897
p.626)<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: -81.3pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 81.3pt; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -1.0in -.5in 0in .5in 81.3pt 1.5in"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Times'; LETTER-SPACING: -0.15pt; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"
lang=EN-GB><FONT face=Courier>24 May 1897<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>Peal attempt for
Grandsire Triples, lost after 1700 changes when the rope of the 7th bell broke
after 1hr. 8 mins. (<I>Bell News</I> 1897 p.69) <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -1.0in -.5in"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Times'; LETTER-SPACING: -0.15pt; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"
lang=EN-GB><o:p><FONT face=Courier> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -1.0in -.5in"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Times'; LETTER-SPACING: -0.15pt; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"
lang=EN-GB><FONT face=Courier>The bells are said to have been last rung in
1917</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -1.0in -.5in"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Times'; LETTER-SPACING: -0.15pt; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"
lang=EN-GB><FONT face=Courier></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -1.0in -.5in"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Times'; LETTER-SPACING: -0.15pt; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"
lang=EN-GB><FONT
face=Courier>CP<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>