Earliest light ring

[Chris Pickford]

At Coventry in 1802 the following was advertsied for sale,

"a compleat Peal of TEN MUSICAL BELLS, neatly hung on a Frame, in an exact
Circle, after the Manner of Church Bells; with Wheels, Stocks, Stays,
Brasses, Caps, Rollers, Salley Blocks, Ropes &c. The Tenor or Great Bell
weighs near One Hundred Weight, and all the rest are in the same Proportion"

This was possible a large-scale model to demonstrate the stability of the
architect's proposals for a sub-frame to support the ten bells at
St.Michael's (now the Cathedral). But one just wonders if they could have
been rung as a mini-ring.

The owner was Matthew Payne, a Coventry Musician who was later organist at
St.Michael's from 1818 until his death in 1828. He may have been related to
Jeremiah Payne, one of the Coventry ringers. Matthew advised on the retuning
of the trebles at Hatton - the "reduced ring" - in 1818

Chris P