Sunday Morning curfew?

[Peter Whisker]

For some time I had wondered about the statement on one of the St. Peter's
Chertsey wall tablets about the recasting of the "large curfew bell" (the
tenor) in 1867. The 1670 Eldridge bell was recast by Mears & Stainbank at
the expense of Angela Burdett Coutts of the London banking family. I found a
partial answer in Manning and Bray's "History and Antiquities of Surrey"
(1811) but it raised a further question.

At Chertsey we still ring a weeknight curfew at 8pm from Michaelmas to Lady
Day. It is still rung as per the 1811 account - we raise the bell, ring for
a few minutes (usually 50 strokes to the balance), ring down, pause and then
chime the date. For reasons of not wearing out the 1380 Curfew Bell (no.5)
we ring on the no.4 (1756 Lester & Pack) these days. This curfew dates back
into antiquity and may be a result of the Great Fire of Chertsey in 1235.
The present bell is an 1380 Wokingham recasting (10cwt) of a 1310 bell which
is believed to have been broken in the collapse of the tower of Chertsey
Abbey in July 1370. This has traditionally been the town Curfew Bell and
presumably the one on which Manning and Bray record the usual night curfew
to have been rung on.

Manning and Bray however also record that a further "curfew" is run on the
"largest bell" (20cwt) at 8am on Sunday mornings. We no longer do this
(although we do ring for service). We can not account for the ringing of a
curfew at 8am in the morning. It is clear that this was considered a
"Curfew" ringing as the 1868 wall tablet does call the tenor the "large
curfew bell".

Does anyone know any reason for the ringing of a Sunday morning curfew or
have any pointers as to where I might find out more about this curious
practice?

Many thanks
Peter Whisker
Chertsey, Surrey