Curfew (was Re: The Tellers)

[Peter Whisker]

I am still trying to get an estimate of the number of church towers which
still *manually* ring a curfew. I suspect that it must be less than a dozen?

We continue to ring one at Chertsey between Michaelmas and Lady Day, every
week-night at 8pm. (http://www.stpeterschertsey.org.uk/bells). The practice
is unchanged probably since the 14th Century at a guess - Manning and Bray's
history of Surrey in 1808 records it as a very old custom then and their
description matches what we do today. Our "Curfew Bell" or "Chertsey Abbey
bell" (the 5) is a 1380 recast of a 1310 bell but we now ring on the 4 which
is not so old (1756).

I am aware of Morpeth town hall which I think still pays a small sum to a
ringer to ring the curfew (and presumably the town gates to be closed in the
face of marauding Scots!).

Thanks
Peter


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Cawley" <dave at d...>
To: <bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, June 14, 2003 7:32 PM
Subject: [Bell Historians] The Tellers


... Bell Harry only weighs about 8-cwt, note Bb and is (I believe) still
reserved for this use, also for the Curfew and as a Sanctus bell on
appropriate occasions. ...