[Bell Historians] Curfew (was Re: The Tellers)

[David Cawley]

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1. Sandwich tenor. Twenty years ago, it was I suppose rung up about 50% o=
f the time. The Mayor used to give the curfew ringers a grand dinner every=
year. I was a member of the Guild of Curfew Ringers, ringing on 19th of t=
he month, and still pride the tie (Sandwich coat of arms, surmounted by a b=
ell). As I think I've said before on this site, the bell is or was rung da=
ily, except Sunday, at 8 p.m. Most ringers went down about 7.45 and locked=
themselves in - note, ifyou want to go there, entrance is in the ruins of =
the north aisle, the door being well away from the entrance to the tower st=
airway, so if you're late you won't be heard. The clock is allowed to chim=
e and strike eight, after which the bell is swung. In 1982, on Mayor's Day=
, RCO and I rang the 4th (rehung 1892) and tenor (rehung 1932) for the occa=
sion. The other six have only fragmentary wheels left now.

2. Canterbury, Bell Harry was swung manually until 1957 or 8 since when var=
ious sloggers have been applied to it. Curfew time was 9 p.m.

3. Bristol St Nicholas has a curfew bell, hung on a ringing headstock with =
gudgeons and bearings, but no other fittings except a clock-type hammer whi=
ch sounds the curfew from 9 till 9.07, when it is working. The bell is the=
flat 7th in 10; the other 3 bells are the 3rd, 6th and tenor of a 30-cwt C=
# ten, hanging in the super Taylor H-frame of 1898. Delicious bells.

4. I think the church with the chime in Brixham rings out "Abide with me" e=
very night as a sort of curfew.

There's some stately home, can't remember where, which rings when the gates=
are closing; and they used to ring the bell in the Bell Tower at the Tower=
of London as a curfew. And of course, there's that wonderful JT bell of 1=
953 at St Bride, Fleet Street.......not rung for Curfew but I shall leave i=
t to DrL to tell the story.

DLC=20
----- Original Message -----=20
From: LOVE, Dickon=20
To: 'bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com'=20
Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2003 11:05 AM
Subject: RE: RE: [Bell Historians] Curfew (was Re: The Tellers)


> You can add St Peter's, Sandwich to your list. The ring of 8 is unringa=
ble
> except for the tenor. This is rung every day as a curfew bell. Each day=
, a
> different member of the company of "ringers" (actually most of them are
not
> ringers) go up and ring or chime the bell.

DJB:
"How often is it rung full-circle?"

Not sure how many of the Curfew ringers are actual ringers. There used to=
be
none, but with the installation of a ring of bells in St Clement's,
Sandwich, more and more ringers have leaked into the Curfew Society. I do=
n't
know whether all ringers would have rung the bell up either (it is about =
15
cwt), but I guess it gets rung up once a week. Pure guess though.

DrL

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