[Bell Historians] Soham

[Chris Pickford]

Pleased to see the website pages, which provide some useful extra information - including the weights for the back six (tenor 19-3-3 as installed)

Soham do seem to have begun life as a six in 1788, followed by augmentation in 1790. There are two relevant press reports

1. Extract from the peal book of the Union Society of Newport, Isle of Wight, quoted in Bell News 10 September 1910:

October 8th 1788, the new peal of six bells at Soham, in Cambridgeshire, was opened by a Society of gentlemen of Ely and Soham, with a Peal of Oxford Treble, Court, and Plain Bob, consisting of 720 Changes each

2. Report from the Norfolk Chronicle Sat. 4 September 1790 (advertisement), quoted in Ringing World 2 February 1990: 

"RINGING, A New peal of EIGHT BELLS, in the key of E, is now completed at SOHAM, in CAMBRIDGESHIRE, by Thomas Osborn, Bell-Founder at Downham, in Norfolk; and will be opened on Thursday, the 9th of this instant September; when the company of Gentlemen Ringers will be esteemed a favour, By their humble Servant, JOHN REDGRAVE, At the Crown Inn, at Soham". 

Editorial note: (by David Cubitt) A ring of six bells had been installed at Soham two years earlier and a subscription then opened for two further bells

CP           
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