1837 female Bellringer

[Brian Meldon]

Thanks Chris you may well be correct however Elizabeth Daukins' name
does not appear in any other context within the church records or
accounts that do appear to be complete. There appears to be two
distinct types of payment to ringers, one listed as `beer for ringers'
the other as `payment for ringing'. The ones for Elizabeth are of the
`payment for ringing' type. One example is the April 30th 1837 receipt
for payment that states `For ringing last year and this year £1 10s 0d
Eliz Daukins.' This is in reference to ringing at Christmas and New
Year. Unfortunately for the ringers at the time it would appear that
they were often being paid for the previous ringing several months
later and shortly before they are were asked to ring again! The `beer
for ringers' payments only appear at Christmas and they are indeed
made to the publican who was not Elizabeth, he also supplied the wine
for services. These `beer for ringers' payments are in addition to the
ringing payments not instead of them. The actual figures for the beer
also vary from year to year but the ringing payments stay at 10
shillings for the five ringers for over 100 years.
The person receiving the ringing payments prior to Elizabeth was the
Canewdon school master George Benton, again apart from his role as a
school master he does not appear in the church records or accounts.
Two of these payments are written as `payment to Benton and others for
ringing'. Of the subsequent names receiving ringing payments I can
find no information at all or any other references to them in the
church accounts or records.  One earlier recipient of the ringing
payments in 1719 was John Rogers who ten years later became the
Constable of Canewdon but he is the only one that I can find that held
any official role for the church.

Brian Meldon