[Bell Historians] Unpealed UK Rings of 8

[Chris Pickford]

Hesitate to send this as it might be thought I've nothing better to do on Christmas Eve (I have and I'm about to), but the following note on St.Mary's Stamford from notes I researched in 1998 may be of interest. They may be unringable, but it is a wonderfully historic and interesting belfry - possibly the one place where I'm tempted to think that it would be a great shame to do a standard modern rehang. However, as these notes show, the bells were rung - and most of this activity seems to have been when the Rev. H. Law James was in Stamford from 1890 to 1898.

Ringing at St.Mary's on occasions of national rejoicing is recorded in the accounts of the Chamberlain who paid the ringers or provided their drink. No peals are recorded on St.Mary's bells. In 1884 it was noted that the ring was "considered a good one" and the bells were noted as "in good condition". A few years earlier, the ringing chamber floor was removed to reveal the fine tower vaulting with panelled ribs, causing the ringers "to take up their quarters on the ground floor". The writer of the article in the Bell News commented that this made ringing "a somewhat difficult task, owing to the length of rope, nearly 60ft. which has only a poor wood stay suspended from the wall as a guide". He hoped that this situation might be rectified if it was pointed out to the church authorities that it was "a detriment to change ringing".

 

A number of touches were rung on the bells by the St.Martin's Scholars in the 1890s.

30 March 1894   Several plain courses of Grandsire Triples (Bell News 1894 p.586)

9 Sept.1895        Touches (168 and about 320 changes) of Grandsire Triples (Bell News 1895 p.188)

30 Sept.1895      Touch of 168 Grandsire Triples (Bell News 1895 p.237)

9 Dec.1895         Touch of 518 Grandsire Triples (Bell News 1895 p.370)

14 May 1896      Touch of 1008 Grandsire Triples at Stamford - presumably St.Mary's (Bell News 1896 p.53)

26 June 1896      Touch of 672 Grandsire Triples at Stamford [St.Mary's] (Bell News 1896 p.124)

6 Oct.1896         Touches of Grandsire Triples (518, 168 and 42) by the St.Martin's Scholars "assisted by two friends from Peterborough" (Bell News 1896 p.319)

21 Oct.1896       Touch of 672 Grandsire Triples at St.Mary's (Bell News 1896 p.384)

30 Nov.1896      Touch (406 changes) of Grandsire Triples (Bell News 1896 p.455)

1 Feb.1897         Extent of Oxford Bob Minor on the back six (Bell News 1897 p.626)

24 May 1897      Peal attempt for Grandsire Triples, lost after 1700 changes when the rope of the 7th bell broke after 1hr. 8 mins. (Bell News 1897 p.69) 

 

The bells are said to have been last rung in 1917



CP
           
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