[Bell Historians] The sound of bells in 1170

[Richard Smith]

Chris Pickford wrote:

> The idea that these bells were rung by treading beams 
> certainly seems plausible - but do we know anything from 
> elsewhere about how many people (e.g. per ton of bell) it 
> took to operate this system. If they weren't that heavy, 
> why were so many ringers needed?

The Sigmund bell at Kraków cathedral in Poland weighs 
somewhere in the region of 9 to 10 tons (Dickon has the 
exact figure) and was cast in 1520.  It is hung with two 
long wooden beams fastened to its very large wooden 
headstock.  The beams probably extend about 10 feet either 
side of the bell, and the bell is rung by people hauling on 
ropes hung from the end of these beams.  So far as I could 
see, the fittings seemed well maintained.  However even 
today, ten to twelve ringers are required to ring it (or so 
they claim; I didn't actually see it done).  That's 
approaching one-and-a-half ringers per ton.

I guess that bells rung by treading on the beams would 
require more ringers as it seems to me that is a less easy 
way of putting the bell into motion.  Add more friction to 
the bearings and clapper, and I could easily believe as many 
as three ringers per ton, maybe even four.  Even so, this 
would make Wybert's bell weigh six to eight tons.  The 
question is, how unbelievable is this?  From memory (I'm 
writing this en route to the ASCY dinner), Prior Henry's 
14th C bell at Canterbury weighed 64 cwt.  Are any larger 
bells of this era known?

RAS