[Bell Historians] Deadrope Ringing

[Steve Powell]

I'm very new to the group and clearly have a lot to learn but I've been 
following this thread with interest.

A Google search for 'Deadrope Ringing' found this ...

http://www.changeringing.co.uk/wiki/index.php/Early_Wheel_Development

... which you're probably all very familiar with but nevertheless I 
thought I'd flag it up as it seems relevant and has some nice diagrams.

Regards,
Steve Powell.

In message <iqbc77+d0ns at eGroups.com>, Brian Meldon 
<CanewdonBells at FBUygIV61ea0XlgL799DXz2_eWNwWbfHpcFirkLuxYx7xJa_J_4Ud23VRByVQeywOOagWU4E4CdwF_ulKyeu2zQ.yahoo.invalid> writes
>The location of the original pulley boxes at Canewdon is still 
>discernable for all the bells here and amazingly I also have a detailed 
>close up photo of a pulley box in place taken many years ago before it 
>fell apart. A pulley wheel also survives.
>
>Bells two to five  have conventionalstay, sliders and slider boxes or 
>to be more accurate their rotted remains! The treble in the newer 
>(1678) addition to the bell frame has a pendulum slider and the 
>surviving stay for this bell shows considerable ware from this slider.
>
>Interestingly there are also the remains of what appears to be a 
>mechanism for locking each of the bells in an up position.
>
>I find our old bell frame a fascinating object and with the help of 
>others I have been able to establish its various stages of 
>modifications from it's original form in the 1420's with it's massive 
>30cwt swing chimed tenor to the lighter full circle ring in the 17th 
>centaury.
>
>Brian Meldon
>
>
>--- In bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com, "Chris Pickford" 
><c.j.pickford.t21 at ...> wrote:
>>
>> Briefly, the pulleys were positioned in the normal place - and 
>>salleys would have been needed for the short handstroke pull and for 
>>setting the bell. Sometimes such installations have fixed "rests" 
>>rather than moving sliders. Not so sure about the tail-end. On bells 
>>hung like this, change-ringing would be difficult - but full-circle 
>>call changes and "round ringing" were entirely feasible. In my 
>>naughtier tower grabbing days when we used to ring on threes still 
>>hung like this, we often used to tie a piece or cord round the wheel 
>>in the "normal" garter hole position to give a proper handstroke. But 
>>I have rung deadrope too
>>
>> I can't immediately think of anything much in print on the subject of 
>>deadrope ringing. Moreover, past belfry investigators perhaps didn't 
>>take enough notice when recording old installations (now gone or 
>>modified) to indicate whether the ropes (and pulleys) were arranged 
>>like this or in what we now regard as "normal" ringing positions. I'm 
>>as guilty as anyone else! But my hunch is that quite a fair percentage 
>>of "rustic" installations - i.e. where bells were hung locally rather 
>>than by specialist bellhangers - may have been deadrope
>>
>> Of course, what you know is what you ring. Local bands who just rang 
>>in their own village would have been quite content with bells hung 
>>like this - a familiar "feel" and "go".
>>
>> It is, though, an area on which a bit more research could usefully be done
>>
>> CP
>>
>>
>>   ----- Original Message -----
>>   From: Brian Meldon
>>   To: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com
>>   Sent: Tuesday, May 10, 2011 12:17 PM
>>   Subject: [Bell Historians] Deadrope Ringing
>>
>>
>>
>>   Chris Pickford mentioned in his last post that the 12 o'clock 
>>garter holes at Canewdon were for `deadrope ringing'.
>>
>>   This is the first time I have come across this
>>   term and I would like to know more information, like how the bells 
>>would have been rung, where pulleys would be positioned and the 
>>arrangement at the lower end of the rope. Several of the surviving 
>>bell rope invoices here as well as giving details of the weight or the 
>>length of the ropes also state that they had `woostead sallys'. So 
>>clearly a sally was still needed.
>>
>>   Brian Meldon
>>
>
>

-- 
Steve Powell