[Bell Historians] Early Peal in Canada? [2 Attachments]

[c.j.pickford.t21@btinternet.com [bellhistorians]]

I'm unable to access my notes at present, but I visited Exeter in 1998. A little earlier, an account of the bells had been published in the comic, the references from the index (nobody seems to have checked so far - and I can't from here) are: 
Exeter, Ontario                                                                  1998/664,
885-6;  1999/5, 136
I recall being rather doubtful about a couple of things in the article - one being the suggestion that the bells were hung for ringing in the Italian style (it seems to me that the hanging was "American style" of the period as illustrated in contemporary engravings of sets of bells by the US founders), and the other was the peal.
When we visited, I looked at the material on display regarding the ringing performed on the bells. I don't recall a "peal board" as suggested by Mae Ellis), but there were certainly records showing that the bells had been rung in the later C19 by teams of ringers. I made some notes (which I can't presently check), and perhaps there was information in the RW article too.
But I'd be highly doubtful that a peal (i.e. a 5040) was rung. The bells were barely feasible for changeringing - random circle, poor go - and I believe that Exeter was settled by Devonians, for whom - perhaps - call changes would have been a more likely style of ringing than method ringing. Of course, I may have missed some of the evidence - and it may be that the RW article gives further information that some may find convincing.
On that basis, I concluded that it was rather unlikely that a peal had been rung. Certainly I saw no definite evidence of a peal (or even of changeringing - though full circle ringing may have been performed) and I came to the conclusion that it was a rather speculative suggestion on the part of the author of the article.
As I say, this is all based on rather distant memory - and I apologise if  I'm incorrect about anything I have remembers or stated here. But I thought it just worth commenting that at the time I did make some effort to establish what might have been rung.
Chris P
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