[r-t] FCH now Middleton's

[Richard Allton]

Giles Thompson's Compleat Cambridge of 1997 gives the 5600 un-shortened as
by C Middleton, first rung to Cambridge at Benington ending with 3H in 1873.
The version starting with 2H as 5600 was rung at Burton-on-Trent on
14/2/1887, and the Bell News footnote says 'in its original form is now rung
for the first time'. The first use of a Before, Johnson's variation, was
rung at Duffield 5 days later. 

Does this imply that Johnson's variation was to substitute a Before for 2M2W
- irrespective of whether the peal is started with 2H, as Middleton's
originally was composed to start with 2H? Heywood's articles in the Bell
News in Feb/Mar 1887 do infer this - "Mr Henry Johnson is credited with
having been the first to draw attention to this latter curtailment [of
substituting BH for the first three courses of on part]" (BN Vol5 p406)

Richard

>I hadn't heard that but Jasper Snowdon in his 'Standard Methods' said that
it had been composed independantly by Middleton and Henry Johnson, but
>Middleton's was published first (1845) therefore deserves claim.

>Eddie

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