Bells Church - Whiting Society

Bells of the ChurchBY

Rev. H. T. Ellacombe

File 01 – Table of ContentsChapters II to III, pages i to x, 194 to 244

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llELLS OF THE CHURCH:

A SUPPLEMENT

TO THE

" CHURCH BELLS OF DEVON" '

IIY

THE REV. H. T. ELLACOMBE, M.A., F.S.A. OP OAIBL COt.L'IlOZ, OXFORD; Rl!Cl"OR OP CLYI'T ll'f, OBOROB, .UCD

DOX!STIC CRAPLA.IN TO TBB I!.&.II.L OP HAII.RINOTON.

"lin damantft-Ditigite biam momini."

EXETER: PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR BY WILLIAM POLLARD, NORTH STREE'.r.

1872.

BELLS OF THE CHURCH.

TABLE OF CONTENTS OF SUPPLEMENT.

CHAPTER I. Plllii!ENT METHoD oP CuTIXo ClllliiCH BBLx.s.

Moulding Room 8c&le for largo Bella •. Method of forming the Mould Mr. Denison's proportions .. Warner's patent . • • • Moulding of the large Westminster Bell Casting a Peal of Bella •• Small Bella and the Crucible

PAOB 196 197 198 198 199 202 20, 207

Process of tuning Bells Rules for tuning Poe's poem on Bells Mooro'e ditto . . . • • . Coxo'a "Bells and Chimes of Motherland" Lines by an auonymoue writer ••

, by the Rev. J. S. B.llow.elJ. LL.D.

CHAPTER II. Catx1!8 AND CA1ULLON8.

PAo• 208 208 210 210 211 211 212

Old Chime Barrels • , 213 George Morrie chiming at S. Martin' a-in-the-Fields Old Chime HammerB in Devonshire 213 Itinerants should not be allowed to do 80 • ,

219 219 219 220 220 221 221 221 221 222

Wright J ones's Patent for Chiming 216 Carillons described Warner's Chiming Apparatus 216 ,. at Antwerp, &c. . . Bitton Chiming Hammers . . 216 Dr. Bumey'a opinion of Carillons •• Mr. Denison's view of such mRchinea 216 Carillons at St. Giles's, Edinburgh .• ••Clocking" and "clappering" moet d.mgerons 217 Carillons at Boston, by Gillett and Bland Bell so cracked at Reading, 1694 . . 217 Southey on Change R1uging :Numerous Bells in London 80 cracked.. 217 Dr. Parr's love for Bella ... The Tenor at S. Peter's, Mllllcroft. Norwich, cracked 218 . Earliest notice of a Peul and a Belfry Bells at Woolwich eo clappered without danger, and

the rea.aon why . . 218

CHAPTER TII. ON THB 0JUOIN OP CHANOE RINOINC AND Rt.~OI:<O SoCIETIES.

Introductory Remarks • • 223 Set or c~n Changes . . • . 224 Change Hinging Proper described • , 22il Very populu in England .. • . .. 225 I ntrodul·ed about the beginning of tho 17th century 226 Fabian Stedman tbe fa.thor of the arl . . • • 226 TiAtinnalogia, 1668, dedicated to the "N oblo

Sodety of CollP.ge Y outha" • • • • 226 Extracts from the aame • , . • 226 Guild of Bell Ringers at W eatminater, 39th Hen. ill. 226 Quotation from Stow, 1696 .. .. 227 Peals rung in 1616 at Bri3tol .. 227 .Ancient Belli~ in the Clochard at W eatminster . . 227 Peal ringing at Leicester, 1646 . • • , 228 Earl)• mode of ringing, very di1ferent , • 228 Whole and half pull explained • • 228 The dchollerB of Cbepcsyde, London, 1603 229 B. Stephen's Ringers nt .Hriatol 229 Society of College Youths. London 229 Ancient Peal Book, 1637 to 1766 230 Names of early members 230 Origin of the name doubtful .. 231 First peals rung by the 8ociety • • 232 Peals at S. Bride's, greatest no'l"elty of the day •• 233

Benjnmin Annable a noted member A split in the Society about 17M Tho Western Gre<n Cops Society The Hertford Societv .. The Cumberland &.Ciety .. l'cnls run~ by this Society .. Odgin of 1ta nnme .. The Union Scholl\l'lj' Society The Eaatorn Scholars' Society London Youths' &lcioty Recond SociP.ty of ditto .. Junior Societv of Cumberland& •• Westminster Youths, or S. James's Society The Prince of W ules' Y outbs Visit of College Y outha to Norwich Mr Bil•kcmoro'a doings at ditto , • First Peal of Stedman's Cinquea rung .. Russex Society . . . . 'l'rea:slll'Ca belonpng to the CollC$0 Y outha The pro~ent condition of the Soctety •• hcpl"t.'8entation of Twelve RingerB

,. Six " •. A Society of Ringers at Lincoln, 161'

233 233 234 23, 23, 236 236 236 237

•• 238 •• 238 •• 239 .. 239 •• 239 • • 239

uo 240 241 2H 242 242 243 2H

iv TABLE OF CONTENTS.

CHAPI'ER IV. Tms LAw oP CauRCR BaLLS.

PAO• Dr. Pinnock's collection of Coaee One &ll only required by law

PAOB 246 245 2{6 246 2H 2H 248 248 248 248 249 260 260 261 261 262 263

Similar C88e8 ill Gloullellter and Wilt. • • . . 263

The Pauing Bell .• , at Reigate (Surrey), & Morthoe, (Devon) 263 , at Thurmby ill Leioeetenhire • • 2U

Bishop Wren's Directions, 1636 Bella not to be rung sometimes .• To be rung for reception of Bishops, kc.

Roman Catholics &nd Diaeonters allowed Bella • , 266 May be inhibited by Chancery if a nuisance 266 Tho Clapham cue, 1861 .. .. 266

The Vestry or "Mote" Bell .. Early Morning and Curfew Bell , ,

An early case in Spain 266 A email Bell formerly required 267

Who is to provide and rep&r the &lla . • Quotations from lOil&l authorities . • Dilapidation& of Belle to be guarded against

BELL RnioBll8-

Co.stody of the Bella • . • • Control of the &lla • • • .

How to be paid. . . . 261

Dr. Phillimore'a opinion Incumbent's ri~ht to the key of the Belle 268 Some ringers gtve a good deal of trouble 2$8

Dr. Lu.shington'a opinion .. . • Offending Ringers at Chardatock. 1821

Rulca for Ringen . . 269 Ancient Belfry Rules ill Rhyme . . 264,

., ., at Chesterfield, 1830 Remarks on Ringers from the Ecdui~Jlofill 266

CHAPI'ER V. ON THll OoNaBCUTION OlP CHUitCR BBl.LII.

Capitular of Charlemagne • • 269 Hymn for ditto, by Dr. Neale , , 27' Martone on Baptism of Bella 269 , Rev. F. Kilvart • , •• 27' Quotation from Rocchi\ • • 269 De Benedictione Signi vel Campane, from the Pon-The Formula 1l88d • • • • 269 tiJicale Romanum • • • • . • 276 Quotation from M. le Sueur • • • • 270 Tranela;tion of Sermon by Beyer-link on such At the Reformation all such Consecration donea•ay oocaa1one • • • • • • . • 280

with • • . • . 270 Why the duty of sounding Bella belonged of old to How new Bella were dedicated at Selbome, 1736 271 tho Priests .. .. .. .. 291

,. , Eccleafield . • 271 Afterwards tr&naferred to the Ost:i&riue • • 291 Remarks on such revelries • • • • 271 Quotation from Bona • • • • • • 291 An improved method introduced • • • • 272 Simple Serrioe for dedication of Bella Ull8d at The Servico for such by Bishop Wilborforoe • • 272 Stretton Grandison • • 292

CHAPI'ER VI. BBLL LITB:UTUII.B.

Foreign~ on Belle 293 English ditto • • 296

More will be found ill the Appendix.

CHAPTER VII . .ANam.-r EOCL:ULUTIC.U. HAND BaLLS.

Banctue &cringBell .. •• 297 lfontfaul;()n'e description of the U8fl of little &lla Campanella • • • • 297 Six Bella from F. BonlUllli ill Kircher' a Museum •• Wheol of little Bella used at the Elevation 298 Specimens from Antwerp and Bruseela Wheela at Tolodo, Barcelona, Gerona, and Manrosa, , Boulogne-anr-Mer • • • •

in Spain • • • • 298 Quotation about early Irish Miseionsri811 •• A very large ditto at Fnlda, ill Germany 299 S. Boniface sent a Hand Bell to the Pope, cir. 700 Notice of a wheel1h:od ill the Chancel 299 Hand Belle called " Clocca" Ditto at Brokenborough, Wilts 299 Row of small Bella • • • Remains of wheele ill Suffolk and Norfolk 299 Eberhart' a description of a Row of Bella Wheel of Bella described by Du Cange 299 Souf~ Bell at Cologne described , , The word Tintinnabnlum very ancient 300 Capitular of Charlem.1gt1e •• Small Belle found at Nimroud . . 300 H .. nd Bella used by early Miaeionariea Three ditto found near Hydorabad ill India 30'1 Regarded with veneration by early <..'hristiana How ueed ill Hindu Temples 30l Miraculous corea attributed to them , • Two Bella from Egypt 301 Ueed in Ireland u early u A.J>, '93 ••

302 302 303 30. 30, 806 306 306 307 307 308 308 308 30~ 810

TABLE OF CONTENTS. v

P.t.OB

Welsh Bangu Bell, diacuaeiou upon • • 311 Hand Bells used at Funerals at Oxford 311 Golden Bell at Llandaft' • • 312 Bell at Llangeney 312 Bell of Beuno 313 .Ancient Bell in tho po-ion of Hr. Jones-Parry, 313 .Aocount of the Bell found at Marden, Herefordahire 31lt Riveted &lla still made in Wiltehire 316 How thev are made and brazed 316 Two Bel.i.a found in .Angleeey 317

ScoTCH BaLL&-

Dr. Wilaon on ancient Bella in Scotland Deeeription of tho Boll of S. Columbkill

,, the Kilmichaei-Glaaarie Bell Primitive Dell in the poesesaion of Mr. Sharpe A llimilar Bell in Huaeum at Kelso Bell of S. Kentigem, at Glasgow

, S. Ninian or 8. Ringan, , • Special officers formerly appointed !or the cn.stody

of the Bells .. .. Bell of Keasogiua and Lolanna annexed to the

Earldom of Perth • , • , Bell of S. Barry's Chapel .. ..

, S. Meddan 1\D. investiture Bell " S.Rowan ••

The Guthrie Dell described Bell of S. Teman, mentioned in the .Aberdeen

Breri&lj" . • . , Bell of S. Fillan formerly at Killin •• Deecription of it bv Sir John Sinclair The Bnidhean of Strowan, in Blair .Atholl , • Kingoldrum Bell . • , , •• Bell found at Saverough in Orkney , , , •

, at lnnialtenneth, noticed by Dr. 8. Jolm8on .. " preeerved at Cawdor Castle ••

.Account of the Ronnell Bell of Birnie Aocount of an ancient Bell at Lismore, in the

Aberdeen Breviary Bell of Claodh Bhreanu ••

, o£ S. Finian, in Lochial

llU&ll B:aLL&-

318 318 319 320 321 321 322

323

323 323 32i 324 324

326 826 326 326 826 326 327 328 328

329 329 330

NtUUbcr in the Maeeum of the Royal Irish Academy • • . • • , 330

Bell of Armagh historically deeen'bed. • 330 Notice of it in the Book of Armagh .. .. 332 Bi&hop Jeremy Tl\ylor on the crodulity of the

Irish about theee Bells • • . • 333 Account of a similar Bell at Stival, in Bretagne • • 33i Two Bella described in the .Du/Jlitt .Pmny 1ount41 335 .Ancient Sculptul'ell at Glendalough described • • 336 Early representation of a Biehop veeted and with a

ILmd Bell .. • • .. .. 337 "Clocc," Irish for Bell in the seventh century 337 Signum and Campana . . . • :138 Ancient square Bell found near Fintona 338 The black Bell o£ S. Patrick deecribod . . 338 Description of a Bell in tho ~ion of the Earl

Dunrann similar to the Bell of Bangor, ita history .. • • .. .. llll9

The Solar Bell .. .. • • 8i0 .Aocount of a Bell in the ~on of Rev. Hr.

Reade of Iniahkeen .. .. .. 841 Collection of Bells formerly belonging to John

Bell, Eaq. • • • • • • .. 342

P.t.OB Seven Bella of Irish Sainte deeenlled by T. L.

Cooke, Eaq., now in the Britiah HaeetUU , • 3i2 The 11116 of theee Bella in the adminiatJation of

oathe • • .. 343 Tbroo cast bronze Bella described • • , • 3H Two Bells with throe finger holee • • • • 346 Deecriptton of four Bella in the po.-ion of the

Archbiehop of Armagh, viz., Clog Hogue, Barry Gariah, Clog-na-fullah, and another • • 3i6

Account of Clog-na-Righ, or Bell of the Kinge, mentioned in the Book of Fenagh . • • • 360

Bell of S. Gall and ita history .. 361 Bella in Clllle8 or shrinee of costly materiAls 363 The Bell of R. Patrick-ita history and deeeription

by Dr. Reevee • , • , , • Account of the Barnaan Cuilawn • .

863 369

Opinion of Dr. Petrie and Hr. Cooke •• Account of the Bell of S. Hura and ite caae

361, 363

The Bell of Conal Uael • , •• Deecription of it by Mr. A. Way . • • • Ita hWory in later timee, and ita preeent poeee110r Account of the Engravinge which illu.strate it •• Dr. Stollee' account of the late Dr. Petrie' a Papers

362 36lt 3M 367 368

on Irish Bella • • .. .. 388 History and deecription of Clog-oir, or Golden Bell

of S. Senanus • • • • • , 370 Bell of S. Bodan • • 372 Lord Enniakillen's Bell • • . , 372 A pair of email Bella one within the other 372 Riveted Bell at Foulk's Court 373

· Caoux.e-veral deecribed 373 Their use doubtful, but of gres.t antiquity 37• Dr. Ledwich'al&CCOunt of such articlee 37lt Articles found in Slane Park 37lt Account of Globular Bella , , 377

, , found in English barro'll'll 377 Lingard.' a remarks on wMpona naed by the ancienL

Britons, quoted by Dion Cassius • • , , 378 Similar weapons deecribed by Herodotwl , • 378 Aocount of Ecclesiastical Veetmente adomed with

numerous little Bells • • , • 37~ A small Uell in the Museum at Caerloon 380 Tbroo othere in the British Museum . , 380 Bell found in Wychwood forest and another 381 Four Bella described . . .. 381 Bell in poase88ion of Hr. L. Jewitt • • 381 Roman Bella found at Spring-head, Southfl.eet 382 Bell of S. 8ymphorius found in Brittany 382 Bell of S. Pol de Ikon deeeribed , , 382 S. Honan's Bell • • • • • • 383 Bell of S. Kivec found by M. de Pongwem • • 383 Description of three Bells by H. l:lhaepkina, in the

M111eum at BrU88el.l 383 Another in the lll IIJleUm at Keewick . • 38i Mention of various Bella in the HaeetUU of the

Duke of Nort.bumborland at Alnwick , • 38i Canterbury Bell fotmd in the Thames • • 38i .Aocount of a few Hand Bells in England •• 38i Bella in the poaeeasion of J. C. Langlanda, FAq. • , 386 Some others deaclibod • • 386 'l'ho .Author's tbllnka to numeroua friends 386 M. CoU88Cmaker's description of the Carillon :

his correction, illustration o£ ditto •• 387

POSTSCRIPT.

Modem Hand Bells fJr amusement • • 388 Bell in 8. Columba' a College, near Dublin 388 .Aocount of the lost bell of 8. Fillan • • 388

vi TABLE OF CONTENT~.

CHAPTER VIII. L.ulo11 BELLS C&LLIID Sxo:u AND Bot~IIDO~s.

A few words about the Curfew or Ignitegium The custom kept up in many places . . • • W eatmiiillter Clock Bell, eommonly called Big Ben,

and the reMOn why . • .. •• A abort history of thia Bell of tho peat The eecond Big Ben .• Great Peter of York described The :Mighty Tom of Oxford, history of Tom of Lincoln described .• The habit of clocking Delle most dangerous Great Bell of S. Paul's, London •• Grc11t Tom of W estminstcr Exeter Great Peter and Grandison Leeds Clock Bell, called Victoria Canterbury great Boll, S. Dull8tan'e .. Glasgow, great Bell there ••

FoREIGN BsLLS-

Moecow Bell described, 11ccount of raising it Other great Rella at Mo!OC<lw .• Great Belle 11t S. Peters burgh .. Rome, description of the great Rell at S. Peter Toledo, story about the great Bell •• Paris, Emanuel Bell at :Notre Dame .. Three large bella described by Mr. Shaepkin

PAOli 389 390

390 391 392 393 393 396 396 396 396 397 398 398 398

399 ~02 403 403 ~04 406 ~06

PAGE Rouen, the great Bell there melted down, 1793 . . ~06 A very beautiful Bell at Lyons, cut by G. Morel ~06 Account of remarkable Bells in France, to be found

in Dt·. Billon'e Campanologie . . 408 Erfurt. the celebrated Bell in thllt Cathedral . . t08 The largest Bell in Germany at St. Etienne,

Vionnn . . . . .. •• 408 Large Bella in tho Cathodral at Berlin ~08 Norway.-Many large Bella destroyed at the

Reformation • • ~09 Two ancient Bella dcecribed . . 409 Belle in Scandinavia with Runic inecriptioc.a 410 Glasa Bell made for the Queen of Sweden 411 Antwerp.- Bella in the Cathodml 411 China poe8C8888 many large Belle 411 Pekin, aceount of a Bell near . . 412 Fine Chinese Bell in the British Muaeam ~12 Tho inscriptions on it explained . • 412 Description of anoth~r Chineeo Bell . . 413 Burmah.-Doecription of the Mengoon Bell 414 America.-A large Bell at Montreal • . n~ Dcecription of the great Bell in Gloucester

Cathodral .. .. • • ~IS SWll Bel!ll, notice of . . . . 416 Wooden Bella in the Fiji Ieland.e described 416 A few words about the weight of Bella 416 A liet of English and Foreign Great Bella 417

CHAPI'ER IX.

:NO. PAOli ~0. PAOli 1. Limerick Catbodral Bells 419 32. Sir T. Brown on the Ave Bell 433 2. Legends on the Limerick Cathedral Bella •• ~20 33. Hooper's Injunction, 1661 433

!: } Symboli.'l!ll of Bells ~21 34. John Bunyan a ringer ~33 36. Ancient Boll nt Scawton, near He!Ineley,

6. Effects of .Bolle on Napoleon 422 Yorkahire ~34 6 ' 36. Costa of BelliJneting, A.D. 1346 434 7: f Inftoonoe of Bells . . 422, 423 37. Cost of Belle 11t York Minster, A.D. 1371 .• ~36 8, 38. Agreement with Ro~r Purdy, alias Purdue, 9. How Belle afl'ectod William the Conqueror ~23 to cast a Bell for ettleoombe. 162~ •• 437

10. Bella and Thunder 42~ 39. CM of Church Bella, 1680, Salisbury 438 11. The l'aeeion Bell at Seville ~2~ 40. Cost of n Rin'kof Bella, 1712 .. 438 12. How they Ring in Spain 426 41. Great Bell at enil worth •• HO 13. Love for Bella • • 426 ~2. Old Dells at Shrewsbury , • 440 H. The Fylfot on Bella 42·5 43. Contract with Roger Purdue of Bristol for a 16. Tho Sympathies of Bells 426 Bell, 1624 HI 16. Earl~Hca''Y Bella 427 4~. The oldest ~ated Bell in the kingdom H2 17. The eult of Diehoneety 427 46. Large Belle (Signa) introduced 442 18. The Result of Stealing Bella . • 428 46. Gre11t Bells fonnerly .• ~~2 19. Belle of Peterborough Cathedral ~28 47. Early Delle .. .. .. 443 20. Raci~ for Silver BOlla 429 48. Great strength required to ring Bells for-21. The arket Bell .. 429 merly . • . . H3 22. Churches of London SUllpended for not ring- 49. Belle under earth and under water 4«

ing at tho coming of the Archbishop • • 429 60. A Church without a Bell 4-46 23. Variance between the Bishop and Prior of 61. The Tocsin ~46

Wo~ator for not ringing at the Bishop's 62. "The Sweet Belle" of Dewebury, Yorbhire 446 co=ng . • • • 430 63. Inhibition of Bells . • • • • • ~47

24. Chronogram on a Bell . • . • ~30 6~. A city deprived of all the Bells for a 25. Ringing out the old and ringing in the new rebellion .. «7

year • . 430 66. Bell Inscription nt Lychfteld .. «7 26. ThePaterinaBelluRome 431 66. A grand Belfry Row . . «7 27. Ancient Bell at Bedal.e, Y orkabire 431 67. How to mend a Cracked Bell «8 28. Sancte Bell 432 68. Ancient Bell with a Royal Head ~60 29. Tho Gabriel Bell ~32 69. How to Crack a Bell • , ~60 30· } Pardon Bell -432, 433 60. Singular Bell at Bodmin 461 31. ••

TABLE OF CONTENTS. vii.

NO. PAOB NO. PAOli.

61. &lis the Trophies of War 461 98. A Peel of Triples rung by a Father and his 62. Bella in Tune •. 462 Six Sons 4H 63. Tunin!o of Bells .. .. 462 99. Long Peel of Stedman's Cinqucs •• 4i4 64. How 1111 mala bo Correctly Tuned 462 100. More Cban~ Ringing Extraordinary •• 476 66. Horaepath Bel . . • • 463 101. Tbe most ~xtraordinary Change Ringing .. 476 66. An Army routed by the sound of Bella! .. 463 102. Mr. Eli~ Roberta, the Change Ringer •• 476 67. A Modem Army routed by the sound of 103. Tbe Be of Westminster Abbey .. 477

Bells! .. 463 104. A Bell cast inside a Church 479 68. Ancient Bell at Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow 464 106. Bells at Pisa . . . . 480 69. Two very Ancient Bells at Alnwick 464 lOG. Bells not Tolled during the Commonwealth 481 70. Sancto Bell at Clapton in Gorde.no, Somerset 466 107. The Clocheard in S. Paul's Churc= .. 482 71. Un tho Division of Time by Della 466 108. Tbe Old Bells in Durham Cath and 72. How Bells uaod to be rung for Divine Offices 465 how they u.eed to be rung .• .. 482 73. Pancako Bell on Shrove Tu~ 466 109. Tbe Old Bells of York Cathedral 483 74. Music Bell at S. Mary's, Oxfo 467 110. The Privilege of a Mother Church 484 76. &lis heard underground explained by tho 111. Silver Dell by Benvenuto Cellini 484

echo .• 460 112. Bells in H eraldry . • . . 486 76. Wbitgift'a View of Belle 461 113. Hnnd Bell given to Pope Pil:a IX.. • . 486 77. Alphabet .aella . . • • 461 1H. Bell-founders' Window in York Cathedral 488 78. Alphabet &ll from Croxden, Sta.ft'ord 461 116. Tbe Guild of S. Martin' e, London, to ring the

79. } Belle •• 492 80. Alphabet Belle 462 116. Church Bells pricking the Conscience 492 81. 117. 'H TIAAMHPOT TOT" 'i'AAMfi~IA, 493 82. The Bells of Oscney . . • • 462 118. Tbe Tantonfts Bell . . . • . . 497 83. The Passing Bell, called also the "Soul Bell" 463 119. The Old Be in the Clochyard at Salisbury 497 84. To Ryng the Mynd 466 120. The Old Bells at Worcester 498 86. Funeral Belle at Oxford , • 467 121. Foreign Bell, dated 1258 600 86. Burinla announced by the Beadle 467 122. Ancient Bell nt E!tlingham •. 600 87. Wedding Peal .. .. 467 123. &lis at Strasburg Qithedral •• 600 88. Perverted uso of a Bell 467 124. .Hell at Upsala, Sweden .. 600 89. Bells at Brough, Westmoreland 468 129. Church Bells rung without Wheels & Ropes 601 90. A Modem S83:on Bell .• 468 12~. Indulf:nce Bells .• 601 91. '!'he Office of Deacon to Ring the &lis of 127. Linco Minster Bells 601

the Church .. .. .. 468 128. Of " Hankes Belles " 602 92. How Bells are sounded in RUBSia 469 129. How a Mnn cracked a Bell

the aounda • ~f 602

9a. Old Bells at Evesham Abbey .• 470 130. A Curious Phenomenon in 94. Peals of Twelva Bolls in England 471 certain Bolls .... . .. . . 603 96. Old Bell at Omolac •• 471 131. Two Italian S.'\Cring Bella • • • . 603 96. Sonorona Stones u.eed as Bells .• 472 132. The Stampe of Founders in diver& Counties 606 9?. Great Exploita in Bell Ringing 472 .. Royal" Hand-bell Ringlll'8 626

APPENDIX.

Open Bell at S. Andrea, Mantua •• :Bell of Paulinu.s, Bishor of Nola •. How to handle a Church 'Bell, by Mr. Troyte Bell hanging and CMting in A merietl Bell at a Coptic Molllllltery • , Carillon Machine at Croydon, a:c. •• Old Carillons at Antwerp

627 630 631 634 637 637 641

The &lis at Antwerp Bell at Bath-Easton

,. Thurloxton , Bradford, Somerset

Additional Bell Literature • • . • Remarkable Bell &ulpture at Autun • • . • Additional Recorda relating to the Cathedral &lis

642 642 643 6« 646 646 647

viii. TABLE OF CONTENTS.

INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS.

PLATES. NO.

I. II.

lli. IY. v.

VI. VII.

VIII. IX. X.

The Guthrie Bell Kilmichael Glaar.rie Bell Bell of Coruill Cael, Front View

, , Side View The Case of the Bell of Conal! Caal, Front View ..

" " ,

Back View Side ,.

The Ciog Oir, ~ot View " .. , Back ,

NO. XI.

XII. XIII. XIV. XV.

XTI. XVII.

xvm.

The Clog Oir, Side View JJ , ,, "

Bourdon (Emanuel) at Notre Dame, Paria Great Bell of St. Paul' a Cathedral, 1708 Great Bell of the Cathedral of St. luac, at St. PeWr&burgh

Bcll at Stargarde, in Pomerania Mr. Troyte'a Diagram.a for Hand.lingaChuroh Bell

Portion of the Bell Founders' Window at Tork

WOOD ENGRAVINGS . CHAP. I.-BELL CASTING.

NO. 1. General View of a Bell Foundry 2. Section of the Mould and Cope •• 3. Finishing the Coro •• 4. Finishing the Cope 6. Putting on the Uope •• 6. Warner's Patent Cope 7. Csstiug large Bella •• 8. Pouring the l\Ietal in 9. Drawing the Crucible

10. Cssting Small Bells .• The Tuning Room, View of View of Warner's Bell Foundry

CHAt'. H.-CHIMES.

l'AOL 196 197 198 200 201 202 204 205 206 207 208 209

Outside Chiminj!' Hammer Warner's Chimmg Apparatus • • Bitton Chiming Hammer • . • .

213 2li 216 219 222

View of George Morris' Chiming at St. Martins •• An Early Belfry • • . . • .

CHAP. IV.-RINGING. SOCIETIES.

General View of a Church Bell in a Tower 224 View of Twelve Ringers at St. &viour's 242 View of Six Uingera . . . . 2•3 Vignette. King David and Five Bella 2H

CHAP. VII.-ECCLESIASTICAL HAND BELI.8.

Wheel of ReUs nt Gerena "'hoe! ot Bell3 nt M nnresa Bells found at Nimrond 'Three found n~oar Hydcrabad in the Dekhan

298 298 300 301 302 303

Two from Egypt •• Six Cuts of fiit1e Bella from Bonanni One ditto at llruase1.8, ono at Antwerp Cut of a Bell from Boulogne-sur·M.~r

10. From Strutt's Manners and Cuatoma Threo cuts of a Row of Hand Bella Soufang Bell at Cologne

• ; 303 304 304 306 306

NO.

WEI.8H BELLS.

Bell of S. Cenan Bell in pol!lle88ion of Mr. Jonee-Pa!Tj Bell found at Marden, Herefordahiro Bell at LlandeWIIIIlt, Anglesey Boll nt Llanrhyddlad

SCOTCH BELI.8.

Bell of S. Columbkill Bell in possession of ('. K. Sharpe, Eaq. Bell of S. Ninian or S. Ringan Figure on the Guthrio Bell Bell found at Saverough in Orkney

1. Bell at C11 wdor Castle .• 2. Ronnell Bell of Birnie 3. Bell of S. Godeberte, at Noyon

IUISH BELLS.

4. Claodh Bbreanhu Bell 6. Bell of S. Finilln 6. Bell of Armagh i. Bell at Sti val .. 8. Bell found in Monaghan •• 9. Another dug up nt Lough More

Anciont Sculpture at Glendalough Ancient l>'iguro of a. Biehop •.

10. The Bla(:k Bell of S. Patrick •• ll. Earl of Dunravcn's Bell 12. The Hell of BRngor 13. Tho Solar Bell .. a. Bell of 8. Columba, found at Gartan 16. , S. Molua 16. S. Cummin 1i. , S. Camin 18. Bell in the po88Cssion of Dr. Trenan, of

Omagh .. 19. Bell from Scattery Island 20. , of S. Uuadhnn 21. Bronze Bell of S. Cuana 22. Bell in the ~n of Chichester

Hamilton, Eeq.

PAGL 313 314 316 317 317

319 321 322 !126 327 328 328 328

330 330 332 334 335 336 332 337 339 340 340 Ml au 342 342 342

3« 344 344 346

3•6

TABLE OF OONTENTS. ix.

IBJSH BELLS-Connurm . 1'0.

" · Clog Hogue, or Boll of 8. Hogue U. Sih•er banda upon ii •• 26. An Eocleeiutic upon it 2&. Barry Gari&h . • • • 27. Clog-ua-fallah, or bell of blood 28. AnothP.r without name •• 29. Clog-na-ri«h. or &U of the Kings 30. Bell of 8. Gllll •• 1. Bell of S. Potrick'a will 2. Front of the J owolled Cue 3. Back of ditto f , 6. The enC... ••

11, 12. Two views of the Bamaan Cuilawn 13, H. Bell of 8 . .Mura . • . •

U5. Bell of Clogher, iuiiCribed " Patrici " • • 16. ~ ~ell belon~g to J. :~-'redenuic~ ••

CROTALS, &c.

PAO&. 347 3.f 7 347 348 348 348 361 352 364 366 366 367 360 363 369

3611

17, 18, 19, 20. Four Engraving. of pear·ehaped Crotal.e . • • • 373

21. Articloe found in Sill no Park • . . • 376 22, 23. Two aphcrical Crotala fonnd in English

Barrows .. .. . . 37& Suppo~ Figure of nu Ancient Briton 379

24, 26, 26. Engravings of three more Bella in the Britieh .Muaeum • • 380

FOREIG~.

27. Bell found in a tomb at Tharroe • • 28. Riveted Bell, belonJU!g to Mr. L. Jewitt,

found at Otmoor .. • • 29, 30. Two Roman Belle

31. Bell of 8. Symphoriua 32. Boll of S. P ol do Uon

38, 34, 35. 1'brecl Bclls in the :MWIOuma at lJntaeella and Nomur .•

36. Ono in the Museum Rt Kcawick 37. Pil~m Boll found in the Tbamee 38. Bell at Morrow, Sun-ey . . 39. &lla found in Doddington Church, Oxon 40. Smt<ll Globul.llr Dell found at Addcrbury

'fllill:'lcct~ RoR!'OICnting n performor on a Carillon of F t\'O Bella • • . •

41 . Set of Modem HRnd Bella for Amusement 42. Ancient Boll in tho Mueoum ofS. Columba 43. Tho Bell of S Fillan, stolen from tho

Chwchyan.l of Killin

CHAP. VIH.- SIGNA (LARGE BELLS.)

381

381 382 382 383

384 38f 384 386 386 386

387 388 388

388

Tho · flnt Great Dell for W cst.mineter, Big Ben .• 391

Tho Rerond ditto 392 Great .Bell at llf oecow 401

1. I.arr Bell at SillllnO in Italy 406 2. Cun ona Boll at Maeatrichi • • 406 3. Another there cnlled the &/1 of Judit!l 496 4. Engraving of 111. Morol'a Bell at Lyo111 407

A Bell in Non<·or d .. ted ll60 4011 A Bell with RIUUo lllecription 410

CHAP. IX.-HISCELLANEOUS. MO. P.I.O • • I. Bell Stamp in Lineolllahire with Thor't Croea 426 2. Shield on Bell at Scawton, Yorlrahiro 436 3. Seal of J ohn &ndre. of Glonoeator • 36 f. Anciont Half Whoel 443 6. Qnl\drant of a Wheel 443 6. Bell at Bodmin 461 7. Ditto at A.rraa . • 461 8. Initial Croea on Bell at Ahtwick • . 464

Four llltodllllions on the Muaio Bell at St. Ma.ry'&, Osford • . • • • . 468

Open Dell mado for tho Popo, 1869 • • 487 Dtagn\m of tho Bell Founders' Window in

York Cntherl.ml • . • • . . 489 -.. Two Italian lklla in the South KonaiDgtou

lll•ll!Cum . . • • • 604 9, 10 Specimen of Lettora uaod by Stephen ~orton

of K~nt 606 11, 12. IIi~ Initial Cross Rncl Intervening Stop . • 606

13. His Nnnto nt fulll~ngth . . • • 605 14. :,:top on lldL'I, hy R. L. W . ·606 16. Shil·ld, b)' H. L . W . • • 605 16. Sl:lmp w1th Arm• whntaccomp:~niee thCl!O 606 17. Initiul Oro>& ot Ilnralcdon, &c. . • 606 18. l nitifll Croes which flCComponica thn nest • • 606 19. Lion's Head at Headboumo 'Vorthy, &c ••• 20. Fylf••t on a Boll in Yorlcehirc, dotoJ U OO . • 606 21, 22. 'fwo OmllmonW Lettora, dated H 23, on

Doll Souih of Somorootee, Co. Lineolll . . 607 23. IuitiRI Croes on ditto 607

24, 25. Intervening ~tope 607 26, 27, 28. Three Worda of a Le~d on a

Bell nt Somorby, Lincoln. dated 1431 608 29. Initial ('roes at Swyneombe, Co. Oxon 609 30. Stop on the aame Dell . • 609 31. Initilt! Croaa at Poyntington, Somenet 609 32. Initial C1'0S11 at Oamington, Do111Pt . • 609 33. Eaglo on the IIUlle Doll at Bnpchild, Kent . • 600 34. Initial Cn.ee on old Oclla in SUIIIOX 600 34. St.'lmp of tho ::la,·iour 610 35. John the Jluptiat . . . . 610 36. PrinCfl of \\ nloa Crown aotl FeBthora 610 3'i. Initial within in Circl~. markt•d W. 0. 610

38, 39, 40, 41. Apocalyptic Emblems on a Bell nt lmpington, Cnmbridgeehire • • 611

42, 43, 44. Th~ C~tpital~ from tho Old Tenor of St . Gtllll!, Norw1ch .. . . 611

46, 46. Two Rimilar Capitale from Sedgefield, Co. Durham • • • . • . 611

47, 48, 49. lnitinl Cross and threo !otters from a Boll at Lcddington Co., York . . 612

60, 61. I nitial Crou Rnd Stop at Stanground, Hunts . . . . 612

62. I nitial Crosa oaod by the Bra.aycr family , • 613 63. Stamp uacd by Dnry Foundry, reduced . • 613 64. Cross used h)' tho aame 613 66. Solei\ d'Or l:itamp, uacd by Auaten

Brnckcr • . 613 66, 61. Cro88C8 by ditto . . • • . . • 613 68 69, 60. 'fho Croaa. Specimen of tho Crowned

Letters nnd Intorv~tning Stop, uacd by an unknown Founder in Somenoct . • 614

61. OctagoMl Fleur de Li~ Croaa at .Airrilton, SU88('J[ .. .. •• 614

62, 63, 64. Ladi help Croaa and two r:!hielda, found together on many Bella all OTer

England • • .. .. 614 66. Circul.er Medallion • t Long Lopham,

Norfolk 614

x. TABLE OF CONTENTS.

MISCELLANEOUS-Co:.'TUO.'au. NO. PAOli. 66. Central pnrt of tho same, occasionally

found .. .. .. 616 67. Initial Cross at Nin1ield, 8ll.88e'1 616 68. Initial Cross at Heighington, Durham 615 69. Cross at Thirak, Co. York .. 616 70. Ditto at Holy Trinity, Richmond, Co.

York .. .. .. •. 616 71. Tudor Rose. An InterYening Stop on

Bells in Wilts and Somerset 616 72. Cross on the Tenor Bell at West Monk-

ton, Somerset . . • • 616 73. A Stop which accompani08 it with the 616 74. Royal Arms of Tudor . . 616 76. Crose on fifth Bell at Gloster Cathedral 616 76. Cross on seventh Boll at same place 616 77. Also on tho same Boll .. 617 78. Cross nt W eeton Bampfylde, Somerset 616 79. Stop at Ditto .. .. 617 80. Cross on a lloll at Warminster 618 81. Crose at Bloxham, Oxon 618 82. Shaggy head on tho samo • • 618 83. Cross used by Richard Baxter, of Norwich .. 613 84. Rebus Shield at Sedgcfield, Co. Durham • . 618 86. Another Rebus from Prodingham, York . • 618 86. A C1'08R from Yowchurch, County Hereford 616 87. Cross omitted in Devon Bells common in

Somerset , . . • • • 618 88. Cr088 on the TenCJr Boll at Bedale, York 618 89, 90. Specimen of Letters from Haaelbury

Bryan, Dorset • • • • •• 619 91. Dragon from the Tenor at Dorchester,

Oxon .. .. .. .. 619 92. A Galloping Steed on the &&me Bell 630 93. Stop on the same . . . • 619 94. In Domino Con1ido Shield 620

MISCELLANEOUS-CoJo.'TINUBD. NO. PAOB.

96, 96, 97. John Tonni's Crosses and Stamp 621 98. A Cross used by him . . • • 622 99. Shield U8ed by Henry Oldfield, of · Nottin-

ham .. .. .. 622 100 Shield U8ed by Thomaa D.r&per, of Thetford 622 101. Stamp used by John D.r&per .. .. 622 102. A Bird Stamp on a Bell at W08ton

Bampfylde, Somerset . . • • 623 103. Robert Mott's Stamp of Whitechapel 623 104. Henry Bagley's Stamp of <:hacomb 623 106. Ellie' Knights of Ueading • • . • 623 106. William :Srnnd's Stamp . . • • 622 107. William Carter's Stamp of Crowle . • 623 Letters and Stope on a Boll at llatcombe, Dorset. . 6U Uoyal Handbell Ringers ' . . 626 108. Ancient Cnmpanarius on W~nwick Cro88 626 109. Bell Tile at Repton Derby 626

CHAP. X .. -APPENDIX.

1. Large Boll with eight windows nt Mantua 628 2. Small Bell with six windows at Mantua 529 3. Early l!ell by Paulinus . . • • 630 4. American mode of Hanging a Church Bell 6M

li, 6. Plan and Elevation of ditto . • • • 636 7. Manual of I.Mvers for Chi ruing 636 8. Modo of Hoisting a Boll outside a Tower 636 9. Se.cryng Boll found at Botteeford 637

10. Carillon made by Gillett and Bland 638 11. Old Carillon at Antwerp . . 641 12, 13, a, 15. Letters and Croee nt Bath-Easton 642 16, 17, 18, 19. Words on a Bell at Thurloxton 643, 4 20. A.rma at Bradford and Talaton 6« 21. Remarkabla Boll Sculpture at Autun • • 646

SUPPLEMEN1~

TO THE

SUPPLEMENT TO THE CHURCH BELLS OF DEVONSHIRE.

CHAPTER I.

PRESENT METHOD OF CASTING CHURCH BELLS.

It will be interesting to the general reader if I describe the modem process of bell casting. This I am the better enabled to do, by taking the establishment at Whitechapel-·the oldest ·in London, or in England ; the present proprietors, Messrs. Mears and Stainbank, having kindly lent me the use of the wood cuttings which illustrate the description of their foundry, printed in Cassell's Magazine of A. rt, 1854, Vo1. II, page 262, nearly in the followiug words.

A GBimUL Vmw or '110 P'OIJlll)BT.

196 CASTING CHURCH BELLS.

Before describing the process of casting a bell, it may be well to state that bell-metal consists of an amalgam of copper &.nd tin in the proportion of about three parts of copper to one of tin. Mention has been made of the old custom of adding a few gold or silver coins to the metal when in a state of fusion, but it is quite a popular error to suppose that the metal of old bells is of greater value from such a circumstance. The actual value of bell-metal, when formed into bells, is about £7 to .£8 a cwt., including the cost of production ; and when old bells are received in exchange, it is usual for the founder to allow about .£5 to .£6 per cwt. for the metal There are, of course, various trade secreta as to the exact proportions of the different metals necessary to constitute a first-rate alloy. 1

There is no great mystery in the bell-founder's art ; but extreme care is necessary, in order to produce a good-toned bell, that all the preliminary operations should be conducted with the greatest exactness.

Passing through various yards, at the Whitechapel Foundry, m which are stored quantities of old timber, old bell-metal, and a multitude of odds and ends, in the shape of old cannons &.nd great masses of old copper, destined one day for the furnace, we arrive at the

MOULDING-ROOM. Here a sight presents it-self which is at once peculiar and striking. All

along the floor are ranged the moulds of future bells. In describing the casting of a bell, it will be necessary to observe, that

it is nothing more than a layer of metal which has been run into the space between the mould and its outer covering, and allowed to cool Fig. 2 will explain this very readily. Here we have a section of a bell as it lies in the pit during the process of casting. If the reader keep this diagram in his mind's eye, he will have no difficulty in comprehending all that we may have to say on tht; subject. The various parts of a bell may be described as the body ot barrel; the clapper or striker, hanging in the inside ; and the ear or cannon on its top or crown, hy which it is hung in its chosen position in the tower. The following description, there-

Mr. Denison says the metals ought to be in their chemic4l combining proptwticn1, 4 lbs. of tin

to 13 lbs. of copper melted twice. (Guardian, October 29th, 1862.)

CASTING CHURCH BELLS. 197

A is the inner mould or core ; B is the outer mould or cope ; C is the crown or head, which is made independently of the other moulds, and is fitted on accurately just before the pouring in of the fused metal represented by/, which is running from the furnace in a glowing mass, g g; e is the hole left for the escape of the air between the two moulds ; h. shows the method employed in stopping off the BUpply of fused metal, so that the stream may be directed into a new channel ; j j shows the earth surrounding the bell and mould ; D is the staple to which the clapper is afterwards to be hung, and which is affixed when the mould of the bell is completed, the configu· ration of which is shown by th~ black line between the inner and outer moulds.

FIG 2.-8ECTION OP 4 L4BOB B£LL, WITH THE MoULD AND <JoPB, All IT LIBS I:N TilE PIT.

' fore, applies to all bells, large and small, the various modifications in the shape, &c., not interfering with the principle on which it is manufactured.

The first principle to be observed is the construction of the shape or form of the future bell, so as to ensure that due harmony in all its parts which shall give to it the proper degree of tone and vibration. Va.rious theories have obtained in different countries, and among the sevtlral founders of our own country, as to the best proportions for bells ; but the following scaJe has been proposed, and generally followed at this Foundry, as coming nearer to perfection : " Taking the thickness of the sound-bow or brim-that is, the part where the clapper strikes-a bell should measure : in diameter at the mouth, fifteen brims ; in height to the shoulder, twelve brims ; and in width at the shoulders, seven and a half brims, or half the width of the mouth." These proportions, however, are very variable, and depend greatly on the taste, experience, and skill of the founder, an approximation merely being arrived at in these figures.1

2 In Knight's Englilllr. Encyclop~Nia, 1854, under Bell, it is stated that " There is & sort of rule among German bell-founders, whereby the various dimensions are always , to bear

certain ratios to each other. The thickest part where the hammer strikes is called the


The SIZe and proportions, then, of the future bell being ascertained, the making of the mould is proceeded with. The outer form of the core -by which the inner shape of the bell is determined-is made by means of a crook, which is made to revolve on the clay, &c., of which the mould is composed. This crook is a kind of double compass, the outer leg of which is in two parts, formed of wood and metal. The inner part, of metal, is cut or curved to the shape of the outside of the core or inside of the intended bell; and the outer part, of wood, to the form the outside of the bell is to be made. Fig. 4 will render this plain. This crook or

Fto. 4.-FU."lSIJTNO THll CollE.

'' &und Bow." If this thickest be called one, then the diameter of the mouth equals 15,

the diameter of the top 76, the height equals 12, and the weight of the clapper l-40th of

the weight of bell. According to the value of the unit in the Cormula, so will be ths

musical pitch of the tone yielded by the bell." Mr; Denison says (Guardia,., Oct. 29, 1862)

"The old German rule seems to be that the clapper should weigh l-44th of the bell; but a

better rule is that it should be J -40th of the weight of the small and thick bells of the

peal, md as low as l-60th, or perhaps rather leas, for the larger or thinner ones." Another

rule is to make the clapper in weight two-thirds of the dian:eter of the bell in inches.

Mr. Denison, in his Hints on Churt'h Bella, in the GuartliMt, Oct. 29, 1862, says, "The


compass is made to move on a pivot affixed to a beam above, and its ]ower end driven into the ground In the ~ of very large bells the mould is perfected in the pit in which they are to be cast. The crook is driven by the hand of the moulder ; and the mould being composed of plastic clay, &c., the form of the inner side of the bell is defined by a. few 1·evolutions of this simple machine. Thus is formed the CM'e, or inner mould. The cope, or outer mould, is formed in much the same way, except that its inner surface is smoothed to form the outer side of the bell.

The cM'e is first roughly built up of brickwork with a. hollow in the centre. It is then plastered over with soft clay, &c., and moulded as described by the action of the crook ; and is afterwards dried by means of a. fire in the hollow mentioned. When baked sufficiently hard, it is covered all over with a. size of tan and grease. Over this size a coating of haybands and loam is laid, the exact thickness the bell is intended to be made ; on this thickening the outer leg of the crook is made to rotate, and so forms the shape of the inside of the cope, or outer mould.2 When

most essential point of all to be attended to in ordering bells ia to require absolutely, and

in spite of all protestation of the founders, that none of them when finished are to be

thinner in the soundbow, or thickest part, than 1-lBth of the diameter. I know that some

good old bells are a little thinner, but I never saw a new one that was less, and had at the

same time anything of the soft and sweet tone which Church bells ought to have. I can

only account for the old ones be~g to be thinner, though by no means so thin as many

modern ones, by the well-known greater softness and toughne&aJ of the copper of old times,

when they smelted les~ metal out of the ore. The small bells of a peal are always rightly

made thicker in proportion than the large ones, and will run up to l·llth of the diameter,

the large ones being l-13th." (See Cut, page 202).

'In December, 1853, Messrs. Warners, of the Crescent Foundry, London, took out a Patent

for a "mould and core for cuting large bells." In the Letters Patent, No 2819, it is thua

described: '' Heretofore in casting large bells it bas been usual to build up a core and to coat it with

loam, which, when dr1, has been covered with hay bands or other material and faced with

loam, such covering, when dry, representing the intend~ bell in thickness and device; and

from this as a pattern a loam mould on a suitable frame has been taken, which mould (aftet

being removed from the eore and the pattern of the bell taken away) has, when dried, been

UJed together with the core for casting the bell.

"Now by our Invention we build up a core, and coat it with loam, as heretofore, or we make


the thickening has been sufficiently dried by the action of the fire inside the core, the cope, or outside mould, is formed ; when thoroughly dried the outer mould ia removed, and the thickening (the fac-simile of the bell) destroyed, the apace between the core and cope being, of course, the exact shape of the future bell. The inner and outer moulds having been examined, retouched, and otherwise finished off, any device or inscription

necessary is moulded aud fixed, (see Fig. 3,) and the cope fitted over

the core of a casting of iron coated with loam ; but in place of making the outer mould

from a pattern bell produced on the core, as formerly practised, we employ a vessel (preferring

one of cast iron) perforated with numerous holes, and of a size somewhat larger than the

intended bell, within which we apply a coating of loam, and by a suitable strike or pattern

we produce the desired form of mould, and we make any device in such mould that may be

desired to be on the belL This mould and the core are, when dry, used for casting the bell. • "Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, we will proceed to describe the manner

of performing the same. And we would state that, although an ordinary core may be used when casting a bell, we prefer to have the core made of a hollow iron casting perforated all over with boles. The exterior of such casting correeponda 88 nearly 88 may be with tbe interior


the core {as represented in Fig 5), like an extiuguisher over a candle, with a vacuum left between them to receive the fused metal; the head and staple to hold the clapper are then fitted on, when the mould may be said to be complete. One indispensable precaution is necessary, howevtr, in making the mould--that is, to leave a hole for the escape of the air when the metal is poured in, the failure of which would cause the destruction of the bell in the process of casting. This hole is left in the cap of the mould

Flo. 6.-Pu'ITINO ON TBB Corx.

figure of the intended be!l, but it is less in dimensions in order that its surface may be coated

over with a surface of loam to make up the precise form and size of core desired. The loam

on such casting is by a strike (which is C4used to move round the core, as is well under

stood,) made correctly to represent the reveNe of the interior of the intended bell which is to be cast thereon. In place of building or forming (on the outer surface of the core as here

tofore) a thickness of material corresponding with the thiokneee of metal of which the in· tended bell is to consist, or, in other words, in place of making a temporary bell of loam

and other matters on the core, and then taking therefrom a cut to constitute the outer b

CASTING CHURCH BELT.$.

The next engraving (kindly lent by the Editor of the Penny PtJst), givee

a view of the patent iron cope, &c., as used by Messrs. W amers, for casting Big Ben, 1856. It represents the Pit, .u, with the Core, B, built in the

centre, and the Cope, c, being let down.

tnon.ld for the bell we construct the oukr monld without the aid of such temporary bell, and

without the aid of t.he core, and in place thereof we produce the outer monld by using a

hollow iron casting perforated with numerous holes, and having its interior form correevonding

generally to the exterior form of the il1tended bell, but auch inte.rior is made larger than the

exterior of the intended bell in order to admit of an internal coating of loam being applied,

which loam surface, by the aid of a strike or template rotating on a central axis within the

monld, ia made to auume the form for producing the correct enerior form of the intended

bell. The core and the external monld being thus produced are dried and then plaood oor•

reetly together, and the bell iJ to be cast in the ordinary manner. By these me&DJ of pre·


" In the case of the large Westminster bell, the cope was of iron, with the interior covered with a. composition of clay and sand, &c., which had been shaped to the required section in a. precisely similar manner to that adopted for the core before described, though, of course, inversely, as in this case it was done from the interior. The two being complete, the cope was let down over the core (as represented in our engraving), and riveted

to an iron plate at the bottom, the space, which it will be seen is left between the core and the lining of the cope, being the place into which the metal had to run. The remaining space in the pit was then filled up with sar.d, pigs of iron, &c., carefully rammed down, and the necessary channels for the metal to run from the surface into t.he mould having

been made, the arrangements were then complete. " The preparation of the mould had occupied six weeks, and two rever

batory furnaces, capable of melting ten tons of metal each, had been built expressly for the purpose of casting this monster bell.

" The whole of the night previous was a scene of busy industry, and early in the morning, the furnaces having attained the requisite heat, their doors ~ere opened, and the operation of charging, or putting in the metal,

commenced, occupying about one hour, and in less than two hours and a half, the whole of the metal (eighteen tons) was in a. state of perfect fusion. On the signal being given, the furnaces were tapped, and the metal flowed

from them in two channels into a pool prepared to hold it, before being admitted into the bell-mould. The shutter, or gate. was then lifted, and the

metal allowed to flow, which, in five minutes, completed the casting of the bell, the successful termination of which delighted all preseut, who cordially joined the workmen in three hearty cheers.

"It was sounded for the first time on August 22. "It stood 7 feet 10 inches, and the weight was exactly 15 tons 18 cwt.

1 qr. 22 lbs." • The untimely end of this noble bell is too well known to be related here.

paring or forming of the exterior mould and the core, the expense of making a temporary

bell of loam and other matters on the core will be avoided, and the making up of suitable

mouldt for caating large bella will be greatly facilitated, and great correctneaa of manufacture

enaured" 1 .PtJM1 Po.,, November, 1856. See also llltmrat«l Lotu1ft New, Auguat 28rd, 1866.

b'


We will now suppose all the preliminaries successfully accomplished, and the various moulds ready to receive the melted metal ; for although we have described the working and preparing of only one set of moulds. there

are generally some dozens of bells cast. on the same day. We step into another large room, and here we witness the actual

OPERATION OF BELL-FOUNDING.

The vartous moulds having been brought into this part of the factory, they are firmly em bedded in the earth, and nothing of them is visible but the holes in their caps. On the occasion of the casting of a peal of large bells, the fused metal is carried at once from the furnace to the pit by means of a series of gutters, and when one bell is completed, the fiery wave is stopped off and directed to the mouth of another mould

The ar tist has very graphically described this scene (Fig. 6). The bell

Flo. 6. ·~Ali'I'I:50 LA ROll Bau..a.


metal being tested and found to be of the right temperature, the furnace

doors are opened, and out rushes the liquid fire, bubbling and boiling m a white heat, too fierce to look upon. " Is the bell," says Schiller, m his famous Song of the Bell, (Translated by M.M., London, 1839).

" Is the bell in the ground well bedded ? Is the mould well set and 11teadied T

Skill and diligence to pay,

Will it issue fair to-day ?

Should the cast not hit,

Should thtl coping split ;

Ah ! perhaps while hopes elate us,

Now, e'en now, mishaps await us!"

Mishaps, however, seldom happen at this foundry, where everyt.hing is conducted on sound and scientific principles. As many as a dozen large and many small bells are cast at one melting, and as much as twenty

Flo. 11.-POUlU:l'O TBB IOT4L Il' TBII llOVUl.


tons of metal consumed. In the Montreal Foundry, so called from the fact that the great bell mentioned below was cast in it, a pit is especially prepared close to the furnace-door to prevent the wasta or cooling of the metal on the occasion of any " great cast '': on ordinary occasions, however, the metal is melted in crucibles (as shown in Fig. 7), and being carried

from place to place, is poured into moulds, just as the poet describes the process (in the poem of the Limerick Bell Founder, published in the Du.bl?:n Penny Post, Vol. i., p. 48, 1832) :-

" In the furnace the dry branches crackle ; the crucible sbmes as with gold

As they carry the hot flaming metal in baste from the fire to the mould ;

Loud roar the bellowa, and louder the flamee as they shrieking eecape,

And loud i.a the song of the workmen who watch o'er the fast-filling shape.

To and fro in the red glaring chamber the proud muter anxiously movee,

And the quick and the l'kilful be prai.aetb, and the dull and the sluggard reprovet ;

And the heart in hi.a bosom expandetb as the thick bubbling metal upawella,

For like to the birth of hi.a children he watoheth the birth of the bells !"

Flo. 7.-DUWllfO TB.I C81lCiliLII.

CASTING CHURCH BELLS. t07

In our day no song of the bell greets the final accomplishment of the successful day's work ; but the workmen are well paid, intelligent, and contented. Some of the workmen in Messrs. Mears and Stainbank's

employment have worked in the foundry for more than forty years.

F 10 8. -CASTING II)ULL BKLLII.

In the cnsting of small bells, such M hand and house tintinnabulums, precisely the same process as above described takes place, with only such

modifications as their size renders necessary. An ordinary sized bell takes about twenty-four hours to cool ; but a bell like Big Ben, or that cast

for the Montreal Church, would not be touchable to the hardest of fingers under about four days. When they are cool they are dug out of their

pit-s, the moulds being destroyed in the process, and they are taken at once to

.•

208 CASTING CHURCH BELL&

THE TUNING ROOM.

At the time we visited this foundry there was m the tuning room a peal of eight bells, which had just then bee~ cast for a. church in Port Philip, ready tuned, and only waiting to be shipped. Standing on their crowns, the tuner very dexterously struck out such a. ." change" as made us almost exclaim in Dr. Gattys translation of the Frenchman's stanza-

" Di.stucbers of the human race, Your Bells are always ringing,

I wish the ropes were round your necks,

And you upon them swinging."

" Persecuteura du genre humain,

Qui sonnez sana miseneordt>,

Que n'avez-voua au cou Ia eorde,

Que voua tenez en 'YOtre main."

But then it must be ~ta.ted that the sound of such a. powerful peal a.s this is not often beard in a. room less than twenty feet square.

The process of tuning a. bell is a very simple one. Sometimes a. peal of bells is cast in harmony, in which case it is called a. maiden peal, and no tuning is required. Such peals, we are assured, are by no means commou, and are nearly always imperfect. Separate bells do not require


tuning. The action of the wheel and cutters of the machine employed in the process of tuning is very simple, and will be readily understood by any one acquainted with machinery. This instrument is driven by a small steam-engine, which also does a great deal of work in the different parts of the factory, in t.he way of lifting, carrying, &c. When the tone of the bell is too sharp, it is turned thinner ; and if it be too flat, the diameter is lessened in proportion to its substance. But such is the general correct

ness of tJte scientific principlf?s in use in this foundry, that very little tuning is requisite. If the quantity of metal in a bell is too small in proportion to its calibre, as is sometimes the case, the power and quality of its tontl is altogether lost, and only a panny, harsh, iron-like sound is

produced from it. In such a case it is invariably re-cast. The next cut is a general view of the Crescent Bell Foundry of Messrs.

Warner, as it appeared ten years ago.

c

•


There is really very little to be said of the manufacture of bells; much may. however. be written of their associations. Who has not listened " delighted. yet sad;' to the chimes as they float acr088 the water at night 1 Who amongst us cannot sympathise with the American poet, Edgar Allan Poe (London edition, 1852), when, in full harmonious ewell, he breaks out into a strain like this1-

" Hear the mellow wedding bellsGolden bells I

What a world of happiness their harmony foretells I Through the balmy air of night, How they ring out their delight ; From the molten-golden notes

All in tune. What a liquid ditty floats

To the dove, that ~tens while she gloats On the moon!

Oh ! from out the sounding cells What a gush of euphony voluminously wells!

How it swells, How it dwells

On the future I How it tells Of the rapture that impels

To the swinging and the ringing Of the bells, bells, bells, Of the bells, bells, bells, bells,

Bells, bells, bells, To the rhyming and the chiming of the BELLS !"

Or with those most touching lines by T. Moore,

Those evening bells, those evening bells, How many a tale their music tells, Of youth and home, and that sweet time, When last I heard their soothing chime.

Those joyous hours are pass'd away, And many a heart that then was gay, Within the tombs now darkly dwells And hears no more those evening bells •

.And so 'twill be when I am gone, That tuneful peal will still ring on While other bards shall walk these dells, And sing your praise, sweet evening bells.

•


Or with that still more truly " Christian Ballad " by another American Poet, the Rev. Arthur Cleveland Coxe, D.D., late Rector of S. John, Hartford, Connecticut, now Bishop of Weetern New York-Christian Ballad~, 1849.

The Bells and Chimes of Motherland, Of England green and old,.

That out from grey and ivied tower A lhouaand yeara have toll'd;

How heavenly sweet their music is As brealm the hallow'd day,

And calleth, with a Seraph's voice, A nation up to pray !

Those Bells that tell a thousand tales, Sweet tales of olden time I

And ring a thouaand memories At Vesper and at Prime ;

At bridal and at burial, For cottager and king,-

Those bells and glorious Christian chimes, How bleasedly they ring I

The Chimes of England, how they peal From tower and Gothic pile,

Where hymn and swelling anthem fill The dim Cathedral aisle;

Where windows bathe the holy light On priestly heads that falls,

And stain the fiorid tracery And banner-dighted walls I

And then those Easter Bells, in spring, Those glorious Easter Chime~~ !

How loyally they hail thee round, Old Queen of holy times !

From hill to hill, like sentinels, Responsively they cry,

And sing the rising of the Lord, From vale to mount:Un high.

'l.'hose Bells and Chimes of Motherland, I love ye-Chimes of Motherland, Upon a Christmas mom, With all this soul of mine,

Out breaking, as the Angels did, And bless the Lord that I am sprung For a Redeemer bom I Of good old English line;

How merrily they call afar And, like a son, I sing the lay To cot and baron's hall, That England's glory tells;

With holly deck'd and mistletoe For she is lovely to the Lord, To keep the festival ! For you, ye Christian Bells I

The following, by an anonymous writer, deserves to be more known : What varying IIOUilds from yon grey pinnacles

Sweep o'er the enr, and claim the heart's reply? Now the blithe peal of home festivity,

Natal or nuptial, in fnll concert swells ; Now the brisk chime, or voice of alter'd bells

Speaks the due hour of social worship nigh ; And now t he last stage of mortality.

The deep dull toll with lingering warning tellsHow much of human life those sounds comprise,

Birth, wedded love, God's service, and the tomb I Heard not in vain if thence kind feelings rise,

Such as befit our being, £ree from gloom, Monastic-prayer that communes with the skies,

And musings mindful of the final doom.-D. C., Jflly, 1852.

2J2 CASTING CHURCH BELLS.

CHURCH BELLS,

By tire Rxv. J . S. B. M oNBELL, LL.D.

(Reprinted with permiuion of the Author.)

Chiming Bells, with changeful sound,

Scatter music all around,

Tolling , clanging, sinking, swelling,

Griefs and joya of home out. telling.

When the soul is gladsome, they

Make all around seem holiday ;

When the spirit drops, they fill,

W ith their music soft and still,

All the air around supplying

Utterance for voiceleu sighing.

'Tis their bright and blessed part

To be voices of the heart,

Never seeming to intrude,

Ever blending with the mood

Of the soul, whate'er its leaning,

And interpreting its meaning, Telling out, whate' er it be,

Each man's grief and each man'a glee.

From the Church tower, where they dwell

Tolls to prayer the p&llling bell, When, with dull and solemn tread, Mournera bear to Church their dead, Muffied voicea sad and low

From those bells sob out their woe.

Merry marriage chimes are ringing, Mirth on all sidtll round them Hinging ; From the Church door so1l;ly glide

Happy bridegroom, blooming bride ;

Young and old around them preaa,

Kindly gaze and fondly bless.

·By thoae chiminga gently shaken

Hope and memory awaken ;

Youth hath bright and blissful gleaming~

Of such j oy in future dreaminga ;

While the oldeet in the train,

Think that they are young again.

Happy bells I the heart rejoieee

In their dear familiar voices,

Loved for all their tender sadneu,

And tht!ir full out-spoken glad.neaa > Nor tht! lesJ beloved, when they

Call us on the Holy·day ;

Or at other week-day timea,

Bid to prayer with cheerful chimee.

They without their common praise

To the great All-Giver raise,

ld within His people share,

The repose of common prayer ;

Then each bell's expressive note,

Seems some Scripture text to quote,

Touches hero3 and there our Jives,

Buried griefs and joys revivea,

H oly inftut!ncea ! given,

Hearts to harmonize with heaven !

Kindly Christians I come and bring

Jewel bright, or golden ring,

Orn&ment of silver fair, Something luxury can spare; When the furnace boils and bubbles,

Drop them in, and let some troublea About selfish heart.~, and alow

(Troubles which we all have felt,)

With them in the cauldron melt.

Sweet the bells, which thua are blended

Oat of selfish ways amended,

Which their ailvery cadence take From some loss for Jesus' sake ;

Something with life's habita twined, Bu' for His dear love resigned, And upon his Church bestow'd,

Blesaed bell• to give to God .

CHIMES AND CARILLONS. 113

CHAPTER Il

CHIMES AND CARILLONS.

Dr. Gatty, in his popular History of the Bell, (London, 1848) says that " Chimes on the Continent are played by means of a barrel. like that m a hand-organ, on which pegs aro so arranged as to lift the lever in such harmonious succession that a tune is pJVAuced. Clock work is also used both here and nbroad for the same purpose."

In the last eentury such chime barrels in connexion with clooks were more common than at present, and were generally introduced in all large towns, where there was a good peal of bells in the tower-various psalm tunes were usually set on them. Mr. Denison (in his standard Book on Clocks, p. 192) most truly observes, " The. machinery was rather rough ; the barrel end has a rope coiled round it, and it drives two or three wheels, ending in a fly to regulate the velocity." Modem chime barrels, I believe, are now made with a cast iron barrel. as at the Royal ExcltaDge, with brass cams screwed in to lift the hammer.

But there are also on the same principle contrivances for chiming the Church bells for service; as it is not always possible to obtain a sufficient number of persons in regular attendance to handle the ropes at the appointed hours. There are two very early ones in Devonshire-one at the Cathedral, the other at Ottery S. :Mary.

Tim P081TIOII OF AN 0UT81DK ILUUlER, Ll!VKR, &c

•

214 CHIMES AND CARILLONS.

At Exeter, (and at Ottery), each bell has a sort of clock hammer striking on the outside (see Engraving) from the lever of which a. line or wire is con-

CHIMES AND CARILLONS.

ducted to a. point below, and there it is attached to another lever, which may be compared to the large key of a. piano-much in the same way as Carillon's are played, (of whioo hereafter,) a.nd so a.U the bells are sounded in succession by one person. At Ottery the chime barrel connected with the very ancient clock is turned by a. wynch.

In J858, Mr. Wright Jones, of Pendleton, Lancashire, took out a patent for "Improved machiuery for ringing bells." The specification ia dated 26 April, No. 917, and is illustrated with two sheets of drawings. It is not a machine for ringing bells, but for chiming with hammers striking on the outside of the bells .

.At t~e lnterna.tiona.l Exhibition, 1862, Messrs. Warner obtained a. prize medal for a. beautifully constructed chiming apparatus, which is well represented in the annexed engraving, kindly lent to me by those gentlemen. This a.ppara.tus is similar to the old chiming barrels attached to church clocks; but it is so. well constructed as to be easily worked by one person, and it has the advantage that the hammers do not interfere with the ringing (which always implies swinging) of the bells. The view very beautifully shews how eight bells may be arranged in a. tower for both purposes.

But the most simple and cheapest contrivance which I know is that set up by myself in 1822, at Bitton, Gloucestershire, where it has been in constant use ever since. The whole is shewn in the accompanying wood engraving, (see page 216), and is fully described in my practical Rema.rks on Belfries and Ringers, 2nd Edition, London, 1860. The arrangements does not at all interfere with the swinging of the bells for ringing singly or in peal.

Now all these contrivances can only be recommended when a set of persons cannot be depended upon to attend regularly a.t every service. In such a. case, chiming by machinery is to be preferred ; because every thing connected with the ministrations of our Church should be conducted regularly and always the same. Then one way, and then another, never pleases any body, and misleads every body ; whereas regularity and order in tlme and manner are of use to give satisfaction.

Mr. Denison, I will quote him again, says:-" No doubt it is a. very convenient check upon ringers' strikes to know that there is such a. machine ; a.od I suppose .. it is the cheapest way of getting a. peal of bells

CHIMES At-.'"0 CARIT .. LONS. 217

sounded, after the machine is paid for. · But let nobody imagine that it is any thing more than a feeble and monotonous substitute-! will not say for ringing, but merely for chiming in the regular way-i.e., swinging the bells just enough to make the clappers strike ; which takes wonderfully little force, even on large bells, if they are not "tucked up" into the " stock." Such is legitimate chiming, and when well done, I know no music on bells more plaintive and more gratifying.

But to talk of RINGING by MACHINERY, any person who has studied ringing scientifically, and understands the theory of changes, will at once see how ridiculous it is to attempt such a thing. You might as well expect an automaton to enunciate a problem in Euclid. No doubt, sounds, even tunes, may be tamely hammered out of bells by machinery ; but that is a totally different thing from . that full flow of almost living melody which, when bells are rung by good eara and able hands, falls upon the ear, whilst they are swinging to and fro, and in that manner are made to fling out all the mellowness of their intonations.

Bells are sometimes chimed by what is ca.lled "clocking " or " clappering" them ; that is, by hitching the rope round the flight or tail of the clapper, so as to pull it athwart against the side of the bell ; it is a lazy and dangerous practice of the sexton by which hundreds of bells bave been sooner or later mysteriously cracked. The practice is not of modem date, for in the .&ccompt Book of the Churchwarden! of S. Lawrence, Reading, there is entered the following as published by Mr. ~ Tyssen, in Note~ and Queries, February 5, 1865, p. 89 :

"Michaelmas, 1594. Whereas there was through the slothfulness of the sexton on times past a kind of toling ye bell by ye clapper rope ; yt was now forbidden, and taken awaye ; and that ye bell should be toled as in times past sm.d not in anni such idle sorte."-" J. SMITH, the Vicar."

In a former publication I mentioned that two bells had been so cracked at Canterbury. Since that, a friend supplied me with the following list of bells, cracked in the same way. in London within his memory :

S. Michael, Comhill Christ Church, Spitalfields S. Magnus, London Bridge d

w. Tenor Tenor Tenor

Dial•-· W'elibL ~ 41 36 8i 1830

il8 CHIMJ.:S AND CARILLO~S.

S. Stephen, Coleman-street S. Catherine Ct-ee, Leadenhall-street S. Saviour, Southwark

Do. Do. S. Sepulchre, Snow Hill S. Olave, Southwark S. Leonard, Shoreditch

Do. Do.

8ell.

Tenor Tenor 11th lOth

Tenor 7th

Tenor Tenor

"•'- n... 14 1830 12 34 1820 26 1840

32 1835 15

31 About IH28 lt-160

S. George in the East Tenor 30 1820

Do. Do. Treble, 2, 4,5, 7th 1820 S. Mary, Islington 'l'enor 16 S. Mary, Rotherhithe Tenor J 6 1833

Do. Do. Tenor About 1858 S. Mary, Lambeth 6th and Tenor About 1840 S. James, Clerkenwell 4th About 1840 S. Margaret, Westminster 9th 1830 S. Alphege, Greenwich Tenor 21 .] 827

S. Nicholas, Deptford Tenor 18 About 1836 West Ham, Essex - flth and Tenor About 1840

In Parriana, vol i., p. 331, are some letters addressed to him about bells, of which he was an enthusiastic admirer. In one from a Mr. Hugh Bond, dated 26 December, 1827, in which, speaking of the fine peal of twelve at S. Peter's, Mancroft, Norwich, he says, "The tenor formerly weighed 41 cwt. An unlucky boy, tolling for the death of the Princess Charlotte, cracked it."·

At Wantage, one of the peal was lately cracked in the same way, and the bell has just been sent (Nov., 1867) to Messrs. Warners to be recast. The truth is that "clocking " bells is a continual source of work for the bell founder. A. few years ago, at Hemyock, the tenor bell was so cracked by the sexton.

I suspect that wherever such mischief has been done, it would be found on close examination that the clapper had so worn down as to strike below the thicke:;t part of the sound-bow ; or thoughtless boys may have been allowed to toll the bell, and they might with what force they could, pull the clapper, and, perhaps, hold it against the side so as to check the vibrations ; becautJe there is an instance at Woolwich, where the eight bells are so clappereq every Sunday, and touches of changes are struck by


Mr. Bannister and his sons ; but then they are a clever company, and know what they are about, and no harm has yet come of it.

So at S. Martin's iu Fields Mr. Geor:;e Morrie, the steeple keeper, has, by himself, for many years chimed the bells in the way here represented.'

Sometimes itinerants will ask to be allowed to exhibit their cleverness in the same way with the bells of some village, through which they may be tramping. It may be amusing to the natives to hear such unwonted music 'poured forth in popular tunes from the bells of the Church; but the safest way is not to allow such an unusual mode of tampering with them.

The tunes eo produced may be compared to the Carillons, which are so prevalent in the Netherlands; but those are played like a piano-forte by a

I Illustration kindly lent by the Editor or the BritiiA Workmtm. d'


manual of keys and pedals connected by wires and cranks, with hati1men1 striking outside the bells, or with the clappers inside.

A great· number of bells are required for this strange music, forming a complete series, or the whole chromatic scale of tones and semi-tones, like those on the harpsichord and organ. Dr. Gatty, in his Hi8tory if the Bell, p. 56, says : " The Carilloneur employs both hands and feet in executing the sprightly airs which charm tho inhabitants of the cities of the Low Countries. The pedals communicate with the larger bells for the bliSS ; and the keys on which the treble notes depend are struck by the hand edgeways ; the little finger of the player being defended by a thick leathern stall. It requires .considerable strength, as well as celerity and skill in the player ; for, unless a violent blow be given to the key, only a weak sound would be produced ; and Dr. Burney' says that from "the want of something to stop the vibration of each bell lit the pleasure of the player, like the valves of an organ, or the red clot~ iu the jacks of a harpsichord, is an intolerable defect to a cultivated eu.r; for by the notes of one passage perpetually running into another, averything is so marticulate and confused as to occasion a very di..eutgreeable jargon,"-

" Like sweet hells jangled out of tune and harsh." 1

Roccha, in his Oomme.1dary on Bells, mentions several such Carillons in Holland, particularly that at Antwerp, of which there is an engraving in M ersennus de Harmonic~, shewing thirty-three bells and the performer at work. Those at Ghent, too, are remarkable ; "but the ~t specimen is at Amsterdam, where the Carilloneur (M. Pethof£ formerly organist in that city) used to display an extraordinary command of the instrument, on which he executed pieces in three parts-the base by means of pedals -with a rapidity rarely exceeded by judicious performers on the orgau." 4

Dr. Burney goes on to say : "The Carillons are said to be originally of Alost in this country, and are still heru and in Holland in the!r greatest perfection. It is certainly a Gothic invention, and perhaps a barbarous ta..~te. which neither the 'French, the English, nor the Italians h:.L\'e imitated or :encouraged. The Carilloneur, at my request, played several pieces very dexterously in three parts, the first and secoud treble with the

1 PrNent Stat8 of .Meuic in Gerlffllfl!l, &c., Lond., 1772, vol. i., p. 16. 3 Hamlet, Act iii., Scene 1. 4 Penn!/ Encyclop£Ni4


two hands on the upper set of keys. and the base with the feet on the pedals. The Carillomu:r plays four times a week. Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, from half an hour past eleven till twelve o'cl~k..

It is constant employment for a watch or clock maker to attend the works of the common chimes ; here he has an apartment under the belfry, and it is by him that the Ca.rilloneur is paid. This place and Antwerp al'f>, according to the inhabitants, the moat celebrated cities in the Netherlands, and perhaps in the world, for Carillons and chimes."

Though there is nothing of the sort in England : in Scotland, at S. Giles's the High Kirk in Edinburgh, tht-re are twenty-three bells arranged outside on the top of the tower ; the diamete~ of the largest is twenty-four inches. A spring is attached to each clapper so as to keep it off the side, and by wires and cranks the whole are connected with keys below, which are forcibly struck by the performer (a lady) with a small cushioned mallet. All sorts of merry tuneR are played daily, from one to two o'clock, Sundays and Holydays excepted.

At Boston, Messrs. Gillett and Bland, the celebrated clock makers of Croydon, are setting up Carillons which will consist of sixty-two bells ; they have been cast by Mons. Van Archvett, of Louvaine, Belgium.

But nothing which can be done with bells is to be compared with our old English mode Gf ringing peals and musical changes. " Great" says Southey, in his Doctor, "are the mysteries of bell ringing." The very terms of the art are enough to frighten an amateur and common reader from any attempt at explanation. Hunting, dodging, snapping, and place making, doubles and singles, plain bobs, treble bob, bob minor, major, and maximus, treble bob, caters, cinques, grandsires, &c.; therefore, without attempting to touch on any of these endle~ intricacies, upon w~ich many treatises have been written from 1667 to the present time, as may be seen in the list of Bell Literature in a following chapter, I shall only eudeavour to trace the history of various Ringing Societies in England. But, first, I would remind the reader, that bell-ringing or Campanology, is a science in which men of the highest talent and education have at different periods delighted to take a part. I. will mention "t"wo in8tances, quoting the words of Dean Ramsay in his letter to the Lord Provost, 1864.

"It is well known that the very learned Dr. P~rr was an enthusiastic

222 C,HIMES AND CARILLONS.

admirer of the science of bell ringing. His hard pedantry softened under its melody. He at one time conceived the idea of writing a treatise on C~panolo~y. He had a peal of bells at his living at Hatton, and was always drawing on the liberality of his friends for its improvement. He delighted to take his part steadily and fairly in the exercise of ringing peals, both at Hatton and elsewhere.

"High authority may be quoted for a practice of this art, with the mart successful study of law. We learn from Bishop Burnet that the great Sir Matthew Hale was in early life an enthusiastic cultivator of Campanology."

The earliest notice of a belfry and a ring of bells is contained in the following passages :

"Egelric, Abbat of Croyland (died 984), in the time of king Edgar, caused a pea] of bells to be made for his Abbey, to each of which he gave names. His predecessor, Turketul, had previousiy led the way in this respect.,.

" Fecit ipse duas magnas campanas qua..q Bartholomeeum et :&ttelmum cognomina-tit et duas medias quos Turketulam et Tatvinum nominavit et duas minores quas Pegam et Begam appellavit. Fecerat · autem fieri Dominus Turketulus abbas, unam maximam campanam nomine Guthla.cum, qure cum prredictis campania fuit; composita fiebat mirabilis ltarmonia nee

erat tunc talis consonantia campanrn-um in tota Anglia .. '" The celebrated Benedictional of S. 1Ethelwold, in the library of the Duke

of Devonshire, furnishes us with an earlier instance of a belfry with four be11s. This illustration is part of one of the illuminations 7 of that splendid MS., executed at Hyde Abbey, about the year 980.

3 Collier's Ecclaiutical Hutory, vol. i., p. 198. 6 Bi&t. ln1ulpAi Rerum ~nglir. Script (by BOrne consideroo spurious), Vet. tom. i., 1684, p. 52.

7 Engraved in vol. niv. of the ~rtikaolcgit~, plate uxii., p. 116.

THE ORIGIN OF CllANGE RINGING.

CHAPTER Ill

THE ORIGIN OF CHANGE RINGING AND RINGING

SOCIETIES.

223

Of all arts and pastimes, change-ringing is pre-eminently one which exercises the mind and body at the same time : the mere physical effort

required in ringing is, taking bells one with another, much .less than outsiders usually suppose. With the smaller bells of a peal a very s!ight effort suffices ; and even bells · from 20 to 25 cwt., when onee raised, can be kept going with much less labour than an inexperienced person would imagine. In ringing, as in rowing and all other bodily exercises, a skilled performer gets through his task with half the exertion which the tyro has

to undergo. With heavier bells, such for m~tance as the tenor and biggest bells of a peal of ten or twelve, strength must be put out ; and only a powerful man (or what old ringers call a "tenor man") is qualified to pull such a bell, at any rate for any length of time worth mentioning. At most, ringing very rarely involves any of those suddenly violent efforts which are apt to occasion injury, but merely a strong steady pull repeated every four or five seconds. Still, however, the handling eveu of the lightest bell (a treble of 4 cwt. for instance, whose manipulation is merely

a matter of delicate adjustment) requiring, as it does, such an oft-repeated change of attitude, is perfectly entitled to rank as " exercise." The mere manual skill necessary for the proper handling of a bell is very con- · siderable : with a beH accurately balanced mouth upwards, to pull with just so much force as will cause it, after swinging completely round, to

balance again in the same position, requires a very nice atljustment of power ; if the pull be too weak, the bell falls back by its own weight, before reaching the balancing point ; if too much strength be used, the

THE ORIGIN OF CHANGE RINGING-

bell comes up with too much momentum, and does not indeed "ooerthrtJW," because the " stay" A prevente that ; hut the stay bumpe against the

A

•• slider" B, and, rebounding, falls back just as if the pull had been too

weak instead of too powerful. In ringing a peal, each ringer must so

balance his bell, not once in half a dozen times, or once in a huntlred, but at every pull throughout the whole performance, be its duration measured by minutes or hours. Besides this mere physical dexterity, the ringing of changes requires a mental effort to be made and kept up, conjointly with the physical exertion and adjustment. In many <:ountry

parishes, espetially in the south west of England, till within the last few years in the neighbourhood of Ta.vistock-the ringers content themselvES with what are termed " set changes," or .. ca.ll changes ;" that is, they ring the bells in one particular position for a great many pulls consecutively, anrl change at some a.ocustomed signal to a variation ca.lled by a fuglema.n or chalked on the belfry wall. Thus, nothing is more common on entering

AND RINGING SOCIETIES. 225

the belfry of a country parish than to see chalked on the wall some-thing like the following :

I 2 3 4 5 6 2 1 4 3 6 5 2 4 I 6 3 5 4 2 6 ] 5 3 4 6 2 5 I 3 6 4 5 2 3 J, &c.

The parish ringers probably ring the first of these changes for two or three minutes, then change to the aecond, and ring that for the same time, 'then on to the third, and so on. There is no science in ringing such as this ; for it r.;quires nothing beyond the mere ma.nual dexterity, and barely that ; indeed, it would not be 6:msidered " ringing " by a company of expert ringers. Hence it ia, by way of ridicule, called " Pully hauling,'' " Church yard bob," " Grind stone bob," &c., &c.

With change ringing proper the case is very different; here a change is made at each stroke ; the bells being never sounded twioe in the same order ; and this is continued till the end of the peal, when the bells are brought "home" to their regular places. This end is only to be attained by each bell being made t-o follow a certain course, and to change places with the other bells by the evolution of certain rules or "methods." To manage his bell properly in this respect, and guide it up and dowu the maze, making it strike now before, and now after this and that othe1· bell, not only requires much practice and study, but a cool head and close attention ; and this necessity justifies the remark that ringing requires a mental as well as bodily effort.

Such being the nature of change ringing, its former popularity in England is not to be wondered at.

Seventy or a hundred years ago ringing was a much more popular amusement than now ; indeed, in past years it obtained for our country the soubriquet of "the ringing island." It appears also to have been a far more fashionable amusement in former days than it is now reckoned. At what precise period the art of change ringing was first practised is a matter of some uncertainty ; it is probable, however, that about the commencement of the seventeenth ce~tury the minds. of ringers began to open to the

•

-226 THE ORIGIN OF CHANGE :aiNGING

possibili~y of ringing a number o£ variations on several bells ; each variation being merely repeated once, or at least twice consecutively. Any mention of peal ringing e£ an earlier date contains probably no allusion to change-ringing.

Fabian Stedman, who may be ca.lled the father o£ the art, published his celebrated Tintinnalogia. in 1668. The little volume is dedicated to the "Noble Society of College Youths." In the first chapter he says, " For the art of change ringing, it is admirable to conceive in how short a time it hath increased, that the very depth of its intricacy is found out : for within these fifty or sixty years last past changes were not known or thought possible to be rung : then were invented the sixes the very ground of a sixscore : then the twenty and t.wenty-four, with several other changta But tJambridge forty-eight for many years was the greatest peal that was rung or invented : but now neither forty-eight, . nor a hundred, nor seven hundred and twenty, nor any number can confuse us, for we can ring c~gee ad infinitum." In another place he speaks of "walking changes and whole pull changes, altogether practised in former times ; '' "but of late a more ready way is practised, called Half pulls : so that now in London it is a common thing to ring 720 Triples and Doubles and Grandsire bob in half an hour." It seems probable that Stedman would have known if this had been otherwise ; and we may safely conclude that change-ringing gradually developed itself from the commencement of the seventeenth century. Ringing there undoubtedly was before that date-when the half or three-quarter wheel was in use,8 but nothing more elaborate than rounds could be produced, or at most where whole wheels we-re introduced, " call-changes " on a small number of hells.

In a Patent Roll of Henry Ill, in the 39th year of his reign, dated the 6 March (m. 12), is a grant which may be freely translated thus-

" Know aJl men, that we have granted to the Brethren of the . Gild of Westminster, who are appointed to ring the great bells, that they and their successors shall receive annually out of our Exchequer 100 shillings, fifty at Easter, and fifty at Michaelmas, until we provide the like sum for them payable out of lands for the said ringing : and that the brethren and their successors for ever enjoy all the privileges and free customs, which

8 See p. U, and Plate XVIII.


they have enjoyed from the time o£ Edward the Confessor to the date of these presenta."9 What ringing this may point to there are no means of knowing, neither has any other entry been found among our public records bearing upon this charter ; but it is not likely to allude to change-ringing. However, it is very probable that the ringing " rounds "

· and " call-changes '' was a good deal cultivated, a very long time before the birth of half-pull change-ringing, as noted by Stedman.

Stowe, in his Survey of London, 1 has the . f~Howing note o£ the Church of S. Mic~ael the ArchangeL Cornhill : " And here a note of this steeple, as I have oft heard my father report ; upon S. James's night, certaine men in the loft next under the bels, ringing of a peale, a tempest of lightning and thunder did arise, and an ugly shapen sight appeared to them, coming in at the south window, aild lighted on the north, for feare whereof they all fell downe, and lay as dead for the time, letting the bels ring and cease . of their own accord." Stow publ.iahed his first edition in 1598, so that the peal was probably rung early in the sixteenth ~ntury. But peals of bells were rung at funerals long before that time: for, in the extracts from Smyth's Lives of th-6 Be;rkeleys,s he records that at the funeral of the Lady Isable Berkeley (she died 1516), "There was

. ryngyng daily with all the bells contynually; that i.s to say, at S. Michaels xxxiii peles, at Trinitie xxxiii peles, at S. John's xxxiii, at Babyllake, because hit was so nigh, lvii peles, and in the mother Church . xxx peles, and every pele xiid."

9 These must have been the ringers of the Abbey belli, which had been added to in the thirty-fourth year of Henry's reign, when he ordered Edward Odon to make one bell larger than those which he bad made the year before; and in the next yea-r the king ordered the

same Edward to make another smaller bell to be in tune with the great bell (Oloso Rolli, 34 Hen. III., m. 8; and 35 Hen. III., m. 19); for it was not till 1365-6 the 39th and 40th of Edward III. that the bell-tower was erected as an appurtenance to the Chapel of

S. Stephen. 'Stowe's account of it is this (Edit. 1618, p. 292): "He also builded to the

use of the Chlipel (though out of the palace court) some distance west, on the little Sanctuary, a strong chochard of stone and timber, covered with lead, and placed therein three great bells since usually rung at coronations, triumphs, funerall11 of princes and their obits." The bells

had been taken down before Stowe's time ; traditionally they were o£ great weight and loud tones. (See ..drclktJol., vol. xxxvii., p. 28).

1 Edition, 1618, p. 369. · 2 Page 166.

·228 THE ORIGIN OF CHANGE lUNGING

And to quote only from the accompts of the Churchwardens of 8. Martin, Leicester, published 1866 by Mr. North, it will be seen that sums were paid by divers persons in 1546 for " peles of belles at burya11 obits." Unfortunately we are not able to explain the length or manner of such ringing ; but the probability is that each peal was like what it is at this day where there are only three or four bells, and those hung with half wheels;-then the bells are pulled up and rung a certain time in succession, and then ceased down.

It must not be forgotten that the mode of ringing the bells daily in the early days of our Church history was very different from what it was afterwards, for in Dr. Roch, (Church lhstonJ, vol. iii., part 2, p. 144,) I find the following passage : " The ringing for the canonical hours let the world know the time by day and by night ; and in those large Churches where such a custom was followed, the several bells, as well as the ways in which they were rung for the purpose, told that precise Service which was then about to be chanted. Of the many writers from whom we might gather this, Reginald the Durham monk is one, and he says : " In Ecclesia beati Cuthberti plura sunt signa 8 ad divini operis minist~a pro officiosa diversitatis immutatione pernecessaria. Na.m pro immutatione di,·ersitatum diM,inguendo diB<'.ernunt alternantinm tempora vicissitudineum, Unde ex signo pulsante dignoscitur cujus horre terminus tam nocturnis quam diurnis momentis, ex ipsorum variata immuta.tione celebretur.-( De S. Cuthberti Virtut., p. 189)."

It seems probable, tha.t what is ca.lled " whole pull " ringing, formed a sort of half-way house between " called change " ringing and the modern system of half-pull ringing. And here, for the information of the uninitiated, I must explain that a "whole pull" includes swinging the bell round twice, off from the balance, and round up t.o the balance again-that is, one " half-pull " the first the back stroke, and the other half-pull swings her round the re~~rse way at hand or fore Htroke. ln fact, wha.t the trade would probably consider " a pull" is, in ringing, termed only a half-pull. In whole-pull ringing each bell makes a whole pull to every change, the effect of which is that the bells are rung twice in that particular order.

3 "Signum ac campana una res est."- (See the word in Hoffman's Le:ricon). e2

AND RINGING SOCIETIES: 229

I shall now proceed to give some accounts of Ringing Societies. ·In the Library of All Soul's College, Oxford, is a manuscript, which in

1682 belonged to Narcissus Luttrel, entitled " Orders conceyved and agreed

upon by the company exercising the arte of ringing, knowne and called by the name of the Schollers of Chepesyde, iu London, begun and so continued, from the second day of February, anno 1603." The Society appears to have been founded in 1603 ; but the rules, &c. are dated 1 ti 1 0. They provide for the election annually of a " Geonerall," four Wardens, and a Warner, and certain various wholesome regulations respecting the ringing of "peales" and the behaviour and expenses of the members : there is also a list of the members down to the year 1634, with which date the record terminates.

There also exists in Bristol a Ringing Society, now kept up merely for social and convivial purposes, called "The S. Stephen's Ringers," which, no doubt, was in its early days a society of actual and practical ringers. The tradition among its members says, that it dates many years prior to a visit which Queen Elizabeth paid to Bristol in 1574-that Her Majesty in question promised the society a Charter . or Ordinance on that occasion, and that a fulfilment of this promise was actually obtained from James in 1620.' Upon this point, however, there is not any certain information. The society has long ceased to be one of practical ringers. In the belfry of S. Stephen's Church, in the same city, there is, or was in 1846 (a copy was taken by Mr. Osborn) a tablet recording various donations· for the maintenance of annual peals· on various days: the earliest date being 1656.

At the present day, there are several societies of cLange ringers in existence : of them, the principal are the " Society of College Youths" and the "Cumberland Society of Change Ringers," both in London; but there are also various local Societies scattered over the conntry-the oldest, I believe, is at Norwich.

The College Youths are probably the most ancient society of which we have any certain knowledge. A society of that name exista to this day, though there is some little doubt whether or no it is identical with the ancient society of College Youths, which appears to have been founded m

• No such Charter can be found in the Public Record Offioe.

THE ORIGIN OF CHARGE RINGING

1637, only three years after t.he society of the "Chepeside Scholl.a.rs"' before mentioned, came to an end. . My own opinion is that the ~ty ()f the present day is a resuscitation of the ancient one, or that it has been joined by other societies. But we will state its history. There is .no record of contemporary date ; but there is in the possession of the present society a book containing a list of the members and offi.oors of the ancient society from 1637 down to 1755, and it is probable that this book is a copy of an original record belonging to the ancient society.

This book was purchased, in 1841, by the lat-e Mr. Osborn (whose valuable collection of materials for a history of bell-ringing is among the Add : MSS. in the British Museum, Nos. 19,368 to 19,373 inclusive,) of the late Mr. Strong, a bookseller in Bristol; and by him was resold to the society. It appeared from Mr. Osborn's inquiries to have belonged formerly to Samuel Blackwell, :&q., M.P. for Cirencester, a lover of ringing, and is proba.bly a copy which Mr. Blackwell had made for his own library. It remained in possession of Mr. Blackwell's family till February 1839, when, on the death of his successor, G. G. Blackwell, Esq., of Ampney Park (he died 30 March 1838), it was brought to the hammer, and was purchased by the Bristol bookseller, who sold it to Mr. Osborn.6 He (Osborn) subsequently discovered in a very fragmentary state another copy, the remains ·of which are now in the British Museum : this also was probably a copy of the original record, and may be the identical book mentioned in Shipway's Oo.hnpanalogia (p. 19), as having been unaccountably lost.

Among the members in 1637 are Lord Brereton (master), and Sir Cliff Clifton (master in the year following). The title of Brereton at this time appertained to an old family seated at Brereton Hall, Co. Cheshirb ; it became extinct in 1 722. Nothing more is known of Lord Brereton or Sir Cliff Clift.on. Among the members and officers whose names are inscribed in this book, there is a very considerable proportiou of gentlemen, to 83Y

6 Mr. Osborn's attention was fust called to it by a notice of the :MS. published in the Gentlemtm'1 Magaldne, September, 1839, p. 253. Mr. Osborn was a confidential clerk in a solicitor's office, and

Secretary to the Cumberland Society o( Ringers, of which he was a member. He died It

September, 1852, and his bell collections were bestowed by hie widow upon the British Mlllleum,

I am indebted to them for a great amount of the information concerning Ringing Societiea

which is compriled in the present chapter.


nothing of knights and baronets. Thus in 1649 we find the name or Brran Eldridge (a large bell founder of Colchester); in 16!S6, Sir William Everard and John Brereton, Esq.; in 1659, Sir Henry Tulse, Knight and Alderman of London (he was elected master in 1684, and was Lord Mayor that same year.) In 1660 Sir Richard Atkins and Sir Henry Chauncey~ &c., &c., and in 1697 the Hon. Charles, Robert, and George Cecill; in 1717, Sir Walter William Wynn, Bart., besides many others; and IWIJlY

of these worthies filled the office of master or steward, or both. The name of Slingsby Bethell (familiar to the student of State trials of the ·last century) also occurs in this book.

For some time after the formation of this society its members rang nothing but roun~ and set changes, till about the year 1642, when single changes were first attempted. This state of ringing continued without making any visible progress till about the year 1657, when double changes came inro practice, through Mr. John Tendring (a College Youth), who composed some five bell peals, and several six scores for eight bell peals, which were rung thus, 1 2 ~ 5 6 7-4 8 : always leaving two bells behind, such as 4 8, &c.; this, he said, made excellent harmony, and was for a long time much practised by the College Youths ; and the greatest that was ever rung on eight bells, at one standing, was 1650 changes (Tintinnalogia, 1668, p. 30). Tendring was admitted a member of the society in 1657~ and was master in 1659.

It is commonly said (see Shipway, p. xix. in the work above quoted) that. the society derived its name from a College founded by the celebrated Whittington, on College hill ; and that the youths of this College used ro ring at the Church of S. Martin's in the Vintry hard by ; whence the name and origin of the society. This account is romantic ; but it cannot be true. Whittington, in 1424, did found a College of the Holy · Ghost and Hospital of God's House, upon the site of the Church of S. Michael Paternoster, in a street called the " Royal,'' leading out of Thames street. The place called " College hill" did not exist before the great fire of 1666. This College was suppressed by the statute 2 Ed. VI. c. 14,

and the site was sold in the year following (1548) to one Annagill Wade. The Church of S. Martin in the Vintry was destroyed in the great fire of 1666, and was not rebuilt. There is also a tradition that the famous

232 THE ORIGIN OF CHANGE RINGING

Sir Matthew Hale, Lord Chief Justice in 1673, was a 'member of the society, but his name does not occur in the list of members. •

In 1677 Fabian Stedman6 dedicated his "Campanaloqia, err the Art of Ringing Improved," "to the honoured, and to his much esteemed friends, the members of · the Society of College Youths." In this little work of 231 ·pages are set forth a great variety of methods and improvements for five to eight bells, including his own system of ringing. He was admitted a College Youth in 1664, vva<:J steward in 1667, and master in 1682.

A.t'ter 1677, when Stedman published his unrivalled treatise,-of which it is not too much to say, that for terse and lucid exposition of a subject hard to explain, it has seldom, if ever, been surpassed,-he appears to

have introduced the method of double and triple changes ; befo.re him it does not appear that ringers had progressed farther than to change the poRition of two bel1s at once, thus-~ i g : g g ; under Stedman they began to make double and treble changes, thus-~ i ! : ~ ~· His book speedily ran through several editions.7

We know little more of the doings of the society until 1724, with which date commences a Peal Book, containing a record of all the peals of 5000 changes and upwards rung by the society to this date. In that year, on January 19, the College Youths rang at S. Bridget's or 8. Bride's, London, the first peal of 5000 grandsire cinques on twelve bells that was ever completed in the kingdom.8

Mter this, they frequently rang peals of importance, the record of which was entered in the Peal Book with the names of the performers. By the same record it appears that in 1726, they rang the first peal of Bob maxim us (or all twelve in). Among the performers appears the name of Mr. Francis Geary, who is said rang the sixth bell at the age of seventeen, and in after years became Admiral Geary, a gallant officer whose name was very well known during the latter half of the eighteenth century ;

6 Shipway, page xvili., says that Stedman was born in Qambridge in 1631, and that he was by trade a printer, and used to print his peals on small slips.

1 See Chapter following on Bell Literature. 8 The ten largest bells ~ere made by Mr. H. Rndhall, of Gloucester, in 1710, and the two treblee

in 1719 by the same founder. These two were given to the p&risb by the two societies, the College · Youths and Loudon Scholara.-Vuie inft'G.

AND RINGING SOCIETIES.

besides many other gentlemen of note were ringem Mr. Osborn says that it ~as very commonly reported by the old ringers, that every one who rang in this last mentioned peal left the Church in his own carriage ; and also that when S. Bride's bells were first set up, before 1720, and for some years afterwards, Fleet street was thronged with the carriages of gentry, who came from far and near to listen to the ringing ; the bells were considered one of the greatest novelties of the day.

The society went on in a progressive manner for some years, and rang many good peals under the superintendence of their celebrated leader, Mr. Benjamin Annable ; he became a member 1721, and was a great composer and conductor of peals. Another eminent member at this time was John Hardham, of Fleet street (the maker of "Hardham's 37," whose name very frequently appears in this Peal book); John Holt and John Patrick, (the latter a bell founder) were also eminent composers-the latter joined the society in 1730, and the former in 1753.

The members of the society appear to have rung in all parts of the country, and on one occaaion we find them crossing the Channel. In 1732 a band, led by Mr. Annable, rang 5040 Grandsire Triples at Canterbury Cathedral; this was on May 30. They also rang shorter touches at Wbitstable, Strood, and Chislett ;8 next day they repeated the performance at Deal; and also rang various peals· at S. James's, Dover (including peals on Stedman's principle). On June 2, they crossed to Calais, and there rang a course of cinques on hand-bells, and "another when they were half seas over." About 1754 Mr. Annable died, and shortly after his death a dissension appears to have arisen amongst the members ; many seceded, and uniting with some of the members of another society, " The Eastern Scholars," formed a new society, which became known as the "Junior Society of College Youths." "The Eastern Scholars," in consequence of the. defection of ao ma.ny of their mem hers, shortly afterwards became extinct. Thirty years later, in 1788, occurred an event, the precise nature of which is not perfectly understood by those who have lately endeavoured to trace the history · of the ancient society of College Youths. One, however, of two things happened : either the parent society became extinct, and its t.itle was assumed by the younger association, or else the two rivals, parent

8 Probably Chiaelhunt.

I

!341 THE ORIGIN OF CHANGE RINGING,

and offspring, amalgamated, and became fused into one. We shall presently see what is known of these occurrences ; but, in the mean tim~ having brought the ancient society of College Youths to this point, we may as well turn aside, and take a view of the other societies which had sprung up around it.

In 1683 was founded a society called " The Western Green Caps." This appears from a passage in one of the rules to have been a London society. Nothing is known at present, beyond the fact of its having once existed. A copy of its rules, ornamented with much emblazoning and marginal adornment, exists in the Bodleian Library, among the Rawlinson MSS., No. 884,

The~e was also a provincial society of very great repute, called the "Hertford Society;" the precise date of its origin, I believe, is not known; but its last meeting was held in 1809. The members of this Society, more even than in other Societies, appear to have been persons of affiuence and position. Towards the close of the last century, the Marquis of

Salisbury, a ·great patron and lover of the art, used to send every year a haunch of venison for the society's annual dinner, which was held at the Town Hall of the county town, and usually attended the dinner bimsel£ In 1804, the president of this Society was Mr. Thomas Kinder, Alderman of S. Albans, a practical ringer : its last president was Sir Thomas Sebright, Bart., M.P. ThiS society, it may be added, was one of

actual and practical ringers ; and was not kept up merely for social purposes, like the S. Stephen's Society of Bristol, of which mention has been made.

We now come to another London society, which ranks next in importance to the ancient society of College Youths. This is the Cumberland

Society of Change Ringe:rs, or, as it is more commonly styled, the society

of "Cumberlands." Tradition says, that this · society is identical with one which existed

early in the 18th century, entitled the society of "London Scholars." It is n~t known when that society was founded, but prior, at any rate, to 1702 : for in that year a treatise on ringing was published by 1 D. and C. M., members of the society of London Scholars, and dedicated to the

society. Between this society and the College Youths there appears to have subsisted a rivalry in ringing performances, but no ill-feeling


of any kind : and in 1 '718, two treble bells were added to the peal of S. Bride's, Fleet street (completing the peal of twelve), by the joint subscription of the societies of College Youths and London Scholars. The The first known performance of this society is a peal of 5040 Grandsire Caters rung at S. Bride's, Fleet street, on 11 January, 1'716-'7. Thi.a peal (which is said to have been the first known peal of Caters) was recorded on a tablet in the belfry of the Church : the tablet, however, was not replaced when the Church was restored in 1 '796.

The next known performance of tlus Company is the opening of the peal of twelve bells at S. Martin's in Fields, on the 14th of March, 1 '72'7,

with a peal of 6000 Cinques. Their last recorded performance was 6204

Cinques, rung at S. Michael's, Cornhill, on November 24, 1 '729, recorded on a tablet, adorned with the City arms, &c.

The tradition which identifies this society with the present Cumberlands relates, that the society assumed their new name during the furore which followed the Yictory of Culloden in 1 '7 45. It. is said. that as the victorious Duke of Cumberland entered London by the old north road through Kingsland and Shoreditch, the Society were ringing a peal in honour of the occasion on the bells in Shoreditch Church ; that the Duke inquired who they were, and afterwards presented them with a gold medal bearing his own image, mounted on a charger ; and that the members therefore gave themselves a new name after His Royal Highness. This is the tradition : the Society does, in fact, possess a medal answering to the above description, which the master wears at their general meetings. As far as conjecture is worth anything, it seemt'l very probable that the Cumberlands may veritably be descended in a direct line from the old "London Scholars.'' Perhaps that society found it, for some reasons arising out o( its interMI economy, convenient to re-organize itself about 1 '746,

and availed itself adroitly of the great event of the day. . However this may have been, the society, if a continuation of the older one, was probably remodelled at this time; for the original Name-Book of the "Cumberlands," which is in possession of that Society, is inscribed, "The Name-Book of the Society of Cumber lands, began Sept. 6th. 14 '7 4." The Cumber lands have perfol'Irled a vast number of peals ; of these perhaps the most remarkable is one of 12,000 Treble bob royal which was rung in 1 '784, at S.

I'

286 THE ORIGIN OF CHANGE RINGING,

Saviour's, Southwark, on Saturday, the 27th of March, the time occupied being nine howrs and five minutes ; the bells struck off into changes at one p.m., and came into rouuds again at five minutes past ten p.m. The occasion of so long a performance appears to have been the rivalry between this society and the College Youths : the two societies seem to

have ·gone on alternately capping each other's peals, in the matter of length, until the Cumberlands accomplished this ext~ordinary feat, which was never exceeded by their friendly rivals.

This highly respectable Society still exists under a code of rules revised in 1844. They usually ring at the Churches of S. Giles', Cripplegate ; S. Leonard's, Shoreditch, and S. Martin's-in-the-Fields.

The Society of Union Scholars.

This society was established (a.ceoTding to Mr. Osborn's MS.) in the 13th year of the reign of Queen Anne, 1713. The peal book, name book, and rules, the latter adorned with much ornamented writing, are among Mr. Osborn's MSS. in the British Museum. The peal book contains a record of peals rung from 1713 down to 17 54. The first commemorates a peal of 5,040 "Hick's Triples" rung at S. Dunstan's in the Ea.st9 (the Church at which this Society seems prinCipally to have rung), and this record is stated by Mr. Osborn to be the oldest known record of the .kind upon paper. In December following is entered. a peal of 5120 "Union bob." " Union b~b" is no other than is now called Treble bob. It was ca1led "Union bob" from the Union Scholars being the first to introduce it. The celebrated John Holt, whose name has been mentioned above as a member of the ancient society of College Youths, was an Union Scholar, and when Master of the society he accomplished his celebrated long course peal of 5040 Grandsire Triples, which was :fi.rt'lt rung at S. Margaret's, Westminster, on the 7th of July, 1751. He afterwards composed the same peal in parts, for the convenience of the conductor ; this Mr. Osborn believes was rung for the first time by the Cumberlands

· 8 In 1702 · Abraham Rudhall set up a new peal of eight in thia tower, pronounced in the

"Post Boy," July 25,:170Z, to be the beet peal in England.


at S. Leonard's, Shoreditch, on the 12th of September, 1754. In 1752 Mr. Holt )eft this Society and joined the Ancient College Youths.

The Union Scholars, after flourishing for many years, became extinct in 1757, and the names of ita then members occur for the most part in the name books of other societies.

In 1754 Mr. Albion, an active member of this society, )eft; London to take the mastership of a school in Bath, and when the society became extinct, the peal book was given to him, he having been the writer of the peala. When Mr. Osborn was in Bath for his health in 1846, this book was shewn to him. and by purchase he became the possessor of it. Mr. Albion continued to be master of the school till 1805, when he died. He occasionally rang at the Bath Abbey, and recorded any correct peals in the same style as the book of the Union Scholars.

The Society of East6rn Sc,..-olars.

This was another London society ; and appears by the record books with the Osborn MSS. to have been founded on 13th March, 1733 ; the manner of its extinction has been already mentioned (p. 233). The day of its institution its members rang a peal of 5,040 Grandsire Triples, at S. Dunstan's-in-the-East. The society has also the credit of having rung the first peal of Treble bob major ever completed in the kingdom, which consisted of 5,200 changes, and was accomplished at S. Sepulchre's Church, Snow hill, London, on the 7th of April, 1 741. This peal was afterwards proved to be false, owing to the errors of the composer -but having been the first of the kind ever rung, it was recorded on a tablet in S. Sepulchre's beJfry. On the 30th of May following the College Youths met in the same tower, and rang a peal of 5000 exactly in the same method, and recorded it on a tablet placed above that of the Eastern Scholara.

The Eastern Scholars also rang another celebrated peal at West Ham, Nov., 1737, viz., of 15,120 bob major. Afterwards nearly all the Eastern Scholars became College Youths, and so the society being much reduced very soon became completely extinct.

288. THE ORIGIN OF CHANGE RINGING,

Society of London Youths.

Another Society was that of " London Youths," which appoo.rs to have been founded about 1753, and to have died out about 1780 ; in which year the members rang a peal of Cambridge Surprise, performed at S. Giles'-in-the-Fields, January 30, 1780, the composition of which was atlierwards proved to have been false.1 The society had a copper plate engraved for their annual dinner ticket, headed with the arms of the City of London, with views of S. George's and Whitechapel Churches. In 1766 the society organized themselves in the style of Freemasonryaddressing each other as brother, &c. Osborn gives an account of the peculiarities of their meetings. Shortly after 1 '780, the society became extinct. Three years after, the same persons rang a peal of Cambridge Surprise, and were then all Ancient College Youths (See Cla:vi1 Camp: p. 176), and so continued.

Second Sociely cif London Youths.

The Seco-.d Society of London Youths was established m 17'76, probably in consequence of some split among the members of the original society ; this society continued in existence until about 1803 or thereabouts. It. mustered 86 members. Its only peal of note was a peal of " London Union Triples" at S. Giles'-in-the-Fields in Dec. 1782, said to be the first ever rung in that method.

There is also on a tablet in S. Giles', Cripplegate, the record of a peal

of 6,012 Caters, rung Nov. 23, 1732, by the society of City Scholars. There is no other record of this society ; and from the fact of some of the ringers of this peal being College Youths, and one or two others Union Scholars, Mr. Osborn seems to infer that the society was one got up merely for the purpose of ringing a friendly peal, and not intended to exist en permanence. Possibly, however, the society may have been a genuine one which did not strike root.

1 See Campa.nologia, p. l76.


Junior Society of Oumberlands.

In 1784 originated the Junior Society of Cumber lands, which came into being in consequence of a dissension which arose . in the old society ; it

became extinct in 1830.

JVestminster Youths, &r S. James' Society.

The last society of which mention need here be made is one which was founded about the close of the last century, by one John Hinks, a great ringer amoug the Cumber lands. It was called the Westminster, and was intended as a preparatory or educational society, for the benefit of beginners, as yet not qualified to become members of the regular society. After continuing in this manner, with much benefit to ringing tyros, for some years, in the course of which time many good peals were rung by its members, it gradually dwindled away, and its meetings ceased until. in 1824, it was resuscitatf'Jd under the name of the S. James's Society. The society of this name rang first at S. James's, Clerkenwell (whence its name), and S. StP-phen's, Coleman street, City; afterwards at Christ Church, Blackfriars. Its head quarters have now for many years been the tower of S. Clement Danes.

The Princ6 of Wales Youths.

All that is known of this London society is, that under that name they appear among the subscribers to the Clavis CampaftiJlogia, by Jones, Reeves, and Blakemore, first published 1788.

We will now return to the Ancient Society of College Youths, which we left shortly after a dissension amongst its members had given birth to a rival society in the Junior Society of College Youths.

About 1785 the society paid a visit to Norwich, then as now a great ringing city. On this occasion the Norwich ringers performed a ''touch" ~ Stedman's Cinques, a method which the College Youths had not heard before ; being very desirous of acquiring the method, they made arrange-

THE ORIGIN OF CHANGE lUNGING.

menta for leaving one of their number, Mr. Blakemore, at Norwich. in order that he might, at the expense of the society, qualify himself for teaching it to his fellow College Youths. Blakemore remained about six months at Norwich' and acquired the method, which was afterwards successfully rung by the College Youths in London.' In 1'786 the College Youths visited Birmingham. About this time some of the members of the ancient and junior societies took to practising Stedman's method together ; and in 1 '788 occurred either the dissolution of the old society or its amalgamation with the younger one. It seems on the whole probable that the former hypothesis is the correct one, since we find in the same year Mr. William Irons, the master of the ancient society, joining the Cumberlands, and taking with him the society's books and hand-bells. The books were afrerwards handed over by the Cumberlands to Mr. Cooper a member of the new society of College Youths, and the peal book was bound up with the new society's subsequent peals. It would be pleasant if we could reject the hypothesis of the ancient society's extinction; but the probability, (it cannot be denied,) is in this direction ; although the evidence of what occurred at this time is mere hearsay evidence.

Mr. Osborn relates, that as Mr: James Nash, an old member of the Cumberlands, informed him that he had heard William Irons speak of the old society of College Youths ; and that Irons informed him, that upon the break up of the society some small debts remained, which he ofFered to settle, if he might have the books, &c., and that this offer being accepted, the old society's property passed iuto his possession.

The younger society shortly after these events removed its club meetings

t While Blakemore was staying at Norwich, lodging with ono Christ: Lindsey, he fou.ud

that hia boat, in conjunction with Thomas Barton-both membe1'1 of the Norwich Company

of Ringers-was preparing a treatise on the Art of Ringing ; and Blakemore having easy

acctl8l to Lindsey's papers in a most dishonourable and clandestine manner made copies of

the whole collection, ud on his return to London, in conjunction with Messrs. Jonea and

Reeves (both College Youths) wrote a book on Ringing, and in the year 1788 brought out the celebrated " Clavii Campanologia." Such conduct at the time gave great offence. On

referring to the liat of subscribers to that work, not one Norwich pei"'IIn appean amoog them.-Oabom MSS.

a The 6.rwt peal of Stedman'• Cinquea, 620. changee, was rung by College YouUla in October, .1788, at 8. Martin'a-ill-the-Fields.


&om the Barley Mow, Salisbury court, Fleet street, to the Barn tavern, S. Martin·s lane, which had been the ancient society's rendezvous; and as the two peal books were bound up together, and the title of the Ancient College Youths was adopted, it soon became forgotten that there had ever been such a thing as a junior society.

In 1820 a junior society of College Youths made its appearance for the second time, but this time as an auxiliary, and not as a rival to the one already in existence. This society held its first meeting in S. Martin's lane, but afterwards moved eastwards, and adopted S. Saviour's, Southwark-where there is a noble peal of 12 bells-as its ringing tower. In 1828 or 1829 this society was received into the older one; but this merger was of short duration ; for the members of the old and new societies disagreeing, the latter were turned out in 1832 ; upon which they returned to S. Saviour's, and called themselves the "SU88ex Society, ., a title which they afterwards changed for their old one of "Junior College Youths." The older society now fell to a low ebb; and until 1836 no peal was rung. A. change for the better now took place, in consequence of the exertions of Mr. R Mills, a tradesman of Oxford street, who joined the society in this year. Aa the members of the society increased, some of the juniors were admitted from time to time ; and, in 1840, it was proposed that the juniors should be re-admitted as a body. Some of the older members of the older society resisted this proposal very stoutly ; it . was, however, carried, and the junior society became am.alga.mated with the other. As the old members of the body died out, the management of the society fell, we may suppose, more into the hands of the juniors, or those who had grown up with them; for, in 1849, the meeting place of the society was shifted to Southwark, where the property of the society has ever since remained ; the ringing head quarters being S. Saviour's, Southwark, though they ring also at S. Michael's, Comhill, S. Mary-ltr Bow Church, and other steeples, viz. : S. Magnus the Martyr,, London Bridge; S. Dionis. Backchurch, Fenchurch street; S. James's, Bermondsey, and S. Dunstan's, Stepney ; Allhallows Barking, Tower street, and S. Matthew's, Bethnal green. .

The Society · has in its possession a massive silver bell, which formed the top of the staff which used to be carried by the beadle of the Society

g

242 ORIGIN 01" CHANGE RINGING,

when the mem hers attended Divine Service at Bow Church, on the 5th of November, the anniversary of its formation, and on other occasions.

At the present time the society consists principally of respectable tradesmen, clerks in various capacities, and skilled artiza.ns, with a very fair sprinkling of clergymen, barristers, and gentlemen "of no occupation." And here it deserves to be recorded that on the 27th of April. 1862, twelve members of this Society rang on the noble bell.s at S. Michael, Cornhill, a true· and complete peal of Cinques on Stedman's principle, consisting of 8,580 changes, which was performed in a masterly style in six hours and forty-one minutes, being the greatest number of changes ever rung in that method on twelve bells.

Representations of ringers have been occasionally published in the IUustrated L9ndon News, in the British Workman, and other periodicals, which have given great offence to the respectable members of the Societies of Ringers in London, and others in the provinces. The figures were evidently drawn by an artist, who knew little or nothing about


ringing ; and the engravmgs, though cleverly executed, tended to scandalize ringers, and to convey to t.he public mind a very unfair representation both of the method of handling the ropes and the general appearance of the performers. The illustration on the opposite page has been produced that a more just idea may be conveyed of a band of the Society of College Youths ringing a peal of changes in the belfry of S. Saviour's, Southwark.

The smaller engraving is a fair representation of stx ringers, u they would appear in a well-conducted country belfry:-

g'

" To call the folk to C!burch in time, We chime;

When mirth and joy are on the wing, We ring;

When from the body parts the soul, :: We toll"-(Old Legend.)

244 THE ORIGIN OF CHANGE &I.NGING.

ADDENDUM.

Since the foregoing sheets were worked oft: I have been informed by the Rev. J. T. Fowler that there was a company of ringers at Lincoln as early as 1614 ; there are several names of "masters" painted in blackletter on the wall of the south-west turret, as you enter to go to S. Hugh's tower, with dates from 1614 to 1635. The heading is "The names of the Companie of Ringers of our Blessed Virgen Marie of Lincolne." Another list has the same title in more modem spelling, and begins with "George Holms, Orga.nwt and Mister of this Comp' 1744." No documents relating to the Lincoln companies have hitherto come to light.

J'rom aD IDamillated KS. of the Psalma (of the fowteenth century) ill the KIDg'e Liblvy, BriU.h Muaeum, marked 20, B xi.)

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