Bellringing at St Lawrence – Part 8
The bells of
St Lawrence can be heard all over the town, to varying degrees. It is not
always the proximity to the church which determines the audibility
of the bells. You can often hear them better in Tesco’s car park than
the High Street and sometimes on the outskirts of Hungerford but not in places
within the town. It depends on many factors – surrounding buildings,
other noise, your altitude in relation to the church tower and even the weather
(the sound of the bells travels best on cold frosty mornings). The same is
true in any town. Nevertheless, there can be few people living in the UK
who are not familiar with the sound of church bells. You may know that our
method of ringing the bells is unique to these isles. To many people all
over the world, it is the sound of England. However, although bell-ringing
is associated with the Church, since the very early days it has been mainly
a secular activity.
From around the 14th century, bells have been hung in church towers in England.
Originally mounted on simple levers pulled by a rope, the bell was caused
to swing and chime against the clapper. If a tower had more than one bell
they were on occasions (such as a wedding) all rung together. The further
a bell swings, the louder the sound, so strong local men were paid to ring.
It was hard work, but much enjoyed by participants. Thus bell ringing became
a sport and took on a life of its own, separate from the Church.
It is possible that if bell ringing had not been a secular activity it may
not have survived the religious upheavals of the 16th and 17th centuries.
The Reformation, which simplified worship, banned the ringing of bells for
religious purposes. Later, during the Puritan era, bell ringing was regarded
as both music and a sport, making it a doubly unsuitable activity for the
Sabbath. Many bells were lost or destroyed during the dissolution of the
monasteries. In the Civil War, more were melted down for cannon and under
Cromwell, churches were banned from having more than two bells.
Nevertheless bell ringing endured. During the 17th century bell foundries
flourished and many new bells were installed. Developments were made in the
technique of bell hanging, resulting in the full wheel system which is used
today. In cities, ringers formed societies, some of which still exist.
Bell ringers gained a reputation for rowdy behaviour. An 18th century dictionary
quotes the word ‘ringer’ as slang for drunkard. There were frequently
clashes between ringers and the clergy and some churchmen thought ringing
should be banned altogether. Hopefully, bell ringers are now regarded quite
differently. In the next edition I will elaborate on the evolution of the
bell ringer from anti-social fellow to well-adjusted member of the community – and
also show how some things never change.
Sarah Chatters