History of Bellringing at St Mary's

Addington Bells have been calling parishioners to church at St Mary the Blessed Virgin for hundreds of years.

Although not all bells are dated, we believe that the oldest bell may have been cast by William Burford around 1390 and two other bells of the ring of 4 were dated 1655 and 1683 probably both by the Hodson family, one of the principle London bell founders at this time.

A survey of church fixtures and fittings at the time of Edward VI (1547-1563) recorded two bells which would have been tolled to mark the beginning of the service and during communion when the Sanctus prayer was said or sung.

The church was closed during 1875 for major building works which included addition of the North Aisle and rebuilding of the tower. The 4 bells have been rung from the ground floor of the church; the holes for the ropes can still be seen. A gallery for the musicians and choir was removed during the rebuilding and the staircase and ringing chamber were probably constructed around this time.

Soon after the church was re-opened in 1876, the Vicar, Rev Erskine W Knollys published rules for the Vicar’s Bellringers Society. These include stating that the number of ringers should be between 4 and 6, setting regular practices between November and February, fines of 3d for non-attendance and payment of £5 to the band, payable in two instalments, Christmas and the anniversary of the re-opening of the church in August.

Several attempts to restore and augment the bells took place during the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1879 a new bell fund was started (only 5 shillings was raised that year!) and in 1913 Gillett and Johnston reported that the bell frame was worn and rocked in all directions when the bells were rung so it was not considered safe to ring in these conditions. They quoted for a ring of 6 bells totalling a weight of 48 cwt and then the following year gave an alternative estimate for a much lighter set of 5 bells with space in the frame for 6 or even 8 bells at a later stage. Neither of these was taken forward – the cost of the most expensive option being £570. Several local benefactors had died around this time or moved away from Addington and both world wars would also affect the ability to carry out a major project like this.

We know that the existing bells were sounded during this time using an ‘Ellacombe Machine’ which is still operational in the Belfry. One or two ringers can sound the bells, not the same as full change ringing but still calling people to church.

In 1955 the desirability of paying attention to the bells was noted at the Annual Church Meeting and in 1956 this was made possible by James William Brown who paid to augment the peal to 6 bells, recasting a cracked bell and retuning the others as a thank offering to God for his many blessings over a long life.

The first quarter peal on the new bells was 1296 Cambridge Surprise Minor rung by an invited band on 24th February 1957 when the bells were dedicated by the Bishop of Croydon. A new band was trained to ring regularly at Addington by Ralph Bird from Gillett and Johnston and he became Addington’s first member of Surrey Association in 1957. There has been a strong band here since these days, including two members who were trained in the 1950’s and have been ringing ever since plus Wendy Wallace and Eric and Margaret Godfrey who started ringing in 1960’s, Eric having been Tower Captain here since 1965. Here’s to the next 50 years of ringing here at St Mary’s Addington.