The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-08
BELLRINGERS.
Privileges They Enjoy and Abuses
They Practice in England.
Cbnrol,
Church Gazette.


Church Gazette
ship of the incumbent and churchwardens,
but often there are local users" and in re-
spect to these bellringers in country places
can make themselves great nuisances. I'm
authorized use goes on, though not so mer-
rily as of yore. l can remember one place
where ringing was common: there was a
peal before it was fair day at c. town
seven miles away A deafening peal was
rung because it was Farmer Jones's harvest
nome, or because another farmer had COM
menced his autumn blowing. Every baby
was welcomed into the world with a gallant
attempt to render 1t deaf for the rest of its
life. L have known triple-bobs vigorously
rung because some one had beer buried dur
ing the day, and even on account of some
villagers giving their annual randy"
West-country term for party. At these last,
the ringers, their peal finished, used to join
the gathering and be repaid for their labor
good supper and plentiful supply of cider and
beer. If we may judge by cnurchwardens'
accounts, and still more by tradition, no
pellrlnger ought to have spent penny In
drink from one years end to the other. In
one place, not so long ago, a gallon of ale
was sent to the belfry on all authorized"
occasions Inv one or other Of the church
wardens. Occasionally tobacco added,
and but a few years previously the custom
was common in the district. In one Midland
village church / can remember seeing the
ringers gather, each carrying his tin or
stoneware bottle. Just before the. service
commenced the clerk used to sneak out of
church and join them for minute; it was
a point of honor to reserve him a beaker,
Just to clear his pipes. As each ringer
contributed drop, the clerks portion was
fiat one and lacking in distinctiveness. He
once offered me drain but | declined:
I remember one church where the ringing
loft was approached by a separate doorway
having no connection with the church The
belfry was little better than an unlicensed
public house. or rather. informal club. Beer
and tobacco were plentiful. and the loft
formed the favorite Sunday resort of all the
loafers round who could climb the winding
stone stairs. Cards were played. and there
it was that poaching ARRAYS were arranged.
Ill-acquired articles, not convenient for pub
lie inspection were stored there and the
place got a deServedly bad name. / remem-
Der one bellringers strike that took place
an open ornamental gallery looking down
into the church. This the resort of
ringers wanting to cool. As they did this in
their shirt sleeves, and sometimes pipe in
mouth the congregation DID not like it.
new parson had the entrance to the gallery
locked up. and the ringers had to cool on the
top of the tower which they did not like so
they struck Substitutes We're obtained, and
when once a man has the itch of ringing he
will submit to much sooner than be parted
from his beloved bells But attend service
they would not: so the congregation were
disturbed by dozen men gathering down
the staircase al intervals and scurrying over
the transept floor. As Ii was a hobnailed
district any one can understand that the
disturbance was considerable. Again the
paron interfered, and there was another
strike.
one ringer I knew was overconscientious.
He lived among the Welsh mountains and
the only bell his church possessed became
too s1ilapidated for duty. so before service
he assembled to the ROOF and chanted after
three chief persons who came to church. and
the chant sung in imitation az a peal con-