Ringing at Whichford
Records and reminiscences provide some insight into the kinds of ringing which took place at Whichford - traditions and events, both past and present...
16th century (unknown date). A large wall inscription of Ringers’ Rules was placed in the Ringing Room.
Peals - To date, there is a record of eight Peals rung
1896 A list of ringers rules was drawn up by the Rector and signed by all the ringers.
- Harry Harwood , a Whichford farmworker, who had moved away to Bourton-on-the-Hill but came back in 1897 and took over as Sexton. (By the 1920s Rob remembers that this job was paid £10pa, for which the Sexton also managed the churchyard and lit the lamps and his wife cleaned the church.)
- William Harvey , born either 18th or 19th Feb 1881 during the great snowstorm, Rob's Uncle. Will worked for his father but later moved to Birmingham to J C Brindley, wholesale fish merchant.
- Fred Alder , farm worker born about 1880
- M Boiles had been interim Sexton but resigned 3 Nov 1897 when Harry Harwood came back.
- Will Coggins ; Rob remembers him in the 1930s as not then a regular ringer but came if needed; smallholder, became a Church Warden.
- Edmund Moss , farm worker, born in Whichford.
- George Wooldridge , farm worker
- Thomas Castle , farm worker
- George Moss , who died in 1914-18 War.
- William Henry ( called Jack) Harwood, who followed his father as Sexton until resigning in 1945.
(Around this time a farm worker's wage was 10/- a week, ie £26 a year, with cottage.)##
1904 The story goes that when young Edgar Field (Rob's mother's brother, born 4/7/1903) heard the Whichford bells ringing for his uncle Jack Harvey's wedding about Easter 1904 (the last time they were rung before the rehang), he spoke his first word - not 'Mamma' but 'Bells'.##RH
1910 First recorded peal on the bells 19/02/1910 Doubles (4 methods) C.W. on sheet. Note: not sure of day either 9th or 19th #CF
1910 Second recorded peal on the bells 08/09/1910 Grandsire Doubles Or was this the same peal as above? #CF
1923-4 Bonds restored the bells of neighbouring Long Compton and several men learned to ring there then, including Stan Franklin and Edgar Field (Rob's Uncle).##
1929 The bells were normally only chimed for services. Full circle ringing was practised only from 5th November until Twelfth Night. Service bells were normally chiming but the bells were rung full circle for weddings and for festivals - Christmas, Easter, St Thomas' Day (charity handing-out) and other special occasions such as death of the Monarch, Coronations etc.
Harry Harwood would chime three bells, 3 and 5 with his hands and 4 with his foot. Ed Timms, who was blind, chimed the 6th. The local boys were allowed to chime 1 and 2. Rob says it was a 'free-for-all'. He and Billy Hawtin usually got 1 and 2. Rob reckons it is his 'chimers ear' developed then which produced his ability now to do well in striking competitions. Rob, age 11 in 1929, was a choirboy. He could not ring the 5 minute bell because of getting robed up but after the morning service several of them would rush out and round to the ringing chamber to do the Pudding Bell (to warn the servants that church was out and dinner was needed soon). The Pudding Bell was the treble: this they used to ring up, set it and ring it down, watched by Harry Harwood. For Evensong (which the servants mainly attended) the bells sounded for half an hour. First the Sermon Bell (5th) for ten minutes, then all the bells were chimed for 15 minutes, and finally the Last Bell (2nd) for five minutes. (Information from Robert Harvey of Whichford, 1999)
1929 The band and ringers used to go round the village with handbells on New Year's Eve, to all the farms and big houses. They were given mince pies and a drink of cider, and money which was divided between the band. Rob's father would not let him go because they got drunk. If the cider was not good it was tipped into the 'Serpent' when the hosts weren't looking, and poured away outside when they left. On one New Year's Eve Harry Harwood, doubtless well lubricated, climbed onto a chair to wind the clock. He fell off and cut his ear nearly off. The Doctor called from Brailes stitched it back on better than before. (Information from Robert Harvey of Whichford, 1999)
1930 These are the ringers Rob Harvey remembers from when he began to ring: Harry Harwood, Sexton, and his two sons Frank and Sidney. Jim Hardiman Charlie Moss Alan Moss.
1931 Sid Harwood died in a shooting accident in December 1931 On Bonfire Night 1932 (when the 'ringing practice season' began) Rob heard that there were only five bells going. He and his friend Billy Hawtin ran up to the tower door and Rob got his hand on the doorhandle ring first but lacked the courage to go in. Billy pushed him in. Harry Harwood said "Ring that bell up" and Rob rang it up, rang called changes and at the end of the evening , rang down in peal. Next day Jim Hardiman said to Rob's Uncle Jack "Never saw anything like it; the lad rang down in perfect peal". But they never said this to Rob. (Information from Robert Harvey of Whichford, 1999)
1932#Horace Terry from Ilmington came with a band to ring for the Church Fete. This was when Rob first saw method ringing. He was most impressed. Horace Terry offered to teach the Whichford band to ring method. On a vote, Charlie and Alan Moss were in favour of accepting this offer but Harry Harwood, Jim Hardiman and Frank Harwood were against. Rob was only a boy so his vote did not count and the offer was rejected. (Information from Robert Harvey of Whichford, 1999)
Revd Ward, vicar of Whichford, was a Christchurch, Oxford man and apparently a method ringer. He said to the young Rob, I'd like you to go somewhere where you can learn method ringing. Hook Norton practised on Saturday nights and Alf Borsberry, the blacksmith, was head ringer there. Rob used to go up there but only rang treble or tenor. A peal board in Hook Norton Tower records the first peal by the local band with Alf Borsberry as conductor (check details)##
1935 Bells were rung for King George V's Silver Jubilee.##
1936 The bells were rung muffled for the funeral of King George V##
1937 Bells were rung for the Coronation of King George VI.
1945 Gerald Harvey (Rob's second cousin) took over as Sexton. He was taught to ring by young Ivor Harris (Christine's father), who cycled down every Thursday evening from Chipping Norton. They could manage a plain course of Grandsire Doubles. Three went off to do their National Service and there were too few left to ring.
1951 Bells were rung on the death of King George VI.
1952 Bells were rung for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
1970s, 1980s Joe Harvey kept the key, ringing was at a low ebb but visiting bands were welcomed.
1992 Robert Harvey (Rob) took over as Tower Captain at Whichford. Rob and Joan Johns were regular visitors to the Monday night practices at Shipston-on-Stour. They also joined the Four Shires Guild and soon began to progress with Grandsire and Stedman Doubles. Rob rang his first Quarter on an inside bell, on the same bell (2) and 60th anniversary of his first proper ringing with the band (1932) Grandsire Doubles.
1994 On 13th December, to mark the 90th anniversary of the rehanging of th bells (1904) Rob invited Jed Flatters from Taylors of Loughborough to ring in a Quarter Peal.
1996 ? Rob Harvey arranged for the frame (a solid iron H frame) to be rubbed down and repainted. The work was done by Sid Newport, a local builder, whose father and grandfather had been sexton at Whichford. Painted in red oxide paint, it looks very smart.
1998 Joan Johns has been very busy teaching several more new ringers on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and they are making excellent progress. The village of Whichford (pop. 300) has a team of its own capable of striking all eight well and four of them are ringing touches of Grandsire triples.
1999 The present band is: Robert Harvey (Tower Captain), Joan Johns, Beryl Brooks, Jeremy Hill, Paul King, Lucy King, Sue ..., Dinker Patal, Peter Kenealy.
Practices are held on Tuesday evenings, 7.30 to 9pm, alternate with Long Compton. The ringing ranges from rounds to Grandsire Triples and Stedman Triples. The bells are rung for Sunday morning services, for weddings and special events.
RING in 2000 the bells were rung to greet the new Millennium. At this stage there were thirteen resident Whichford ringers.
Palm Sunday 2001 the old six featured (albeit rather briefly!) on Bells on Sunday on BBC Radio 4, the local band ringing some very nice Grandsire Doubles. Recordings of the new eight are with BBC and hopefully may be heard one day.