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This is a previous article featured about 'The Nine Taylors' by Dorothy L. Sayers.


The Plot

The Nine Tailors is a detective novel, which is set in between WWI and WWII.The whole story revolves round the robbery of some emeralds and the murder of the thief. The main character is Lord Peter Wimsey, who is a detective. Lord Peter ends up in the village of Fenchurch St. Peter on New Years eve. The vicar there is in need of another ringer for a long length peal attempt. Peter (by chance) happens to be a ringer and he steps in and rings the peal. Later on in the book, a grave is opened up to reveal a body that shouldn't be there.Peter is called in to investigate and he gradually learns about the mystery of the Wilbraham Emeralds...
This book has a lot of information about bells, bellringing, and change ringing woven into the storyline and plot.

The cover for the UK publication

What are the Nine Tailors?

The nine tailors is the striking of a bell for when someone in a christian parish has died. If the person who has died is male, then the tenor is struck 3 times, then there is a gap, three times then a gap, then three times again. If the deceased person is female, then it is the same pattern, but with two blows instead of three. Then the bell is rung up. Depending on the local tradition, the bell is either then rung once every half or whole minute for a 1/4 of an hour, or rung 1 blow for each year of that persons life. After that, the bell is rung down again, and the nine tailors rung again (or six for a woman). This is where the saying 'Nine Tailors make a man' originates from.

Facts about the book and it's author

  • At the beginning of each chapter, there is a peal composition for a different method.
  • Dorothy L. Sayers herself was not a ringer. She was fascinated by Church bell-ringing and decided to write a book with it in. Those of you who have read the book will know that at some points it goes into great technical detail. Because Dorothy was not a ringer, she got someone to 'vet' each chapter of her book to check for authenticity. In the last chapter, the veter advised the chice of ending was unrealistic and that the story should be altered, but it was too late, and the book had already gone to the printer.
  • The Nine Tailors is one book in a series of books about Lord Peter Wimsey's detective mysteries.
  • The book was also made into a T.V. series by the B.B.C. in the 1970's. The ringing scenes shown in the series are a good portrayal of ringing.

    The series is available on video at 'Past times' shops.


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This page was last updated on 13/9/02