St Mary Magdalene's Church, Stockbury

[MartinR]

I've just had a quick look on the Felstead database but the earliest recorded peal there was on 8 July 1951.  You need to have a look around the tower, particularly the ringing chamber and see if there is a peal board dated then.  Failing that, see if there are any old diaries or paper records that record special ringing.
I see that the individual records are for young ringers: 21.8, 26, 20 and 23.7 whereas the list has 13 names so must be the full band.  The church only has five bells (all by John Wilnar, 1634 and 1635; tenor 15-3-0 in G) though Hasted records 6 which is presumed to be a mistake.  The 13 names could not therefore have been a band for a peal or quarter, no substitutions are permitted in such a performance.
Shirley and Wheelwright don't appear on the list.  Hales and Hughes might, but then again the listed name could be their respective fathers.
Interesting, thanks.

[CAT]

Someone out there might be interested in this?


Whilst working at St Mary's church Stockbury a few years back, works within the tower required the removal of some softwood timber panelling. Written in pencil on some of these timber strips were a series of names and ages, four individual and one collective group, all dated September 19th 1889. Extra info is given on the collective group, which includes the individual names, as it includes the wording 'Ringers of this Parish'. Though the inscribed parts of the panelling was temporarily 'saved', my concern is that these may well be lost, stolen, if they survived the tower works at all. It would be interesting to see why this date marked a special occasion for Stockbury as a church, a parish, or even a national event?


Any clues?