The Guild Membership Certificate

This was designed by Mr F F Linley of Gainsborough, with many similarities to the one he had designed for the North Lincolnshire Association in 1890.

The first batch of certificates was presented to the Lincoln Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers by the Northern Branch in 1904.

The border is a floral band used by the Oldfield founders as on a bell at Haugh, with the corner fleur-de-lys as on the bells at Heapham and Scampton;

The bells are from a photograph supplied by the Loughborough Bellfoundry;

Ropes as at St Peter-at-Arches, Lincoln, and joined in the middle by an ornamental S as on the bells at Horkstow;

The mitre from the Bishop of Lincoln's official seal. Lincoln Cathedral is in the centre, and the Lincolnshire-born poet laureate, Tennyson, supplied the motto "Ring out the False, Ring in the True".

Above this is a scroll from a bell cast by Harrison's, a Lincolnshire founder;

The coats of arms, clockwise from the top right are: Lincoln, Grantham, Grimsby, Boston, Stamford and the Bishopric of Lincoln;

All the lettering is in the form used by a previously unknown local founder of the South Somercotes bells, now thought to be John Smith of Louth.

Past and Present Guild Masters - 1999

Pictured at the Centenary AGM in 1999 (left to right):
Denis A Frith, Secretary 1974-1983, Master 1987-1991
Geoffrey R Parker, Master 1992-2002
Jack L Millhouse, Secretary 1969-1973, Master 1982-1986

Jack Bray - Guild Master 1961-1970

Spliced Surprise Minor - 38 methods

Frampton, Lincolnshire, on 5 March 1955

Philip Reynolds, Treble; Rhoda Brown (c), 2; Arthur Young, 3; Albert Flatters, 4; John Kemp, 5; John Young, Tenor

14,144 London Surprise Major 1947

Heydour, Lincolnshire - St Michael and All Angels

Saturday 4 October 1947

(peal details)

Waddington St Michael

Waddington bells after the church was destroyed by enemy action on 9 May 1941.

(extra large image)

Grantham St Wulfram

In 1946/7 extensive repairs were carried out to the tower and spire and the first photo shows the tower and spire beneath the scaffolding. At the same time it was decided to recast the existing ten bells and rehang them in a new frame on ball bearings.

The old bells still in the old frame.

(extra large image)

The old bells on the floor after removal

(extra large image)

The old bells ready to go to Loughborough

(extra large image)

Removal of old Tenor: Taylor's workmen with the Vicar of Grantham, Revd Canon Harold Leeke.

(extra large image)

The new tenor (close-up)

(extra large image)

New Tenor at Foundry: L-R: Tom Relf (ringer), Tom Hall (ringer), John Casburn (Churchwarden), ??, Revd Canon Harold Leeke (Vicar of Grantham), Lawrence Bond (Church Architect), ?? and extreme right George Pacey (Verger of St Wulfram's Church).

(extra large image)

New Tenor at Foundry 2: L-R: Lawrence (Tommy) Bond, Architect for St Wulfram's Church and George Pacey, Verger

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First peal at St Giles, Lincoln

Tuesday, February 27th 1940 (3h03)
5040 Grandsire Triples (J J Parker�s 12 part)

Back l-r: Sydney A Chambers (3), Frank Metham (2), Jack L Millhouse (7), Noel E Chambers (6).
Front: Bernard G Hooseman (5), Raymond Stallibrass (1), Harold Marcon (4), Jack Chambers (8).

First eight bell peal for all except 4 and 7. First peal of Triples as conductor. All the band are local ringers.

When the church of St Peter at Arches was closed, the Loughborough bellfoundry submitted an estimate for transferring the eight bells to nearby St Swithin�s church. It was later proposed to distribute them as two rings of four bells but, fortunately, they were transferred to St Giles's church, Lincoln in 1938. The bells were dedicated by the Bishop of Lincoln on Whit Sunday, 5 June 1938. At the time of writing (2007), Ray Stallibrass is the only survivor. He is uncle of local ringer Sandra Underwood.

Burton on Stather augmented 1937 (See footnote *)

In 1937 Taylor�s added two trebles to form the present ring of eight with a tenor weighing 12-0-26 note G

St Peter at Arches, Lincoln - 1933

This Lincolnshire Echo photo shows the bells after their removal from the tower before the demolition of the Church of St Peter at Arches Lincoln in 1933. These bells were later hung in the new church of St Giles Lincoln.

Boston Stump: restoration 1932

The bells being taken from the tower in July 1932 for transport by rail to Taylor's for recasting.

Old eight en route to Taylor's.

The chap in the light coloured trousers and sports jacket is Frank Dewey, Tower Captain.

Loading up the old ring, probably at Boston station.

Boston's new ring 1932

Foundry photo of the new ring of ten with four clock bells after recasting.

Link with Boston USA � inscription on new tenor

"This peal of ten bells was cast from the former peal of eight at the joint expense of the people of Boston, Mass, USA and Boston, Lincs. A M Cook, MA, Vicar."

The new ring of ten ready for rehanging.

Boston first peal on ten 1932

On Thursday January 12th 1933
5040 Plain Bob Royal
Composed by Nathaniel Pitstow
Conducted by Rupert Richardson

l-r: Horace Day (3); George Ladd (1); Frederick Leggott (8); Roger Daniels (9); Mrs R Richardson (2); Rupert Richardson (10); Frank Dewey (4); John Curry (6); John G Ames (5); William E Clarke (7).

First peal on the bells since they were recast and augmented to ten. Rung in commemoration of the restoration.

Boston Meeting 1932

Photo appears to have been taken in 1932 at St Botolph's Boston. Perhaps this was the first ringing meeting on the new ring of ten. Some of those pictured are:

Back row: 5th from left Sidney Jessop; next ?Wright; next Harold Barsley; first from right William Wilkinson. 2nd row from back: 5th from left Albert Flatters; 9th from left Fred Leggot; 12th from left Frank Dewey. 2nd row from front: 2nd from left William E. Clarke; 3rd from left Rupert Richardson; 5th from left Canon A M Cook (Vicar); 1st from right George Ladd.

St Mary le Wigford Lincoln - 1932

The four bells from this church prior to rehanging in a new cast iron frame by Taylor's of Loughborough.

Frederick W Stokes

Guild Secretary
1921 - 1950
Photo: 23 December 1929

First LDG peal on 12 - 1929

The ringers who rang the first peal on the newly-augmented 12 bells at Lincoln Cathedral, and the first twelve bell peal in Lincolnshire, on 23 December 1929.

Back row L-R: H Leslie Pask; Frederick W Stokes, Harold Marcon; S Proctor; Harold Morgan; Charles McGuiness
Front L-R: H Walker; Rupert Richardson; John A Freeman; Revd Henry Law James (C); J W Wood; John Walden

(Note: Harold Morgan was absent for the photograph. A substitute stood in, and Harold's head from another photograph was pasted in).

Peal of London - Washingborough 1928

The first peal of London Surprise Major in Lincolnshire was rung on Saturday 8 December 1928 in 3h 11m.�First peal in the method by all the band and for the Guild.�Composed by Revd H Law James.

Back l-r:�Harold Marcon (7), George Chester (3), Charles McGuiness (2), Frederick W Stokes (4)
Front: Stanford J Wolfe (1), George Flintham (5), John A Freeman (8C), John Walden (6)

London Surprise Major became very popular in Lincolnshire especially in the Lincoln area and it is thought that more peals of Surprise in that method have been rung by the Guild than any other. This culminated in the then record peal of 14,144 changes of London Surprise Major at Heydour in 1947 (peal details). Charles McGuiness, John Walden and John A Freeman took part in both peals. The composer of the long peal was also the same, and the conductor was John Freeman, son of the conductor of the first peal.

Lettering on Lincoln Cathedral trebles 1928

A copy of the lettering on the bells at South Somercotes which were cast in 1423 probably by John Smith of Louth.

This lettering was used on the four trebles added to the Lincoln Cathedral ring in 1928.

Burton on Stather 1920 (See footnote *)

In 1920 John Taylor & Co recast the original three bells dating from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and two new trebles and a tenor to make a ring of six bells.

New 8 for Lincoln Cathedral 1913

The new ring of eight bells cast for Lincoln Cathedral in 1913 by Taylor's of Loughborough before being hung in St Hugh's SW tower. Four trebles were added 1927. Details of inscriptions etc can be found in Lincolnshire Bells and Bell Founders.

Bigby 1911 (See footnote *)

These bells were augmented to six in 1911 by John Warner & Co and this photograph appears to be of the three new bells added at that time. The existing three bells were recast and the ring of six bells with a tenor weighing 6-1-8 note B flat was hung in a fabricated steel frame on plain bearings.

Dunholme St Chad's bells ready for transport to Taylor's - 1907

Two of the existing three bells were recast in 1907 and all three were rehung in a new H-frame on plain bearings by Taylors of Loughborough. It is interesting to note that the three bells to augment the ring to six bells were added in consecutive years.

The Lincolnshire Chronicle dated 24 June 1887 contained this rather sad and misguided report :

"DUNHOLME � We were amused and highly delighted with the true loyalty shown by some of the villagers on this festive occasion [presumably the Queen�s Jubilee - Ed] ... The church of St Chad's unfortunately possesses only one sound bell but two or three enterprising young men hammered this with the cracked metal of the two or three others, and with this rather discordant jingling of sounds they did all in their power to give a dinning substitute for the melodious and merry peals such as may be heard from the adjacent village church tower of more favoured Welton."

Given this treatment it is not surprising that two of the three bells in the tower at that time needed recasting in 1907!

Messingham 1899

This photograph appears to have been taken in 1899 of the five bells on their return from the Loughborough bell foundry prior to rehanging. The canons were removed from bells 1, 2 and 3 and bells 4 and 5 recast

Lincoln Cathedral Ringers - 1899

From the Cathedral Ringers' Minutes
COMPANY OUTING - JULY 1899
On arriving at Louth they were met by a Waggonette and drove through Welton Vale and up to Sth Elkington Hall and were met on the terrace by W H Smyth Esq who kindly showed them the beautiful gardens, trees and shrubs and told them the names of several which made it very interesting, there happened to be a Photographer there from Grimsby so it was decided to have a Photo in a group when a very good one was got they next drove through the village & to Louth where a good tea of Ham & Eggs was waiting for them to which full justice was done, arrived safe home and had a very enjoyable outing.

Washingborough Bells circa 1896

This photograph appears to have been taken when the six bells were taken out of the tower prior to rehanging with two new trebles in 1896 by Taylor's of Loughborough.

Scunthorpe St John 1891 (See footnote *)

In 1891 a bell weighing 11-3-16 was cast by Taylor's of Loughborough as a clock bell for the recently completed church, built at the expense of Rowland Winn, Baron St Oswald. He had also paid for this bell and when he died two years later, seven more bells were provided by public subscription as a memorial to him.

All eight bells were hung in a new composite �H� frame on plain bearings. The photograph shows all eight bells before being hung in the tower. The tenor was rehung on ball bearings in 1932, the rest in 1977.