Bells of All Nations by Ernest Morris File 05 – Part two, Chapters III to VII – Pages 165 to 203 This document is provided for you by The Whiting Society of Ringers visit www.whitingsociety.org.uk for the full range of publications and articles about bells and change ringing CHAPTER III Africa ON THE AFRICAN CoNTINENT, where the churches have no towers, it is quite a common thing to see the bell or bells suspended on nearby trees. Thus, at the old Cathedral of S. Peter in Maritzburg, a ring offour bells hangs on a tall tree close by, the building being too frail to bear the weight of the bells. In some outlying district mission churches where there are no bells, a substitute is sometimes found by hanging up a short length of old rail line or similar substance, and striking that at service time to call the scattered flock together ! St. Georges (old Cathedral), Cq.pe Town, built on similar style to St. Pancras' church, London, has a set of 8 bells hung "dead" for chimes, cast by T. Mears, Jun., I83o, the largest being I6 cwt. in F. The tower also con­ tains one " tubular " bell. Likoma Cathedral has a set of 8 hemispherical bells, the largest 2! cwt. by Mears & Stainbank, in I907. At the City Hall, Capetown, there was a set of five bells sounding the Cambridge quarters and hour,cast at the Taylor foundry at Loughborough, England, in I905. To these were added in I925 thirty-two more bells, viz, one larger, and all the intermediate smaller bells, to complete a fine carillon of three chromatic octaves. There are a few " rings " of bells in various parts of Africa hung for scientific change-ringing in the English style, viz. Grahamstown Cathedral, 8 bells by J. Warner & Son, tenor 25! cwt. hung in I878. These bells, however, are placed in a frame allowing seven of the eight bells to swing East and West. Only No.6 swings North and South. The 3rd is hung above the 4th, and the whole frame rocks terribly when the bells are swung up. The only full peal of 5040 changes (Grandsire Triplets) ever rung in Mrica, was at St. Mary's church, Woodstock, on Dec. I5th, I 904, when the following took part :- I65 166 BELLS OF ALL NATIONS G. A. Davies Treble. L. Green 5 J. F. Priest 2 J. Murray 6 H. G. Cock 3 F. P. Powell 7 E. F. Behan 4 H. Montgomery Tenor. Time 3 hours 7 minutes. Taylor's six-part. Conducted by F. P. Powell. In Durban are two "rings" of bells-S. Paul's church (8 bells) and S. Mary's church ( 10 bells) where change-ringing is practised. Interest in the art was maintained by the late Rev. Canon G. H. Ridout of Johannesburg, and with various pupils he rang several handbell peals. Messrs. Gillett & Johnston installed at Port Elizabeth-in the Settler's Campanile, a carillon of 23 bells, the largest being 3 tons 5 cwt., and a smaller carillon of 23 bells with a bourdon r4l cwts., at the town Hall, Germiston. Khartoum, capital of the Anglo-Egyptian Soudan, stands at the junction of the Blue and White Nile. Its chief buildings include the Anglican Cathedral in the Byzantine style, dedicated to All Saints, and consecrated in 1912. Its campanile contains a fine " chime" of 8 bells erected in 1930 by Messrs. Mears & Stainbank, of London, the tenor (or largest) being 13 cwts. in key of F. During the Great World War (1942-43) these bells were chimed regularly by Pte. Sidney Harrison, of Leicester, England, whenever he had access to them. In ordinary times they are chimed by a Soudanese native. Ethiopic bells are slal?s of wood suspended from a bar similar to the Simantra of the Eastern Orthodox Church. CHAPTER IV Australasia IN AusTRALASIA WE FIND several rings of bells erected for " full swing " ringing in the English Style, and in some places bands of change-ringers. The towers, however, are far apart and ringers very scattered, consequently meetings for practice or peals are difficult to arrange. In 1890, Holts 10-part peal of 5040 changes (Grandsire Triples) was rung at St. Philips (R.C.), Sydney, conducted by James Murray, of Melbourne, he being the first Colonial ringer to conduct a full peal. In the same year at S. Paul's, Melbourne, the same peal was rung, this time conducted by M. Guest, an English ringer from Staffordshire. On Feb. 1st, 1897, at S. Peter's, Ballarat, a seven-method peal of minor (6 bells) was rung, conducted by T. Biddle. Holt's original peal of 5040 Grandsire Triples was rung at S. Paul's, Melbourne, in 1904, conducted by A. E. Barnes, of Devon, who was also a com­ poser of some peals. Mr. Barnes had previously (in 1898) con­ ducted a similar peal at Melbourne. On July 31st, 1890, on the light six bells at Christchurch Cathedral, New Zealand, 5040 Grandsire Doubles was rung, and on Jan. 31st, 1903, at the same place, 5040 change; Bob Triples ; while on Nov. 9th, 1903, a peal of 5040 Grandsire Triples was rung here. Other peals were rung at Hobart, Tasmania. Included in the bells hung for" full swing" ringing the following are the principal " rings " :- No. of Tenor Bells. Cwt. Melbourne. S. Paul's Cathedral 13 31f S. Patrick's R.C. Cathedral 8 19! " S.James Old Cathedral.. 8 13! " (now" clocked" only.) 168 BELLS OF ALL NATIONS No. of Tenor Bells. Cwts. Sydney. S. Mary Basilica R.C. Cathedral 8 26 , S. Philip's IO 20 , S.John's, Camden 8 I4 , S.Jude, Randwick 8 (steel) 2I Darling Point. S. John's 8 " , S. Mark 8 9 Sandhurst. S. Paul 8 2I Hobart, Tasmania. HolyTrinity 8 9! Geelong, Victoria. S. George 8 I4 Ballarrat. Town Hall .. 8 23 , S. Peter's 8 I2 New Zealand. S. Matthew, Auckland 8 I8 , , S. Peter, Wellington .. 8 I6 Christ Church Cathedral IO " " 32 There are also " rings " of eight at Adelaide Cathedral and Town Hall : Hobart Cathedral ; Maryborough ; Perth Cathedral, and several " rings " of six bells. The chief ring-that of Melbourne Cathedral-consists of 12 bells and a semi-tone. The 12 bells weigh as follows :- Cwts. QJs. Lbs. Cwts. QJs. Lbs. 5 0 9 7 9 IO 2 5 3 I7 8 IO 3 27 3 5 3 I6 9 I4 0 4 4 6 2 IO I5 2 23 5 7 3 22 I I 22 2 I6 6 8 I I I2 3I 0 These were cast at Whitchapel Foundry in r 88g. The ring of ro at Christ Church Cathedral, New Zealand, are from Messrs. J. Taylor & Co.'s foundry at Loughborough, and were erected ln r88r. The weights are:- Cwts. QJS. Lbs. Cwts. QJs. Lbs. 6 0 6 6 II 3 2I 2 6 2 2 7 I5 0 0 3 7 14 8 17 9 4 7 3 7 9 23 3 3 5 9 2 14 10 32 0 7 The Garden of the Bells, Mission Inn, Riverside, California Mingoon Bell The Prome Pagoda, Burma 0 " Great Ching " of Shanghai. The largest hour bell of the five bells forming the Westminster Chimes AUSTRALASIA 169 In 1934 Melbourne began the celebration of its Centenary, and chief among the many events which marked this great occasion were the visit of H.R.H. the Duke of Gloucester and the dedication of the State ofVictoria's "Shrine ofRemembrance ", a memorial to the men and women of the State who served in the Great War, and particularly to the r8,ooo who went out but came not back. The preparations for the celebration had been going on long beforehand and people of the Empire in all parts of the world were . invited to join with the Commonwealth in the commemoration and the festivities which were to accompany it. Among the invitations which came to the homeland was one from the bell­ ringers and authorities of St. Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne, saying that the visit of a band of English ringers would be warmly welcomed. And thus it came about that on September 14th, 1934, a little company of a dozen set out on the greatest adventure in all bell ringing history. Ever since bell ringing became an art, its most enthusiastic devotees have found pleasure in wandering afield, sometimes far afield, in pursuit of their fascinating pastime. In 1657 a company of College Youths journeyed to Cambridge ; in 1730 another little band visited Oxford, to which city they travelled on foot from London. Somewhere round about this time, too, Benjamin Annable and a party of College Youths are said to have landed at Calais and rung a course of Cinques on handbells­ the first recorded instance of a band of ringers going overseas. London ringers, with William Shipway among them, embarked on no inconsiderable adventure when, in r8r9, they visited the Isle of Thanet for the opening of the private ring of twelve bells in Quex Park. In the last half-century, with all the facilities that exist for travelling, facilities that increased rapidly from year to year, ringing tours, chiefly for peal purposes, have become a common­ place, with little to mark one from another. For the enthusiast, these excursions are a very happy relaxation from the ordinary affairs oflife, but it requires something of very special interest, such as the Pilgrimage to Menin Gate, or a dash to Dublin and back in about 36 hours for a peal, to arouse more than passing comment.