cover imposed 21/4/08 7:50 pm Page 1 Michael B. Davies An Unassuming Genius The Life and Times of A. J. Pitman An Unassuming Genius Central Council of Church Bell Ringers 2007 The Life and Times of A. J. Pitman ISBN 0-900271-88-4 Produced for the Central Council by by Philip Green Publications Telephone 01733 211221 Michael B. Davies Michael B. Davies An Unassuming Genius The Life and Times of A. J. Pitman An Unassuming Genius Central Council of Church Bell Ringers 2007 The Life and Times of A. J. Pitman ISBN 0-900271-88-4 Produced for the Central Council by by Philip Green Publications Telephone 01733 211221 Michael B. Davies An Unassuming Genius: The Life and Times of Albert J. Pitman By Michael B. Davies The Central Council of Church Bell Ringers 2007 ISBN 0-900271-88-4 Copyright 2007 The Central Council of Church Bell Ringers and Author Produced for the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers By Philip Green Publications iiii Acknowedgements I was a learner member of the Aberavon band towards the end of the 1950’s along with Ruth Henderson (now James), Pitman’s granddaughter. I was a teenager and very much in awe of Mr Pitman who like most men of his generation in the belfry appeared to me to be a rather forbidding figure. At that time I had no idea about his achievements in ringing composition. Forty years later I decided to write his biography. I wish I’d started it earlier when more of his generation were still with us. I soon discovered that a major source of information about his life was that important repository of ringing history, The Ringing World (RW). My thanks go to all the editors of this journal for continuing to provide this resource from 1911 to the present day. Searching the RW over Pitman’s lifetime and beyond would have taken at least twice as long without the help of Dianne Martin of the Hereford Guild who thoroughly and thoughtfully searched about half the issues between 1911 and 1967 – i.e. 628 issues amounting to around 20,000 pages! Not only that but she helped with research in Aberavon and in the Llandaff and Monmouth Diocesan Association Library. She also critically read through the first draught of the book and first suggested the title, “An Unassuming Genius”, which was a term used to describe A.J. Pitman by Eric Critchley which she found in a report to the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers (CCCBR) in The Ringing World. I would also like to thank Dorothy Hurn (Jack Pitman’s daughter), who put up with and cheerfully answered my countless questions about her father over many hours. Thanks also to Ruth James, who collected a veritable dossier of information, a deluge of photographs about her grandfather and acted as an intermediary with the whole family. I would also like to thank all the Pitman grandchildren, who provided me directly or indirectly with memories, photographs and artefacts: Josie Morris, Michael Pitman, Daisy Bickley, Dorothy Bowles, David Pitman, Pat Pitman, Sheila Pitman, Judith Pooley, Geoffrey Henderson, Russell Henderson and Joan Davies, who now lives in Australia but who furnished me with many details about life with Jack Pitman during his wife’s long illness. Many others have helped and contributed to this work and these I list below. I have tried to include everyone, but if I have forgotten you, please don’t think I am not grateful for your contribution. John R. Bibby, Allan Bickley; Ron Blick; Robin Brown; Jeremy Clare; Ralph G. Edwards; Martin Fellows; Bob Hardy; Jean Howells; Godfrey Hebdon; Ian and Marian Holland; Chris J. Hughes; Incumbents of St Catharine’s Church Baglan and St Mary’s Church, Aberafan, Paul and Kath Johnson; Siân Lloyd; Frank Moreton; Linda Perry; Des Philips; Raymond Preece; Brian Price; Mark Regan; Hilary Rose; Robert Sherriff; Nick iiiiii Simon; Keith Walpole; Nigel Wilkins; C. Kenneth Lewis, Raymond Preece, Jack Pryor, Jack Warrall and Bert Williams, who have since died; Peter Dyson and Maurice Thermott, who read the manuscript and provided valuable comments; Jean Sanderson, who rigorously proof-read the final version and John and Margaret Eisel, who allowed me to spend many hours in their home consulting volumes in the CCCBR Library, I would also like to thank the following institutions and organisations where I obtained information and where it was gladly given by invariably helpful staff: Anglia Ruskin University Library, Cambridge University Library, The CCCBR Library, Histon Library, Llandaff and Monmouth Diocesan Association Library, The National Library of Wales, S4C Television, Port Talbot Library, Port Talbot Historical Society, Swansea and Brecon Diocesan Guild, City and County of Swansea Central Reference Library, The William Pye Memorial Archive and Woolavington Historic Resources. Finally I would like to thank my family and particularly my wife Jackie, who not only put up with a project taking over my life for many years, but also critically, carefully and constructively read and corrected the manuscript. iviv CONTENTS Page Acknowledgements iii Illustrations vi Chapter 1 Childhood and Youth 1 Chapter 2 Foundations: 1910’s 15 Chapter 3 Grandsire to Surprise: 1920’s 33 Chapter 4 Splicing and All the Work: 1930’s 59 Chapter 5 In Pursuit of a Masterpiece: 1940’s 83 Chapter 6 His Masterpiece and Beyond: 1950’s 101 Chapter 7 The Last Course: 1960’s 135 vv Illustrations Page 1 The Pitman Family Tree. viii 2 The Grave Stone of Albert E. Pitman and his wife Ellen. 2 3 Jack Pitman’s father, Albert E. Pitman and brothers. 2 4 Cowbridge Road Bridgend, Jack Pitman’s place of birth. 3 5 Clay Mill Cottage, Baglan today. 4 6 Albert E. Pitman, road sweeper in the 1920’s. 5 7 Mr and Mrs Albert E. Pitman. 6 8 Albert E. Pitman with Eva’s daughter Lilly, his wife Ellen and granddaughter Selena (Nell). 6 9 Baglan School photograph taken in about 1891. 7 10 Jack Pitman’s school today. 7 11 The ruins of the old church, St Baglan. 10 12 St Catharine’s Church Baglan. 11 13 The Llewellyn Children with the newly cast bells. 12 14 Holy Cross Church Port Talbot, where Jack and Evelyn Pitman were married. 16 15 Prior Street, Aberavon, where Jack and Evelyn Pitman lived early in their marriage. 16 16 Copy of Jack and Evelyn Pitman’s Marriage Certificate. 17 17 St Mary’s Church Aberavon at the end of the 19th Century. 18 18 Copy of the Register of St Mary, Aberavon’s Ringers for Sundays in 1920/1921. 31 19 A.J. Pitman’s family in 1921. 35 20 42 Caradog Street 36 21 Reginald Pitman at Aberystwyth University. 60 22 St. Mary’s attendance register for 1939. 62 23 A successful Cadoxton Band photographed after the Striking Competition. 76 24 The result for Cadoxton 1920 Striking Contest. 77 25 Letter from Pitman on the death of William Pye. 79 26 A copy of Albert J. Pitman’s Ancient Society of College Youths certificate. 86 27 Jack and Gertrude’s wedding at Leamington Spa. 106 vivi 28 The house in Lillington, Leamington Spa where Jack and his second wife, Gertrude lived. 107 29 All Saints Church, Leamington Spa. 108 30 Letter from Jack Pitman to Clifford Skidmore. 121 31 Letter from Jack Pitman to Clifford Skidmore about Spliced Triples compositions. 122 32 Jack Pitman’s congratulations to Clifford Skidmore on ringing a peal of Spliced Triples in 6 methods. 123 33 Jack Pitman letter to Gwyn Lewis on ringing 240’s of Double Grandsire Doubles. 126 34 The Ringing World Photograph of the Pioneers of The Railwaymen’s Ringers Guild. 128 35 A.J. Pitman’s College of Campanology Certificate. 131 35a A.J. Pitman’s College of Campanology Diploma 132 36 Letter from Jack Pitman to Gwyn Lewis re Spliced Grandsire and Oxford Bob Triples. 140 37 Jack and Evelyn Pitman’s Grave. 145 38 Letter from D.R.L. Jones to the Vicar re a peal board for Pitman’s funeral peal at Baglan. 149 39 Peal board for the in memoriam peal for A.J. Pitman rung immediately after the funeral. 150 40 The band that rang A.J. Pitman’s peal of 4-Spliced Surprise Major, all the work for the 90th birthday of Dorothy (Dolly) Bowles. 154 41 Jack Pitman’s daughter Dorothy with some of his grandchildren and great grandchildren. 155 42 Distribution of the number of peals rung annually during A.J. Pitman’s lifetime. 156 43 Number of peals rung by Albert J. Pitman during his peal ringing lifetime. 157 viivii George Pitman (1795- ) m Sarah Brewer (1801) James Pitman Ann Pitman Jemima Pitman (1820-1874) (1825-1826) b1828 Lillian Eva Walter Syndney William Pitman Pitman Pitman Pitman Pitman (1857-1891) (1859-1928) (1861-1945) (1862-1927) (b1874) Henry Edward Selena Reginald Dorothy Pitman Pitman Pitman Pitman (1914) (1907-19130 (1909-1967) (1911-1952) m m m George Hurn Frak Telford Olwen Joseph (1914-1984) (1912-1989) Joan Joyce Josie Michael Daisy Hurn Dorothy Telford Telford Pitman Pitman (1942-) Hurn (1940-) (1942-1989) (1935-) (1940-) m (1943-) Brian m m m(1) David Bickley m Davies Norman John Morris Raydene (1940-) Duncan Perks Siberry Bowles m(2) (1941-) Denise Fewings 1. The Pitman Family Tree viiiix John Pitman Louisa Pitman (1831-1885) (b1884) m Emma Fry (1835-1873) AlbertLbert Edwardhn England Emmanuel Fanny Dorian P Pitman Pitman Pitman Pitman Oitman (1866-1937) (b1887) (b1869) (b1870) 9b1873) m Ellen Hooper (1880-1948) Albert John Eva Pitman Pitman (b1889) (1887-1966) m m Charles Field Sarah Ann Evelyn (b1920) Vines (1888-1953) Sidney Pitman Beatrice Pitman (1916-1972) (1918-1999) m(1) m(1) Lillian McNeil Angus Henderson m(2) m(2) Patricia Green Noel Preston David Pat Sheila Judith Ruth Geoffrey Russell Pitman Pitman Pitman Pitman Henderson Henderson Henderson (1936-) (1937-) (1938-) (1949-) (1943-) (1944-) (1946-) m(1) m(1) m m m m m(1) Daphne David Bacon Barry Smith Robert Denis James Vera Hare Jennifer m(2) m(2) pooley Lewis Audrey Colin m(2) Richardson Rhiannon Lewis .