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The origins of the
ELY DIOCESAN ASSOCIATION
OF
CHURCH BELL RINGERS
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On Tuesday 12th January 1897 a meeting was held in the
Church of England Young Men's Association rooms in Cambridge. Those present took
the decision to re-launch the Ely Diocesan Association of Change
Ringers. |
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In this, its centenary year, the association is
celebrating that event and its many achievements since. But the 'official' one
hundred years is the part of the iceberg showing above the water. The origins of
the association are at murkier depths. Before reaching the surface in 1897, the
Ship of the Fens nearly foundered on its maiden voyage. To mark the centenary
year this article traces the pre-history of the Association and the many trials
and tribulations it faced before finally reaching firm, dry land. |
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That afternoon meeting, one hundred years ago, was
chaired by the Archdeacon of Ely and was considering a diocese that stretched
some 120 miles west to east and over 50 miles north to south, covering all or
part of the countries of Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, Cambridgeshire and
Suffolk. Within its boundaries the incidence of change-ringing was reflected by
its geography. At the periphery were the relatively high grounds - the
Archdeaconries of Bedford to the west and Sudbury to the east, with the
university enclave of Cambridge to the south. At the centre lay the flat
fenlands with only the occasional island rising itself above, or even to, sea
level. On the most substantial of these islands lay Ely itself, dominated by its
cathedral but relying on the nearby church of St Mary for its ringing. |
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An association is proposed |
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Appropriately, the story begins in Ely, itself. In 1881
the bells of St Mary's became unringable. The restoration was entrusted to
Messrs. Day and Son, of Eye, Suffolk. Their work was completed in time for the
bells to be re-opened on Whit Monday, May 29th, 1882. Some 250 ringers, from as
far afield as London and Norwich, attended this event. According to the local
paper, the bells rang from six in the morning (though, officially, the ringing
started at nine). So soon as the trains arrived, our streets were thronged with
campanologian, playing upon handbells... 150 sat down to luncheon and 400 to
tea. It was at the luncheon in the Boys' room of the National School that the
proposal for a diocesan association was first mooted. |
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Gervas Holmes Esq., J.P., M.A. (Moore, Holmes and
Mackenzie) introduced the idea in a speech; which was very warmly received; and
it was resolved by several ringers that steps should be taken at once to carry
out the suggestion. |
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Holmes was well-known in the area. He had been a member
of the band at Great St Mary's, Cambridge while an undergraduate at Emmanuel
College in the 1850s. Subsequently he had started a bellfoundry at Harleston,
Norfolk, in conjunction with Captain A. P. Moore and Mr. H. A. O.
Mackenzie. |
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His proposal fell on receptive ears. Holmes was respected
figure. The national mood was for organisation, scientific ringing and belfry
reform. Many areas had already formed Guilds and Associations and others were
anxious to follow suit.. |
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The Bell News and Ringers' Record greeted with
enthusiasm the proposal for an Ely Diocesan Association... we shall be
pleased to hear of its quick realisation. As we have previously maintained,
Diocesan and county Associations, in which many of the clergy find it very
agreeable and pleasant to become members, are an immense factor in the extension
of the true principles of sound ringing. Then by all means let there be a
Diocesan Association for Ely immediately. No one can foresee the extent of the
ultimate good which the establishment of such a body must have upon the
prospects and reputation of bell-ringing in the diocese, and we confidently
hope, nay we implore the clergy and all the wealthy churchmen to lend their aid
in the promotion of such an inestimable undertaking. |
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Worthy sentiments, but the formation of the association
was not to be quite immediate, nor indeed were clergy and churchmen, generally,
to prove so enthusiastic. Following the luncheon the Reverend Kenelm H. Smith of
Ely agreed to undertaken some preliminary organisation. These soundings bore
fruit in December 1882 when a letter was circulated generally through the
diocese, canvassing support for the idea. |
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The proposal bears fruit |
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The response were clearly favourable and the omens looked
good. The Bishop afforded his patronage and the idea received an imprimatur from
the Diocesan Conference. A provisional committee was formed with Kenelm Smith
acting as honorary secretary. It was chaired by the Archdeacon of Ely and
numbered six clergymen and three laymen. There was a strong Cambridge influence
in the committee. It included the vicar of Great St Mary's, and five ringers -
both lay and clergy - with strong University connections. Among these were Mr M
C Potter of Peterhouse, who had been a founding member of the University Guild
three years earlier and the Rev. A.H.F. Boughey who was to be its president for
57 years. This committee met on Sundays through the spring of 1883, in the rooms
of Mr Potter at 10 Brookside, Cambridge. |
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By summer the committee was ready to act. On Bank Holiday
Monday 6th August, a ringing meeting was held in Cambridge for the purpose of
establishing a Diocesan Society in support of change ringing. Apparently,
despite all the planning, the meeting was held at short notice. This led to a
smaller attendance than hoped for, but ringers came from Bury St Edmunds, the
Swaffhams, Ely, Fen Ditton, Cherry Hinton, Woburn and Cambridge. They rang at St
Benedict's and Great St Mary's before attending a short service at the
latter. |
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As the Cambridge Chronicle reported, An
adjournment was then made to the Alexandra Restaurant, Petty-curry, where the
company sat down to a cold collation... After dinner a meeting was held, the
Rev. the Vicar of St Mary the Great being in the chair... It was then proposed
by Mr ELLIS (Ely), and seconded by Mr OSBORNE (Bury), 'That a Diocesan
Association of Ringers be formed'. This was carried unanimously. Kenelm
Smith was confirmed as Honorary Secretary. Mr M.C. Potter became the
Treasurer. |
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Bedford Archdeaconry goes its own way |
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An so the Association was launched. Keeping at afloat was
to be a much more difficult matter. In fact, its very formation at Cambridge had
almost been pre-empted elsewhere. A Bedfordshire Association, covering some
quarter or more of the Ely diocese, had been formed only months before the
August meeting in Cambridge. Writing to the Bell News, Charles Herbert, the new
Bedfordshire Secretary, congratulated those concerned in the diocesan venture,
but went on: |
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Some few months since the Bedfordshire Association was
inaugurated - we being in the diocese - when Dr. Woodford, the Bishop of Ely,
courteously became the patron - the Archdeacon of Bedford being the president.
The question was mooted as to the propriety of making the society a diocesan
one, but the followers of Change-Ringing in Bedfordshire being very limited, and
there being many accomplished companies of ringers in other parts of the
diocese, it was deemed best, from a practical point of view, that we should
proceed with the formation of our county society, thus avoiding any egotistical
display on our part. |
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It would be interesting to know why the Bedfordshire
ringers were so anxious to go ahead with the formation of their own association
at just this tie. They were very well aware of the wider diocesan proposals, as
Mr. Herbert was a member of the provisional committee that met in Cambridge
though the spring! Perhaps, though, Bedfordshire felt less affinity with Ely
than some other areas, having been transferred to that diocese only in 1837 when
the See of Lincoln was felt to be too large and unwieldy to manage. |
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Gloom and Despondency |
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The inaugural meeting of the new Association was held at
Ely on Saturday 20th October 1883 and attracted a fair attendance, including
members of the Bedfordshire Association. After ringing, the business meeting
agreed that the Bishop should be asked to become patron. Arrangements were made
to appoint a committee. A subscription of one shilling per annum was agreed on
for ordinary ringing members. The annual meeting was to be held in Cambridge. If
possible, quarterly association meetings were to be held and thrice yearly
district meetings at Bury, Wisbech, March, Huntingdon, Sudbury, St Ives, Ely,
Bedford and Cambridge. Several batches of members from Glemsford, Bury and other
places were elected by acclamation. |
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These, perhaps overly ambitious, plans were to bear a
poor fruit. Promise and enthusiasm rapidly waned. Kenelm Smith's entries in the
first minute book reveal a depressing picture. Easter Monday 1884 - a small
attendance for the district meeting on the recently restored bells at Bury St
Edmunds. Easter Monday 1885, meeting at Ely - but very few members attended tho'
business was transacted. Some good ringing was done and members were elected,
but in 1887... owing to the absence of the Treasurer from Cambridge; his not
having put the Accounts in the Secretary's hands, and having omitted to carry
out the order for printing the Report, as ordered; no annual Meeting, according
to Order. was held. |
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A sorry state of affairs that Kenelm Smith, try as he
might, seemed powerless to reverse. Unfortunately, like many association
secretaries, too often he found himself preaching only to the converted. |
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At the April 1886 meeting The Secretary addressed a few
plain and pointed remarks respecting the supineship and apathy which he found
existed amongst Ringers - respecting the advantages to the Craft and Exercise,
resulting from Membership... and strongly exhorted all Ringers to try and
impress their Brethren with the Desirability of at once joining the
Association. |
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This time the words fell upon deaf ears. By 1888 the
Association was in such a parlous state that even visitors to the area were
moved to comment on it. A meeting in Cambridge was attended by Mr. Spittle of
Dudley, Master of the Worcestershire Association. Showing none of the reticence
we might expect today, he addressed some pointed, plain and practical Remarks to
the Company, expressing his surprise at the apathy and want of Interest
displayed in this District. |
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An editorial in the Bell News in August went even
further. |
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"It certainly cannot be maintained that the majority of
ringers in the Ely dioceses possess any remarkable aptitude for great exertion,
so far as the exercise of ringing is concerned. Neither do we find among them
any sign of a movement which is calculated to give encouragement to the Honorary
Secretary in his work - a work, by the way, he has manfully adhered to through
good and evil report. Are the ringers of the countries concerned affected by any
peculiarity of the soil therein? This part of East Anglia is believed to be of a
flat, marshy and somewhat stagnant nature; if this is true, has it a
corresponding effect on the people who inhabit it? The suggestion would seem reasonable so far as ringers are concerned. Among the ringing Associations the one
we are dealing with seems to be the most backward in every respect." |
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This salvo produced an angry reply from the Bedfordshire
Association, drawing a distinction between the satisfactory situation in that
county and the state of affairs in Huntingdon and Cambridgeshire. It identified
the difficulties of travel across such a large diocese as a major factor
militating against the success of a single organisation, and suggested that the
best solution would be an association for each Archdeaconry, with a joint annual
meeting. |
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It was probably true that geographical factors played a
large part in the association's difficulty, as there was clearly no shortage of
enthusiasm for ringing in much of the diocese. In the same year, the Essex
Association was able to report at its AGM that it had acquired various
non-resident members including strong contingents from Long Melford and
Glemsford (both in the Sudbury Archdeaconry)... an accession of experienced
ringers whose names have quickly found their way into the peal books. |
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Final straw |
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For Kenelm Smith a meeting on Whit Monday 18th June 1889,
at Soham seems to have been the final straw. It was wet. There were only three
ringers from Cambridge, none from Mildenhall or Newmarket, and only a few from
Ely. Touches of Bob Minor and one of Bob Major were rung. Discussion focused on
the difficulty of competing with other Bank Holiday attractions. The Secretary
was moved, once again, to make the state of the Association more widely known.
His report on the meeting for the Bell News ending. |
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This Association still struggles on, but owing to the
geographical difficulties of the diocese, the utter apathy to ringing displayed
by the clergy, and the callous indifference of the ringers, makes slow
progress. |
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Small is beautiful ? |
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The calls for smaller, Archidiaconal-based district
associations were beginning to gain ground. The Suffolk ringers took the idea on
board and began to promote the idea at the Long Melford meeting in
September. |
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However, when it came, the immediate catalyst for change
was a relative newcomer to the Ely area, the Reverend J.R. Vincent, later Dean
of Bloemfontein. He had been a student at the Ely Theological College before
moving to Oxford and becoming a member of the Oxford Guild. He returned to the
Ely college in 1890, as chaplain and lecturer, and was appalled at the state of
the ringing society. Bringing his experience of the organisation in Oxford, he
had several meetings with Kenelm Smith to discuss the steps that could be taken
to resuscitate and quicken the dry bones. |
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They agreed that a meeting should be called for 8th
December 1890, in the parish rooms at St Mary's, Ely, at which Mr Vincent would
propound his ideas. He duly suggested that, for a time, the focus of the
association should be narrowed. In a smaller geographical area he hoped that
development could take place on a firmer basis. There was a successful
archidiaconal association in Bedford, why not at Ely? |
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After much discussion the proposal was carried
unanimously: That a District Association for Ely and the surroundings parts
be formed (within the original Diocesan Association). |
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Ranulph Vincent was elected as secretary, an office that
he held until June 1892. Arthur Pilgrim of Ely became Master of the District
Association. For the time being the Diocesan Association fell into a state of
suspended animation, though Kenelm Smith continued as its honorary secretary and
treasurer, overseeing a bank balance of £4-18s-10d. |
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The change to a District Association began to pay
dividends. At its inception it consisted of only five companies - Ely,
Newmarket, Stretham, Soham and Wilburton. By 1894 the annual report showed that
14 towers were affiliated, all within 20 miles of Ely, and with a total of 83
ringers between them. It had held quarterly meetings at Huntingdon, Wilburton,
Ely and Newmarket. Nevertheless, it still had to contend with a lack of
enthusiasm from some towers. The account book of the Sawston ringers included
this entry for December 1892, "... Sub to Ely District Assn ... 5s 0d (N.B. 12/-
was due, but sent this, as we do not intend to continue to be
members)." |
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A fresh start |
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Overall, though, by 1895 the Ely District Association was
succeeding too well. It had spread its web widely and had again become too
unwieldy for its own good. It had in fact established itself as the diocesan
association by any other name. It was agreed to divide it further into
Archidiaconal Districts, each having its own separate organisation and holding
its own local meetings. Ringing in the Suffolk part of the diocese had always
been relatively strong and so the first meeting of the newly formed Sudbury
Branch was held at Lavenham on 15th July 1895, with Charles Sillitoe of Sudbury
elected as District Secretary. |
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By 1896 the District Association numbered 21 honorary and
185 ringing members, belonging to 36 different companies across the diocese (not
including Bedfordshire). A number of peals had been rung during 1895 and 1896,
all bar one by the Sudbury branch. It was this measure of success that turned
thoughts to a revival of the Diocesan Association. |
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In December 1896 the honorary secretaries of the District
Association (Rev. Walter Crump) and the Diocesan Association (Kenelm Smith) sent
out joint notice of a special General Meeting to be held on 12th January 1897
"to consider and, if possible, arrange for the amalgamation of the two
Associations". The two secretaries were clearly aware of the travel difficulties
that had previously dogged the association, as the notice included the following
arrangement: |
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You are requested to urge all members to be present if
possible; and to let us know not later than January 4th, how many will be
coming, and the station from which they will travel, in order that we may
arrange for cheap tickets (single fare and a quarter), to be issued, on
production of members' cards. |
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After ringing Plain Bob and Stedman at four Cambridge
towers, 51 people attended the meeting. Between them they represented some 20
towers. After a substantial meat tea the meeting heard a brief history of
events, before voting unanimously that the associations be amalgamated and once
again operate under the 'Diocesan Association' banner. Walter Crump was elected
as General Secretary, with Kenelm Smith as his Treasurer. |
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Bedford approaches the fold but shies away |
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The spirit of union was abroad. However, it had not quite
completed its task. There was still the question of the Bedfordshire ringers.
They had not been represented at the Cambridge meeting. Should they or should
they not become part of the wider diocesan association? At the first meeting of
the new association on August Bank Holiday, the general secretary reported that
negotiations were in hand to arrange a scheme of mutual co-operation with the
Bedfordshire Association. An affiliation proposal was to be put to both
associations at their annual general meetings which, by chance, fell on the same
day. |
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On Easter Monday 1898 the Ely AGM was held at Bury St
Edmunds. The proposal that the Bedfordshire Association become the Bedford
Archidiaconal Branch of the Ely Diocesan Association was carried. The
Bedfordshire Association AGM was held at Bedford. Despite support for the idea
from the Bedfordshire secretary, The Rev. W.W.C. Baker, the affiliation proposal
was rejected by a large majority. One of the major factors swaying the vote was
a concern that the peals rung in Bedfordshire would be 'lost' I a general total
for the whole diocese! |
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Mr Baker expressed his disappointment in no uncertain
terms. In replying to the discussion he said that he was often disheartened
to see that however much bellringing prospered it did not appear to materially
improve the performers' churchmanship. Many of the remarks that had been made
would almost lead one to infer that some of the laments that pervaded such
sports as football had begun to find their way even to the art of
bellringing. |
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The following week, the Plain Speaker column in
the Bell News continued in a similar vein but a rather different
tone. |
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Quite a commotion among the Bedfordians really! Well:
why should they have their name taken away fro them? Someone in authority has
declared that there is nothing in a name; and if we were to call a rose a
dandelion its fragrance would not vanish. But these old sayings are all Mother
Hubbard now; we live in a different time altogether. Then I suppose the
Bedfordshire Association, as a corporate body, have funded property, consols,
gas and water shares, leaseholds; and such like. I really commend them in
retaining all these things, and objecting to affiliation of any sort which would
take them away. Of course the idea has gained ground that the reason they oppose
the Ely proposals is that their peals would help to swell the number of the
Diocesan Guild, and lessen their own. This would be the height of selfishness,
and I cannot believe it for one moment... Now fellow-ringers of Beds., never
again act, or appear to act, like sheep. Think out for yourselves this and all
other problems which may come before you. And don't do anything to create a
remark that you are on such an awfully low level as footballists ... |
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The officers of the Ely Diocesan Association kept a
dignified silence, at least in public. And that was that. Despite the
disappointment felt on all sides, no further proposals for affiliation or
amalgamation were put forward, until the problem was solved in 1914 by yet
another transfer of the Archdeaconry of Bedford, this time to the Diocese of St
Albans. |
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That transfer re-defined the western border of the
diocese and the Ely Diocesan Association as it is today. It was not until just
after the First World War that the eastern border was similarly defined, with
the formation of the Suffolk Guild and the consequent loss of the towers in the
Sudbury Archdeaconry. |
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However, just as concentrating on a smaller geographical
area had allowed the Ely District Association to prosper and expand, the smaller
size of the diocese after 1922 allowed the Ely Diocesan Association to focus its
activities and breed its own successes... but that is another story. |
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Gareth Davies |
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First published by The Ringing World on 10th January 1997, Issue 4472 |
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Photograph Copyright: |
St Mary's Ely, M C Potter's rooms and Revd Kenelm Smith -
Gareth Davies |
Alexandra Restaurant - By kind permission of The Cambridgeshire Collection |
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