Bell Ringers, Change Ringers, Carillonneurs

The bell ringers, or change ringers, rang the bells of a church by pulling on ropes.  The bells were rung for special occasions and church services, as well as for rites like burials if you had the money to pay for the ringer.  In the 1500s church accounts, 3 bells for a burial would have cost 8 pence, and 5 bells would have cost 5 shillings and 4 pence. The value of 5s 4d for the year 2005 was about £82.

Ringing the bells at St Paul's Cathedral on New Years Eve

Church Bells of England, pg 77 and 75

Different sizes and weights would have their own tone. Churches could have more or less 4-10 bells and the ringers would develop their own peals or use known peals. You can read about change-ringing here. You can see how a peal is constructed and listen to a Plain Bob Minor peal in right column, and another toward the bottom of the page.

Elements of campanalogia,1868;  pg 134

A carillon is an instrument of bells, played by pedals or a special keyboard. It is more likely to be found in a cathedral or a city tower.

According to the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America ... "A carillon is a musical instrument consisting of a series of at least 23 tuned bells, played from a keyboard that allows expressiveness through variation in touch, and on which the player, or carillonneur, can play a broad range of music."

Le Petit Journal, France, 12 Apr 1914

If you search "church bells" at HathiTrust you will get many results for the United Kingdom and the United States, including the Early Bells of Paul Revere. The church ones will tell you the different types and weights of bells they have, the inscriptions on the bells, and the bell founders.

Also check for an association of change ringers/bell ringers in your city, state or country. Meetings and members were often mentioned in the newspapers.


Relevant Links

Clavis campanalogia, 1788 w/list of subscribers

An account of the Society of Union Scholars, established, A.D. 1713, with the members' names, rules, and peal book, the Yorkshire Association of Change Ringers

Practical remarks on belfries and ringers,1860-61

Carillons of Belgium and Holland : w/ lists of Carilloneurs of various countries 1914

List of Carilloneurs (wikipedia)

List of Carillons world-wide with photos and number of bells

Past Carillonneurs of Bournville, UK

Dominion Carillonneurs of Canada, 1927 to present

The Carillons of Canada

The Church Bells of Devon, 1872

Church Bells of England (founders), 1912

The Scottish Association of Change Ringers

Church bells, peals and church bell chimes,1912

Elements of campanalogia, 1868