Extract from Tichmarsh Parish magazine, July & August 1882 and reprinted in the PDG Newsletter August 1981.
On Monday July17th the bellringers of Islip, Stoke Doyle and Pilton met our ringers in the belfry of the Parish Church. According to a programme, time was divided from 9.30 a.m. to 12.30 a.m. so that the teams might ring in order.
At 1 o’clock dinner was served in the barn kindly lent by Mr. W. Attenborough, and at 3.30 Evensong was sung by the Rector, the special lessons being read by the Rev. D.W. Barrett, Rural Dean, and Vicar of Nassington, and the Rev. F.G. Hodgson, Rector of Pilton; the sermon afterwards being preached by the Rev. J.F. Watson, curate of Woodford. (The sermon is recorded)
At 4.30 the hour fixed for business in the Rectory Garden. An Association for Higham Ferrers 2nd Deanery and District was formed, the Rev. F.G. Hodgson, and D.W. Barrett consenting to act as treasurer and secretary. After discussion ten rules were passed, of which the first is “That this union be called ‘The Higham Ferrers 2nd Deanery and District Society of Church Bellringers’ and that it have for its object the cultivation of the art of change-ringing and the promotion of belfry reform”. Honary Members subscribing 5/- annually were invited and several were at once enrolled. An Annual Meeting in the month of May and also sectional Meetings will be held. After tea in the Rectory Garden the teams again rang in order from 5.30 until 7.30, when they adjourned to supper in the barn, and with toasts and hand-bell ringing a very pleasant and successful day was concluded by singing “God Save the Queen”
To the Rev. G.M. Edmonds, curate of Yarwell the new society is largely indebted both for much preliminary trouble towards its formation, and also for the excellent arrangements made on its inaugural day.
A peal attributed to the Higham Society was rung on March 18, 1893
Extract from The Bell News for May 28, 1898 p687.
BELLRINGERS AT THRAPSTON, NORTHANTS.
The Higham Ferrers Second Deanery Association of Church Bellringers held their sixteenth annual meeting at Thrapston on a recent Monday. The Association was founded in 1882, and is under the presidency of Mr. S. G. Stopford Sackville. The proceedings commenced at 10 a.m., when the members rang a merry peal at the Parish Church, and the ringing was afterwards continued at the churches of Islip, Tichmarsh, Aldwinckle, and Woodford. At one o’clock a dinner was provided at The King’s Arms, a splendid repast being placed on the tables by Host Whitney. This was followed by a meeting …
Extract from The Bell News for June 24, 1899, p50
ISLIP, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE.
The annual meeting of the Association for Higham Ferrers Second Deanery was held at Islip on Monday, June 12th. Members to the number of about 40 were present from the following parishes :— Aldwinckle, Tichmarsh, Thrapston, Woodford, Thorpe Achurch, and Islip, and during the morning each team of ringers in succession had the use of the bells of the Parish Church for three-quarters of an hour. Some excellent change-ringing was done, and successful peals of Oxford Bob and Treble Bob rung during the day were a proof of the value of the Association’s efforts in encouraging the study and practice of this sort of change-ringing. From eight o’clock in the morning until seven in the evening the bells were scarcely silent for a moment. Mr. S. G. Stopford-Sackville, the President of the Association, presided at the dinner, which was excellently served at The Woolpack inn by Mr. Beaver. After dinner, the toast of “Church and Queen” was proposed in felicitous terms by the President, and that of “Success to the Association’’ by Mr. T. S. Agutter (Parish Churchwarden, Islip). The last-named toast was responded to by the Rev. G. M. Edmonds (Secretary), who also presented a statement of the work and finances of the Association, and in the course of his speech congratulated the ringers of Tichmarsh and Thorpe Achurch on the improvements made since the last meeting to the bells in the churches of their parishes …
Extract from The Bell News of September 27, 1902, p289
THE CENTRAL NORTHAMPTONSHIRE ASSOCIATION
A quarterly meeting of this Association was held at Great Addington on Saturday, August 30th. …
After tea a meeting was held in the Parish Room. The Rev. E . C. Channer, Ravensthorpe, occupied the chair, supported by the Rev. R. Copeman, Stoke Albany, and the Rev. W . St. George Coldwell, of Wilbye, and Mr. T . R. Hensher, the Hon. Secretary.
The minutes of the last meeting having been read and confirmed; a discussion ensued upon the advisability of holding the next quarterly meeting at Thrapston, The secretary pointed out that Thrapston ringers were in the Higham Ferrers Second Deanery Association, but he was not quite sure whether that Association was still in existence. If not he would like to see the Higham Ferrers Second Deanery belfries embraced within their Association.
Mr. Hensher was empowered to communicate with the Rev. G. M. Edmonds, Stoke Doyle, the members deciding, on the motion of the Rev. W. St. George Coldwell, seconded by Mr. Martin (Higham Ferrers), to hold the next meeting at Thrapston provided it was agreeable to do so, and as an alternative meeting place Mr. W. Hensher’s motion in favour of Kettering was heartily adopted….
