Tickhill’s church bell ringers
Since Tickhill had a peal of church bells it would have had a team of ringers. What is known about them? One clue is given on a gravestone in memory of Luke John Ashton near the War Memorial. The inscription mentions ‘Luke John Ashton/ who died November 7th 1881/ aged 71 years/ for 51 years a ringer of the parish/ church Tickhill.’ Luke John was a lifelong resident of Tickhill who earned his living as an agricultural labourer, according to census returns. He lived a short walk from the church in Castlegate. Another ringer who would have known Luke John was John Watkinson. He spent his life working as a cooper in Tickhill and Conisbrough where he died in 1890 age 89. He was buried at Tickhill. In his obituary notice it stated: ‘For many years he was a ringer at Tickhill Church and at his funeral the ringers of the church rang a peal in his memory.’ (South Yorkshire Times and Mexborough and Swinton Times, Friday 9 May 1890, page 7.)
According to a Peal Board in the church tower, both these men took part on 19 December 1863 in ringing the first 5,040 changes ever known in Tickhill. The peal took 2 hours and 50 minutes. Other men in the team were Joseph Hickson, Henry Newbound, George Gledhall, with Francis Jenkinson taking the lead. Most of these men could have been involved in a visit to another church at Everton in 1872 to ring their new peal of six bells. The bells were dedicated by the Bishop of Nottingham at a morning service following which the Tickhill ringers ‘rang forth merry peals which they continued during the day at intervals.’ (Church Bells, May 4, 1872, page 271.) Another Peal Board in the tower records that on 19 December 1882 5,040 changes were rung ‘in a masterly manner in 3 hours 1 minute’ by Alfred Knight, Charles Ainley, John Stafford Jenkinson [son of Francis Jenkinson], Thomas Manifield and George Gledhall with Francis Jenkinson again conducting.
On 24 February 1897 the Bishop of Beverley led a service of dedication of the bells at St Mary’s (the 6 original bells which had been retuned at Loughborough and 2 new bells) while standing at the base of the tower with ringers, choir and churchwardens in attendance. Apart from pealing the bells to mark special days such as Christmas, Easter and the New Year, and to mark some weddings and funerals, the ringers took part in particular national celebrations. For example, on 24 May 1900 (Ascension Day and Queen Victoria’s birthday) the ringers began a peal at 5 a.m. to celebrate the Relief of Mafeking, the start of a day-long programme which ended with fireworks. Another early peal woke Tickhill residents on 9 August 1902, the coronation day of Edward VII. The ringers were among many who received a medal suspended from a ribbon to mark the day, a gift from Miss Alderson.
The Tickhill Parish Magazine for December 1902 carried news of a special peal: ‘Saturday evening, Nov. 15th, 1902 – rung 720 Oxford Treble Bob: minor time, half-muffled, 27 minutes. A Wright, Treble; A Hodgkinson, second; F Glasby, third; G Carr, fourth; F Thompson. fifth; C Ainley (Conductor) Tenor. A 720 Oxford, half-muffled, was also rung on Sunday, November 16th, previous to morning and evening services, by the same band of ringers; R Malender, third, taking the place of F Glasby, at 10 a.m. It is needless to say that ringing of this kind reflects great credit on the members of the belfry and is much appreciated by the parish.’
In 1907 Tickhill ringers joined the North Notts Association of Change Ringers. The organisation decided to elect the Vicar of Tickhill as one of its vice-presidents. After WW1 Tickhill ringers joined the southern division of the Yorkshire Association of Change Ringers (this organisation was established in 1875).
One of the most respected ringers was James Edward (Ted) Cawser, born in 1902, who moved to Tickhill as a youngster when his father became foreman at the Stud Farm. He joined the church choir before, as a teenager, becoming a ringer. Ted’s proficiency as a ringer saw him invited to ring in several churches such as in 1926 when as a member of the Yorkshire Association of Change Ringers he was part of the team which rang a complete peal of ‘Grandsire Cinques’ at Sheffield Cathedral. This involved 5,191 changes and took 3 hours 43 minutes. It was more than 21 years since a peal of this particular class had been rung at the cathedral. The following year on 20 June a peal of Bob Major lasting over 3 hours was rung in the tower here with muffled clappers as a token of respect for Ted’s late mother. The ringers led by Ted were Arnold Hill, Percy Gledstone, Milton Fowler, Stanley Shephard, Harry Barnes, Fred Lewis and Harold Walker. Ted was appointed Secretary of the Yorkshire Association of Change Ringers and according to his daughter, Betty Attaway, he ‘became very well-known and respected in ringing circles nationally’.
Although a predominantly male pastime bell ringing was sometimes taken up by women, especially during WW2 when men joined the armed forces. Jack Cannings, the verger and a ringer at Tickhill for 25 years, trained 5 women in 1943-4: his daughters Freda and Betty age 20 and 17, Bridget Fullwood age 18 and twins Eunice and Maud Ashmore, age 19, shown right. Mr Cannings reportedly said: ‘Girls can do the job just as easily as men if they give their minds to the ringing’. (Yorkshire Evening Post, Thursday 18 May 1944, page 4.)
Other bell ringing teams have visited Tickhill Church to ring the bells including the British Rail Staff Association Guild of Church Bell Ringers and Leeds University Society of Change Ringers.
More recent Tickhil Tower Captains have included Albert Hulley (fellow ringers purchased a wall clock in his memory after his death in 1983) and Watkinson brothers Frank and Ralph, continuing a long family tradition of bell ringing.
Members of the Tickhill bell ringing team in the mid-1980s are shown below in front of the Peal Board commemorating the peal for Ted Cawser’s mother, Lydia Cawser. Frank Watkinson is third from the right with his son Robert next to him and his brother Ralph on the right at the end.
Thanks to Frank and Ann Watkinson for providing details of the Peal Boards in the tower and other material.