Bristol Surprise Major and call-changes (inside), supplemented by some Grandsire Triples (outside) on the big, old-fashioned eight of St John, Peterborough, rung by The Lilliputters Guild as part of our AGM Day on Saturday, 16th March 2024.
There has been a Parish Church in Peterborough since the 11th century, originally sited to the East of the Abbey (now Peterborough Cathedral). However, after the market was established to the West of the Abbey, the church (which frequently became inaccessible due to flooding) was moved, stone by stone, to its present site. The current building stands at the end of the High Street, and was built (using materials from the old church) between 1402-1407. St John’s only narrowly avoided being demolished in 1651 after Parliament granted permission for its materials to be used for the repair of the Cathedral. Whilst the tower was originally spired, this was removed in the late 1820s as the building was found to be in an unfit state of repair. The church was heavily remodelled in 1819, 1882-3 and 1938, latterly in the High Anglican style.
There was almost certainly a set of bells in Tudor times - in 1541, the “great bells” of St John’s and Leicester Abbey were traded, though the reason for the swap is unclear! St John’s bells were also said to have rung for the funerals of Katherine of Aragon (1536) and Mary, Queen of Scots (1587) in the nearby Cathedral. Felstead records an early peal of Grandsire Triples here in 1773, although I know nothing about the weight, date or founders of the octave that was here during this time. Incidentally, there was not another peal here until 1920!
Of the present bells, the back six were cast in 1808 by William Dobson of Downham Market. These bells were rehung in a new frame, and the trebles either recast (or cast, if Dobson had “daugmented” them to six in 1808!) by Gillett & Johnston in 1909-10. The 7th was later recast by Taylors, in 1930. More recently, the bells received an overhaul by Hayward Mills.
Personally, I like these bells a lot, although they divided opinion amongst the group. I think they are representative of the church; meaty, grand, old-fashioned and characterful, although they do take a bit of ringing, and don’t have a lot of hum! However, they are well worth the effort required.
Tenor 25-2-22 in C
dove.cccbr.org.uk/tower/16041
Further Reading and Sources:
St John’s Church History: peterboroughparishchurch.word...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_John...
St John’s Church Swaps a Bell with Leicester Abbey: ourjourneypeterborough.co.uk/...