Swansea & Brecon Diocesan Guild of Bellringers
Bells and Bellringing Newspaper Extracts
Introduction
Prior to the publication of specialist bellringing journals such as Bell News and The Ringing World, information on bells and their ringing mainly came from newspaper reports. Welsh newspapers from 1804 to 1919 are now readily available online from the National Library of Wales and this website brings together references to bells and bellringing extracts relating to towers in the Swansea and Brecon Diocese from these various sources.
Scope
Included are all towers in the diocese which have or have had bells, whether or not they are hung for full-circle ringing.
References to extracts are classified as 'Bells', 'Ringers', 'Peals', 'Half-peals', 'QPs', 'Ringing', 'Handbells',
'Visiting Ringers' and 'Miscellaneous', with some extracts having multiple classifications.
All reference to the sounding of bells are included, ranging from 'merry peals' rung for weddings to change ringing performances
of more that 5000 changes. Reference to ringers are also included.
The aim is to cover the period up to 1923 when the S&BDG was forrmed.
Sources
- Welsh newpapers published in English from 1804 to 1919.
- Church Bells (1870-1906), a weekly paper for church folk which contained a regular column on bells and bellringing.
- Specialist bellringing journals, namely The Bell News and Ringers' Record (1882-1915) and The Ringing World (1911 to date).
- John Eisel for transcripts of extracts from English newspapers.
References
- Welsh Newpapers Online, The National Library of Wales
- Specialist bellringing journals, CC Library Online Publications, Central Council of Church Bell Ringers
Paul Johnson, May 2020
