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Bedfordshire Association

Society NameDescriptionsFrom (year)To (year)Web site
Bedfordshire Association

The inaugural meeting of the Bedfordshire Association of Change Ringers took place in the vestry of St Paul's Church, Bedford, on 13th March 1882. Objects set form the new Association were 'the promotion of Belfry Reform and the cultivation of scientific change ringing'. The name was changed to the Bedfordshire Association of Church Bell Ringers in 1961. Further information can be found in the Ringing World (12th March 1982, pages 207 to 211). [Research and observations associated with the Council Library Certificates Collection by Chris Ridley.]

Founded 1882 [Research and observations associated with the Council Library Badge Collection by Chris Ridley.]

1882https://www.bacbr.org.uk/

Original design by Ken Spavins of Woburn in 1950

Photo

Books in the Council Library

TitleAuthorDateNotesAcquisition Number
Centenary Service30.v.1982 1044
Bedfordshire ClangerNewsletter No 1 (Aug 1982) - No 13 (Nov 1985) No 15 (Feb 1986) - No 25 (Sep 1988) Jan 1989 - Apr 1995 Apr 2005 - Apr 20091646
Annual Reports 1902/03 (21st), 1903/04, 1906/07 - 1914/15, 1917/18 - 1921/22, 1922 (40th) - 1929, 1931 – 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022671
John Bunyan Tercentenary events and other papersOwen Davis1988Various items regarding Bedfordshire Association service to mark occasion. Also miscellaneous items concerning striking competitions MS OS 5 1892
Bedfordshire Association Library list 1979 1119
Bedfordshire Association library listFeb 1985 1690
Bedfordshire Association Catalogue of books deposited with Bedford C R O 1692

Accounts of the lives of members (Navigation at foot of page)

NamePlace(s)Other societiesDate of death
George William Ashmole Roll of Honour tower: Arlesey25/09/1944
Stanley Hugh Ashton Place of Birth: Pirton
Began ringing at: Pirton
Location mentioned in obituary: Clifton (Beds)
Hertford County Association09/04/2020
Sheila Vivien Ashton Location mentioned in obituary: Clifton (Beds)25/09/2020
Revd William Wing Carew Baker Place of Birth: Long Melford, Suffolk
Began ringing at: St. Benet's, Cambridge
First peal tower: SS. Perer & Paul, Syston, Leicester
Towers: St. Mary Nottingham, St. Peter, Dunstable, All Saints, Southill
Location mentioned in obituary: Southill
14/11/1930
Corporal John William Barker Roll of Honour tower: Bedford06/11/1918
Frederick Charles Blackwell Roll of Honour tower: Woburn04/06/1943
Robert Randolph Churchill Place of Birth: Betchworth Heath
Began ringing at: South Leigh
Towers: Husbourne Crawley
Chiltern Midweek Group
Zipper Society of Bell Ringers
25/10/2023
Donald Leslie Cockings Roll of Honour tower: Harrold15/11/1942
James Henry Edwards Place of Birth: Colchester
Began ringing at: Little Horkesley, Essex
First peal tower: Little Horkesley
Towers: St Peter, Colchester from 1946 to 1956; Wormingford, Essex from 1930 to 1956; Goldington, Beds from 1956 and St Paul, Bedford from 1960.
Location mentioned in obituary: Bedford (Goldington)
Ancient Society of College Youths21/11/1991
Mr K H Fleming Central Council of Church Bellringers 
Sydney Foskett Place of Birth: Northampton
Began ringing at: Newnham
First peal tower: St. Edmund's Northampton
Towers: He was a member of the band at All Saints Northampton from 1920-1922; he rang at Bletchley from 1920-1929 and at St Paul's Bedford for many years after that.
Location mentioned in obituary: Nottingham (ex Bedford)
05/03/1982
S Fox Roll of Honour tower: Sandy 
Leonard Carrington Franklin Roll of Honour tower: Biggleswade20/04/1919
William Freeman Location mentioned in obituary: Lavendon
Location mentioned in obituary: Olney
Central Northants Association
Oxford Diocesan Guild
28/01/1940
Lance Corporal Frederick Cyril Gibbs Roll of Honour tower: Leighton Buzzard28/09/1916
Harold Kenneth Gilbert Roll of Honour tower: Leighton Buzzard01/08/1943
Francis George Giles Roll of Honour tower: Westoning19/11/1940
Derek A Hammond Location mentioned in obituary: Bromham21/06/2022
Charles Henry Harding Place of Birth: Blunham, Beds.
Began ringing at: Tempsford, Beds
First peal tower: St. Peter, Tempsford
Towers: St. James, Blunham
Location mentioned in obituary: Blunham
23/02/1957
Stephen John Ivin Place of Birth: Northampton.
Began ringing at: Houghton Conquest
First peal tower: Stagsden
Location mentioned in obituary: Bedford & Oxford
Ancient Society of College Youths
Central Council of Church Bellringers
Oxford University Society
07/01/2010

Peal Statistics

Statistics sourced from the annual reports of the Council Peal Analysis Committee will be shown here

The tables will need to be digitised first. A job for 2024.

Peal board photos

Records 1 to 5, of 20 
◁◁▶▶ 

Bedford, St Paul 03/08/1885

Details

Bedford, St Paul 30/05/1887

Bedford, St Paul 22/12/1887

Bedford, St Paul 08/01/1891

Bedford, St Paul 03/09/1891

DetailsDetails

Woburn, Beds 12/03/1892

Details

Bedford, St Paul 22/05/1893

Bedford, St Paul 15/01/1894

Details

Bedford, St Paul 15/01/1894

Details

Peals

For those who have a pealbase login, the society analysis has totals since 1910.

Bedfordshire Association

Society NameDescriptionsFrom (year)To (year)Web site
Bedfordshire Association

The inaugural meeting of the Bedfordshire Association of Change Ringers took place in the vestry of St Paul's Church, Bedford, on 13th March 1882. Objects set form the new Association were 'the promotion of Belfry Reform and the cultivation of scientific change ringing'. The name was changed to the Bedfordshire Association of Church Bell Ringers in 1961. Further information can be found in the Ringing World (12th March 1982, pages 207 to 211). [Research and observations associated with the Council Library Certificates Collection by Chris Ridley.]

Founded 1882 [Research and observations associated with the Council Library Badge Collection by Chris Ridley.]

1882https://www.bacbr.org.uk/

Original design by Ken Spavins of Woburn in 1950

Photo

Books in the Council Library

TitleAuthorDateNotesAcquisition Number
Centenary Service30.v.1982 1044
Bedfordshire ClangerNewsletter No 1 (Aug 1982) - No 13 (Nov 1985) No 15 (Feb 1986) - No 25 (Sep 1988) Jan 1989 - Apr 1995 Apr 2005 - Apr 20091646
Annual Reports 1902/03 (21st), 1903/04, 1906/07 - 1914/15, 1917/18 - 1921/22, 1922 (40th) - 1929, 1931 – 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022671
John Bunyan Tercentenary events and other papersOwen Davis1988Various items regarding Bedfordshire Association service to mark occasion. Also miscellaneous items concerning striking competitions MS OS 5 1892
Bedfordshire Association Library list 1979 1119
Bedfordshire Association library listFeb 1985 1690
Bedfordshire Association Catalogue of books deposited with Bedford C R O 1692

Accounts of the lives of members (Navigation at foot of page)

NamePlace(s)Other societiesDate of death
George William Ashmole Roll of Honour tower: Arlesey25/09/1944
Stanley Hugh Ashton Place of Birth: Pirton
Began ringing at: Pirton
Location mentioned in obituary: Clifton (Beds)
Hertford County Association09/04/2020
Sheila Vivien Ashton Location mentioned in obituary: Clifton (Beds)25/09/2020
Revd William Wing Carew Baker Place of Birth: Long Melford, Suffolk
Began ringing at: St. Benet's, Cambridge
First peal tower: SS. Perer & Paul, Syston, Leicester
Towers: St. Mary Nottingham, St. Peter, Dunstable, All Saints, Southill
Location mentioned in obituary: Southill
14/11/1930
Corporal John William Barker Roll of Honour tower: Bedford06/11/1918
Frederick Charles Blackwell Roll of Honour tower: Woburn04/06/1943
Robert Randolph Churchill Place of Birth: Betchworth Heath
Began ringing at: South Leigh
Towers: Husbourne Crawley
Chiltern Midweek Group
Zipper Society of Bell Ringers
25/10/2023
Donald Leslie Cockings Roll of Honour tower: Harrold15/11/1942
James Henry Edwards Place of Birth: Colchester
Began ringing at: Little Horkesley, Essex
First peal tower: Little Horkesley
Towers: St Peter, Colchester from 1946 to 1956; Wormingford, Essex from 1930 to 1956; Goldington, Beds from 1956 and St Paul, Bedford from 1960.
Location mentioned in obituary: Bedford (Goldington)
Ancient Society of College Youths21/11/1991
Mr K H Fleming Central Council of Church Bellringers 
Sydney Foskett Place of Birth: Northampton
Began ringing at: Newnham
First peal tower: St. Edmund's Northampton
Towers: He was a member of the band at All Saints Northampton from 1920-1922; he rang at Bletchley from 1920-1929 and at St Paul's Bedford for many years after that.
Location mentioned in obituary: Nottingham (ex Bedford)
05/03/1982
S Fox Roll of Honour tower: Sandy 
Leonard Carrington Franklin Roll of Honour tower: Biggleswade20/04/1919
William Freeman Location mentioned in obituary: Lavendon
Location mentioned in obituary: Olney
Central Northants Association
Oxford Diocesan Guild
28/01/1940
Lance Corporal Frederick Cyril Gibbs Roll of Honour tower: Leighton Buzzard28/09/1916
Harold Kenneth Gilbert Roll of Honour tower: Leighton Buzzard01/08/1943
Francis George Giles Roll of Honour tower: Westoning19/11/1940
Derek A Hammond Location mentioned in obituary: Bromham21/06/2022
Charles Henry Harding Place of Birth: Blunham, Beds.
Began ringing at: Tempsford, Beds
First peal tower: St. Peter, Tempsford
Towers: St. James, Blunham
Location mentioned in obituary: Blunham
23/02/1957
Stephen John Ivin Place of Birth: Northampton.
Began ringing at: Houghton Conquest
First peal tower: Stagsden
Location mentioned in obituary: Bedford & Oxford
Ancient Society of College Youths
Central Council of Church Bellringers
Oxford University Society
07/01/2010

Peal Statistics

Statistics sourced from the annual reports of the Council Peal Analysis Committee will be shown here

The tables will need to be digitised first. A job for 2024.

Peal board photos

Records 1 to 5, of 20 
◁◁▶▶ 

Bedford, St Paul 03/08/1885

Details

Bedford, St Paul 30/05/1887

Bedford, St Paul 22/12/1887

Bedford, St Paul 08/01/1891

Bedford, St Paul 03/09/1891

DetailsDetails

Woburn, Beds 12/03/1892

Details

Bedford, St Paul 22/05/1893

Bedford, St Paul 15/01/1894

Details

Bedford, St Paul 15/01/1894

Details

Peals

For those who have a pealbase login, the society analysis has totals since 1910.

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