Bellringing 1923-34
After
the First World War, the bells were not in good shape, and the band of
ringers was small. Funds were tight, so rather than bring in
professionals Mr Warncken the steeple keeper and a few others set about
repair work themselves. In 1923 they redecorated the belfry in time for
J.C. Pringle's arrival as Rector, and replaced its lath and plaster
ceiling with match lining. Parishioners were invited to go up the tower
on application to the steeple keepers: young girls must have, also, the consent
of parents. Later that year, the Rector wrote we
are very sorry indeed that while at work upon the ceiling, Mr Stanley
Degerlund received an injury to his eye. We hope he has made a complete
recovery. He must have done so, since he a few months later he
was congratulated on ringing the heavy tenor (1½ tons) in a quarter
peal of Grandsire Triples - his first peal, with most of the other
ringers visitors.
(The
Degerlund family were actively involved at St George's for many years.
Stanley's father was Gustaf Severin Degerlund, described to us by his
Canadian great-grandson Bob Carswell as a Swede by race, Finn by location, Russian
by occupation but Brit by choice;
formerly a ship's carpenter, he worked for a firm of lead and glass
merchants in St George's Street. Stanley's sister Wilhelmina Gladys was
for a time a clerk working with the Rector at the Charity Organisation
Society.)
Sidney
Kelly (who also ran the parish football team) was thanked for arranging
hymn tunes for the bells. Unlike continental rings, English bells are
not in fact tuned to play melodies, but to ring in mathematical
patterns, or 'changes', so the result can sometimes sound odd, but
plenty of towers do this, especially if they have a frame for striking
rather than swinging the bells, carillon-style.
In 1924 Mr
Bollanack provided oak for the reconstruction of wheel no.4, a very arduous task
undertaken by Mr Degerlund. Later that year, for the first time in 20
years a quarter peal was rung entirely by locals, unaided by outsiders.
The Rector added tartly N.B.
Bellringers are requested when leaving the Belfry to do so quietly and
speedily. The loitering and talking in the Church Porch during the
hours of Divine Service is an irreverence to God and an annoyance to
worshippers. Naturally we should like to see them among the worshippers
after ringing, there would then be less criticism and real pleasure in
hearing the bells.
 In
July 1926 the ringers made an excursion to Shorne, going by train to
Tilbury, ferry to Gravesend and walking four miles through the
cornfields. This was to become an annual event (two years later, some
of them missed the ferry home - but
all got back before midnight.)
On the first occasion they had tea at the vicarage before ringing the
bells, but thereafter they were the guests of Mr and Mrs Denson at
Woodhurst in Pear Tree Lane [pictured].
In 1929 they reported the
garden was ablaze with flowers, and though rain fell at times, it was
not enough to spoil the enjoyment of the afternoon. Golf-croquet was,
as usual, a great attraction, and made some of us long for a lawn at St
George's on which it could be played! The newly-formed Male
Voice
Choir joined the trip and gave a short concert; there was also handbell
ringing.
On
Easter Day the bells were rung at 6am. Special peals were rung
on various occasions - for example, in 1928 360 changes each of
Grandsire Doubles were rung in memory of Margaret Hallward when
memorial windows were dedicated, and at Harvest 1929 a quarter peal of
1260 changes of Grandsire Doubles, in the fast time of 45 minutes, was
rung after Evensong. When G.T. Ball-Knight had to leave his
curacy here in 1927, he wrote my
association with the belfry I shall
miss very much. When I had been here but a few weeks, Mr Warncken
initiated me into the art of rope pulling. Since then, I never missed a
practice, or service, except through sickness, holidays, or duties at
St. George's Hospital. If every ringer looked forward to the time of
ringing as I have done, eight bells would call the faithful to prayer
and worship every time.
The
bells continued to cause problems, and in 1930 the tenor was re-hung by
Warncken and the team - hours of
hard, dangerous work. But self-help
was not enough; they had finally to call in the professionals.
Mears
and Stainbank reported in 1932 that it was unsafe to ring the bells
until £168 of repair work had been done, plus £105 of desirable
improvements. So the bells were chimed, and handbells used for
practice. The parish was still struggling with a £3,000 restoration
appeal; when this closed, some used their collecting boxes for the
bells, but by August 1933 only £19 had been raised.
Nevertheless
on 15 June 1932 the St George's
Society of Change Ringers was formed,
with the Rector as president, wardens as vice-presidents, J Warncken as
steeple keeper and S Degerlund as his deputy, and a committee. The
Ringing master was Walter Horace Glover, son and grandson of wardens of
the parish; tragically, he died two years later, aged 32, after a
sudden illness.
Restoration
of the bells was finally completed as a memorial to Rector Beresford. A
tablet above the door to the tower reads
TO THE
GLORY OF GOD AND IN
LOVING MEMORY OF CHARLES JOHN BERESFORD,
PRIEST, RECTOR OF THIS PARISH
I925-1936
THE
BELLS OF THIS CHURCH WERE COMPLETELY RESTORED 1938.
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