Mexborough and Swinton Times October 7, 1938

Wedding Bells

Wombwell Couple’s Recollections

Husband a Change Ringer

Mr. Charles Edward Bell (72) of 12, Smith Street, Wombwell, and his wife Elizabeth (69) will celebrate their Golden Wedding on Sunday. Sharing in the felicitations will be two sons and two daughters — one of whom has already made a wedding cake adorned with fifty candles — and eight grand-children. The couple were married at St George’s Church, Barnsley on October 8, 1888.

Mr Bell was born at Kirkby Lonsdale, Westmorland, where his father was employed as an estate joiner. Some eight years later the family moved to Gargrave in Craven, when Charles Edward was apprenticed with his father as a joiner and wheelwright, a craft he followed actively until the advent of motor traffic almost put him out of business.

For the past 30 years or so he has worked as a joiner on his own account. He met his wife, formerly Miss Richardson of Gilroyd, Barnsley, while she was in domestic service at Gargrave, and after their marriage he secured employment with Mr J.C.Brown, a Barnsley coachbuilder. He has occupied his present premises in Station Rd, Wombwell for about 40 years.

Bellringing Record

Mr Bell has only one hobby but it is an interesting one – bellringing. He joined the Yorkshire Association of Change Ringers in 1884 and has been “ringing the changes” ever since. For 35 years he had been a ringer at Darfield Parish Church and only gave up when ringing was discontinued on account of the dangerous condition of the church tower about four years ago. But he manages by one means or another to keep his hand in. Last Sunday night he was ringing at Wath.

Mr. Bell rang f two years at Gargrave in Craven and after that was a ringer at St. Mary’s Parish Church, Barnsley, for eleven years. Then he moved to Darfield. He has therefore been a bell ringer just short of 50 years.

Mr. Bell, who is also a member of the Barnsley, Sheffield and Doncaester district association of bell ringers has handed the art on to at least a dozen others.

Knack—Not Strength.

Mr. Bell told a “Times” reporter that it was not necessary to have musical knowledge to be a bell ringer, but a musical ear was, of course a great help. “It is a matter of knack more than strength” he said, and you want both ears and eyes to do the job properly”.

What did Mr. Bell consider his best feats as a ringer? That was a question our reporter put to him. He had them all at his finger ends. Here they are:

January 7th. 1908—A peal of 5,024 bob major at Wortley (3 hours 6 minutes); April 1908—(Easter Tuesday ). A peal of 5,184 Kent triple bob at Wortley (3 hours); April 3rd. 1909—A peal of 5,040 at Royston Parish Church in seven methods—Tulip, primrose, college, treble Arnold’s victory, college pleasure, City delight and London scholars (3 hours).