The photograph above shows the St. Mary’s Bell-ringers on Thursday 13th October 1910 after they had rung A Peal of Bob Major 5056 Changes in two hours and forty eight minutes.  This was the first time such a peal had been rung at St. Mary’s by all local bell-ringers, as such it was an occasion captured by a formal photograph.

The Bell-ringers – click on the bell-ringer’s name to find out more about them.

Back row:  George Poyntz (7th bell); John Aldis Senior (3rd bell); Alfred Funnell (6th bell); John Wilson Junior (2nd bell); Unknown;  William Aldis (Treble bell).

Front row:  John Aldis Junior (5th bell); William Steele (Tenor bell, Conductor); Richard Baldry (4th bell).

There were more than eight bell-ringers at St. Mary’s in the years preceding The Great War.  We know of three bell-ringers not in the above photograph who served in The Great War:

Robert Funnell – Alfred Funnell’s younger brother (see Alfred’s page.)

Frank R. Copeman – enlisted 1915, served as a Lance Corporal in the 8th Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment.  He received one wound stripe.

Frederick Whitham – enlisted in 1915, served as a Private in the 2nd Battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment.

A photograph from 1908

The St. Mary’s Bell-ringers in 1908 with the two new bells purchased by the Rev. Pitt (seated, centre).

The above photograph shows the bell-ringers in 1908 immediately prior to the  hanging of the two new treble bells given to the church by Rev. Pitt.  It includes most of the 1910 bell-ringers.

Back row:

John Aldis Junior *; William Wilson; David Emms; George Aldis; Alfred Shemmings.

Middle row:

Bellhanger; Bellhanger; John Wilson; (next 3 individuals are Bob More, Jack Slapp and an as yet unidentified man – the order of these individuals is unknown); Harry Buckmann; George Poynts; John Aldis Senior *.

Seated:

John Wilson Junior **; Rev. Richard Warcop Pitt; Jack Aldis *.

Lying:

Alfred Funnell; William Aldis.

* The names John and Jack seem to have been used for each of these men.

** John Wilson Junior was sometimes know as Fredrick – his middle name; he is also sometimes recorded as John or Fredrick Moore, Moore being his step-father’s name.