Swanage Bellringers - James W Washbrook

James Washbrook

J. W. Washbrook was a famous ringer in the late 19th/early 20th century, composing, conducting and ringing some of the first peals in methods rung today.

He was born in Oxford on the 27th of July 1864. He learnt to ring at quite a young age, as he rang his first peal in 1880, aged 16. After that, he became a proficient peal-ringer, and any peal tours organised in the late 1800’s always included him in the band. He encouraged ringers in Oxfordshire at that time to ring to higher standards, and peal ringing flourished. J. W. Washbrook was probably the first ‘hard-core’ peal ringer, and set many records and achievements, including:

·1888 - Peals of 10,800 Double Norwich Court Bob Major; composed and conducted 13,265 Grandsire Caters which took over 8 hours to ring!

.1889 - Peals of 13,265 Grandsire Caters; 12,045 and 15,041 Stedman Caters- in this year he also rang 121 peals.

·1892 - Conducted a peal 12,096 Double Norwich Court Bob Major- this was supposed to be 13,440 changes, but was shortened because someone in the band was ill.

·1896 - He rang the longest (then) peal of London Surprise Major, which was 11,328 changes long. This took 6 hours and six minutes.

·1899 - He turned the tenor (which weighs 21 cwt) at Kidlington (Oxfordshire) in to 17,024 changes of Double Norwich Court Bob Major. This took 11 hours and 12 minutes - imagine ringing for that long!

It was through achievements like these that Washbrook became famous in the ringing community.

Did you know that...

On 5th August 1889, James Washbrook visited Swanage and rang in the first and second peals on the bells, amazingly both on the same day! To see details of these peals click on the peal board below.

Washbrook and Double-handed ringing

James Washbrook moved to Arklow, Ireland for a while, and helped change-ringing there too. It was at Arklow that James began double-handed ringing. Washbrook was the first person to ring two tower bells to a peal. When the peal was sent for publication in Bell News, the Editor Harvey Rees refused to publish it because he believed that it was impossible to do! However, as soon as other ringers began double-handling bells to peals, he acknowledged it. James Washbrook rang peals of Double Norwich Court Bob Major, Plain Bob Major, Grandsire and Stedman Triples- usually ringing 3/4 and conducting as well.

Fascinating Facts about Washbrook

· At the end of 1885, James rang 3 peals of superlative on 3 consecutive days. This was a unique performance at that time!
· James Washbrook and Edwin Hims attempted a peal of Stedman Triples on hand bells (4 in hand), and it was only one of Edwins bells slipping which caused the attempt to fail.
· On the 26th of December 1896, Washbrook conducted a peal of London Surprise Major at Merton College, Oxford. At that time, Merton College ringing gallery was quite interesting: a stone gallery went round the inside of the tower, 3 ft wide, with a 20 ft square drop in the middle! Also it was lighted with candles- no electricity then.
· James rang for the opening of the ring of 10 at the Imperial Institute in London.
· J. W. Washbrook attended the first ever meeting of the Central Council in 1891.

During World War I he lost three of his sons in the fighting, which saddened both himself and his wife. J. W. Washbrook died on Christmas Day 1923. The ringers in England raised money for some bells at St. Ebbe’s, Oxford, and a bronze tablet there is inscribed:

“ANNO DOMINI 1925
The bells in this tower were repaired and rehung and two trebles added by the Oxford Diocesan Guild and ringers of the British Empire, in memory of
JAMES W. WASHBROOK
a highly skilled ringer, a talented composer, & an able conductor, for many years instructor to the Guild
Born July 27- 1864
Died Christmas Day 1923”

Information courtesy of http://www.btinternet.com/~mike.dew/features.html