Ringing Songs

Many songs mention ringing. Here are some of them.

The Bellringing

The Bellringing (Roud 1515) was collected by The Revd Sabine Baring-Gould, the Squire and Parson of nearby Lewtrenchard, in January 1890 from William George Kerswell of Two Bridges, Dartmoor and also from James Down, a blacksmith, of nearby Broadwoodwidger. It is published in his book "Songs of the West" and he wrote "When sung by the old farmer over a great fire in the kitchens, his clear, robust voice imitating the bells produced an indescribable charm".

It is about a bell ringing contest in Devon. The villages of Northlew and Ashwater are in West Devon, near the border with Cornwall.

Chorus:
'Twas in Ashwater town, the bells they did sound,
They rang for a belt and a hat laced with gold,
But the men of Northlew rang so steady and true
That there never were better in Devon, I hold.

Egloshayle Ringers

Egloshayle Ringers (Roud 1163) was collected by The Revd Sabine Baring-Gould from John Martyn, shoemaker, of Milton Abbott, who learnt it from his wife's uncle, who died in 1868 and was a ringer of St. Kew. The ringers mentioned in the song now lie in the graveyard at Egloshayle, where their headstones can be found: Humphry Craddock d. 1839; John Ellery d. 1859, aged 85; Thomas Cleave d. 1821, aged 78; John Pollard d. 1825, aged 71; John Goodfellow d. 1846, aged 80.

Here is another version of the song that has a chorus.

Chorus:
Lanlivery men, St. Tudy men, St. Mabyn and St. Kew,
But these five boys from Egloshayle could all the rest out-do.