Official launch on 21st September 2024
Bells once dominated the soundscape of Cambridge, ringing out for everyone from parliamentary candidates to lottery winners. The bellringers turned their pastime into a lucrative business, and ringing played a part in the customs of the university and local government – and only lastly the church.
What did John Hall do with a dead cat? Why did James Bennet ‘pocket the cucumber’? Who was the first woman to become a Cambridge bellringer? Meet the fascinating cast of characters who have rung the bells since the sixteenth century. They woke the town at 4am, were fined if they failed to turn out at fifteen minutes notice, and rang for secular events while church services were in progress: the not-so-distant past challenges a modern understanding of what it means to be a bellringer. Foolish Youths and Substantial Rewards provides a unique perspective on bellringing and life in Cambridge over 500 years.
Written by Gareth Davies and published by the Ringing World this book has been produced to mark the 300th anniversary of the Society of Cambridge Youths, one of the oldest ringing societies in the world. The in-depth book uncovers the roles and lost stories of the bells, ringers and churches of Cambridge. Available to purchase from the RW shop.