The Ringers — St Peter's Great Totham Bell Ringers

Today's Band

Practising Friday evenings, ringing Sunday mornings

We ring at 9.30am on Sunday prior to the 10.00am service. We also ring for Christmas services, weddings, funerals and on other notable occasions. Practice night is Friday from 7.45 to 9.00pm.

Great Totham currently has six active ringers registered with The Essex Association of Change Ringers. This means we have reached a competent standard to ring call changes and have been successfully nominated and seconded by Association members to join.

Ringing on Christmas morning, 2023

Christmas morning, 2013

Claire and Joanne learning the ropes

Joe learning the ropes

Into the Twentieth Century

The Millennium

The new century opened with a flourish at St Peter's. On New Year's Day 2000, Bernard, Lindsey, Roger, Howard, Alison, Alan and David rang the bells. Later the same day, Edwin, Janice, David, Christine, Janet and Michael rang a "Millennium Date Touch" of 2,000 Plain Bob Doubles in 1 hour and 3 minutes.

New Year's Day 2000
Bernard, Lindsey, Roger, Howard, Alison, Alan, David

Millennium Date Touch — 2,000 Plain Bob Doubles
Edwin, Janice, David, Christine, Janet, Michael

A Century Ago

Ringers from earlier in the band's history

These are biographies of five ringers who shaped St Peter's tower in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries — drawn from parish records, the 1911 census, and the peal boards still hanging in the ringing chamber.

H.T.W. Eyre

23rd January 1847 — 1926 · Vicar of St Peter's, 1877 – 1918

Henry Taylor Williamson Eyre was born at Padbury, Buckinghamshire. He was Vicar of St Peter's from 1877 to 1918, and Secretary and Treasurer of the Essex Association of Change Ringers from 1901 to 1921. He is named on the peal boards of 6th May 1899, 3rd February 1901 and 24th August 1905 as the Vicar — though not as a ringer. He died at Witham in 1926 and is buried in the north-west corner of St Peter's churchyard.

Thomas Hammond

1870 — 1952 · Conductor of the first peal rung by St Peter's ringers

On 6th May 1899, Thomas Hammond conducted the first peal rung by a band of St Peter's ringers. He also conducted the peal of 3rd February 1901, rung following the death of Queen Victoria. He was born in West Kirby, Cheshire in 1870, and married his wife Edith Jessie Martin at Maldon in 1902. According to the 1911 census he was living with his wife near to the Bull Inn, Great Totham, working as a photographer. Thomas Hammond died in 1952.

P. C. Sayer

1st January 1876 — 29th June 1961 · Tower Captain, 1907 – 1961

Percy Charles Sayer was born in Maldon, Essex. He was Tower Captain from 1907 until his death — a tenure of fifty-four years. He conducted the peals of 31st October 1933 and 27th January 1936. He married Alice Cudmore at Lexden in 1899; the 1911 census records him living at Great Totham with his wife, a son, three daughters and his niece, his occupation given as builder. There is a memorial plaque to him on the right-hand side of the west window.

Percy Sayer, c.1958

C. H. Ballard

20th August 1885 — 1st November 1914 · Lost in the First World War

Charles Henry Ballard was a loyal ringer at St Peter's. He was the first Essex ringer to fall in the First World War, lost on 1st November 1914 while serving on HMS Monmouth.

Frank Newman

1877 — 1949 · Returned from the First World War

Frank Newman served in the First World War and survived to return to ringing.

From the album, c.1958

Great Totham ringers at the Bull, c.1958

At the Bull, c.1958
Standing: Ernie Johnson, Bill Mills, Jack Shynn, George Barber
Seated: Cecil Mann, Percy Sayer, Harry Seager

Ringing at Great Totham, c.1958
Harry Seager, George Barber, Jack Shynn, Harry Appleton, Percy Sayer, Cecil Mann