NEW PEAL TO PIONEER'S MEMORYSheffield Church's Bells Going Aloft |
The Sheffield & Rotherham Independent, The arrival of the re-cast bells at
Ranmoor Church
Sheffield The bells are to be dedicated by the Bishop of Sheffield on Easter Saturday, 31st March, when the ceremony will be broadcast by means of loud-speakers to the congregation in the church. Afterwards a band of experienced ringers, friends of Mr. Sam Thomas (to whom the new bells are dedicated), will ring the first peal. The two new bells are to be treble bells, and are being added to the Church as a memorial to Mr Thomas, a former Sheffield ringer, who died in 1924. The memorial has been raised by the Sheffield District Society of Change Ringers. |
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Mr. Thomas, who was born at Wath-on-Dearne, learned to ring a bell when he was aged nine years. He came to Sheffield in 1888, and next year became a member of the Parish Church Company, with whom he rang his first peal. He became associated with the Ranmoor Company in 1896, which developed under his tuition. On the formation of the Sheffield Junior Amalgamated Society in 1890, he was elected treasurer. In 1898 the Society became the Sheffield District Society and later embraced the old East Derbyshire Society. When the new peal of bells was put in at Dore in
1909,
Mr. Thomas was entrusted with the formation of a new band, to which he
acted as instructor. |
| Promoted Ringing Of later years Mr. Thomas did a great deal to promote Surprise ringing in Yorkshire. The cost of recasting the old eight bells at Ranmoor exceeds £570, and with the addition of the cost of overhauling the tower, the amount will be over £700. Over £600 of this has already been received in the last 12 months from voluntary subscriptions. |
| "RAN MOOR" When the bells were taken down the following inscriptions were found on them. It will be noted that the old spelling of Ranmoor was then Ran Moor:- "May God grant prosperity to the Church and Parish of Ran Moor. "Praise God in His Holiness. Praise Him in His Power. "When we join our cheerful sound "Let Love and Loyalty Abound. " All ye people that hear us ring "Be faithful to your God and Queen" "This peal and Church are dedicated to St John the Evangelist "C. M. Gibbs Architect Sheffield " This peal of bells hung and fittings by James Shaw and Son, under the superintendence of John R. Cordingley of Bradford. "This peal of eight bells presented to Ran Moor Church by William Smith of Fulwood and Hallamshire Works Sheffield. (Tenor) James Barwell Founder Birmingham 1878." |
| The new bells are to be inscribed to the effect that they are
dedicated
to the memory of Sam Thomas and will also include the name of the Vicar
of Ranmoor, the Rev. Henry C. Foster and the two Churchwardens, Mr. G.
A. Pryor and Mr. W. L. Gray. They will be the only peal of ten bells in
the City of Sheffield. End of Article |
