Ringing the Curfew

An engraving of All Saints, Wokingham in 1812 by John Harris

The article about the Potterhanworth curfew (p 312) reminded me of the Wokingham curfew, which was intended to do far more than just guide travellers. It was instigated by Richard Palmer’s charity in 1664, with the profits from the lands he gave paid:

‘to the Sexton of the Parish Church of Wokingham, or to such other persons as the Trustees think meet, to ring the greatest bell belonging to the said Parish Church that shall be fit to be rung, half an hour every evening at eight o’clock and every morning at 4 o’clock, or as near those hours as may be, from the 10th of September to the 11th of March in each year for ever.’

Slightly more interesting is his stated object, which was to promote:

‘a timely going to rest in the evening, and early risings (things ordinarily attended and rewarded with thrift and proficiency), and that strangers who should happen to lose their way in winter might be informed of the time of night, and receive some guidance; and also that all those whose care of being mindful of their latter end should incline them thereunto, might at the ringing of the evening bell think of their own passing and day of death, and at the ringing of the said morning bell might think of the resurrection and call to their last judgement.’

Palmer’s belief in the sound of a bell as an alarm clock, a navigation beacon, and a prompt to religious observance, perhaps mirrors the complementary roles of ringing and bell towers in modern society. Ringing is closely connected to church worship but also has an affectionate place in the heart of all those who never never go to church. And as anyone who has ever used an Ordnance Survey map knows, church towers are supremely useful landmarks.

‘For ever’ is a long time, and in 1897 the trustees of Palmer’s charity published a thinly veiled statement that they were turning a blind eye to a reduction of curfew ringing:

‘... The charity is only £2 a year. The population round the Church has greatly increased since the charity was established in 1664. Customs have changed and men’s nerves have grown more sensitive. The Trustees on these accounts are not diligent to enquire whether the evening bell is rung for the full half-hour and no one among them rises early to be able to witness whether the 4 am bell is rung every morning or any morning.’

By 1914 the land that provided the income had been through several hands with less than meticulous conveyancing, and the current owners ‘declined to make any payment until such claim was substantiated’, and the charity’s trustees declared: ‘The bell has always been rung, so far as we know, in the evenings, but we have no information to show when the morning ringing was discontinued’ (hardly surprising given their earlier comment) so they discontinued the order to pay the sexton.

The Rector and Churchwardens decided to continue it on their own responsibility, since ‘it would have been the greatest pity if the old custom had been dropped’. But the story leaked to the press.

‘The idea, however, had become current that the bell was to be stopped, and the statement was published in the Press throughout England. Such publicity, if it has produced the false impression that Wokingham is unmindful of the value of maintaining ancient customs, has at least had other good results. More than one offer was made to pay for the Bell for a year or two, and another was made, through the Editor of the Berkshire Gazette (in which, we believe, attention was first called to the matter), by a gentleman, who desired to be anonymous, to re-endow the Charity in perpetuity.’

’In perpituity’ is also a long time, and by the 1970s the curfew was only being rung once a week for a few minutes in the evening. It was rung for the final time shortly after 8pm on 24th November 1982.

This is one of many stories in my book Living Heritage, about the bells, ringing and ringers at Wokingham, see: jaharrison.me.uk/book/ 

  John Harrison

  This article was published in The Ringing World on 19 April 2024