Bellringers
Sutton St James boast a very active and friendly band of bellringers.
We ring from 9.55am to 10.25am on Sundays before the morning service starts at 10.30am. We ring for the Sunday evening service when we can.
Practice nights are normally on a Wednesday evening from 8.15pm onwards, but it is worth checking before making a special trip. New, novice or seasoned ringers are always made welcome.
For further information please contact us.
The technical bit!
St James has 6 bells, with Hastings stays.
Treble E 5cwt
Second D 7cwt
Third C 8cwt
Fourth B 9cwt
Fifth A 10cwt
Tenor G 11cwt
A bit of our history!
When St James was built in 1840 the tower contained just one single bell. The cost was £43-0s-0d.
In 1878 a clock was added to the tower, and it was decided to have more bells. Because of the cost the initial intention was to have five bells only, leaving space for a sixth to be added at a later date. One person thought otherwise, Thomas Parrott, Town Clerk of Macclesfield and father of Peter Parrott the Churchwarden, who bought the tenor to make the six.
The bells were brought by canal from Loughborough to Sutton Hall Wharf and taken to the Church by horse transport. The total cost with fitting was £516-7s-9d. (The original bell was not used - what happened to it is unknown).
The parishioners called the tenor 'Old Tom' after its generous sponsor. It was entirely fitting that the first ringing was on the 1st May 1879, Thomas Parrott's birthday. The dedicatory ceremony that day consisted of a Choral Service in the Church, and local inhabitants congregated in large numbers both inside the Church and in the Churchyard.
We ring from 9.55am to 10.25am on Sundays before the morning service starts at 10.30am. We ring for the Sunday evening service when we can.
Practice nights are normally on a Wednesday evening from 8.15pm onwards, but it is worth checking before making a special trip. New, novice or seasoned ringers are always made welcome.
For further information please contact us.
The technical bit!
St James has 6 bells, with Hastings stays.
Treble E 5cwt
Second D 7cwt
Third C 8cwt
Fourth B 9cwt
Fifth A 10cwt
Tenor G 11cwt
A bit of our history!
When St James was built in 1840 the tower contained just one single bell. The cost was £43-0s-0d.
In 1878 a clock was added to the tower, and it was decided to have more bells. Because of the cost the initial intention was to have five bells only, leaving space for a sixth to be added at a later date. One person thought otherwise, Thomas Parrott, Town Clerk of Macclesfield and father of Peter Parrott the Churchwarden, who bought the tenor to make the six.
The bells were brought by canal from Loughborough to Sutton Hall Wharf and taken to the Church by horse transport. The total cost with fitting was £516-7s-9d. (The original bell was not used - what happened to it is unknown).
The parishioners called the tenor 'Old Tom' after its generous sponsor. It was entirely fitting that the first ringing was on the 1st May 1879, Thomas Parrott's birthday. The dedicatory ceremony that day consisted of a Choral Service in the Church, and local inhabitants congregated in large numbers both inside the Church and in the Churchyard.
