This is the first of a series of essays from the Guild Archivist. Others are to follow in due course.

Anybody who takes the trouble to have a closer look at the catalogue of the CDG Archives on this website will immediately be struck by the wealth of our collection. There is also material catalogued but not yet on-line; and there is a vast amount of correspondence and other items formerly in the possession of Ken Lewis which is still in the process of being properly catalogued. To find the true extent of our holdings you need to contact the Guild Archivist (see the Guild Officers on this website).

However, there is much that can be used by the average Guild member, and especially by one who is retired or not working full-time. Remember that the bulk of our archival collection is at the Cheshire Record Office (CRO), and so can be readily consulted without reference to myself. So if you are searching the history of your bells and the ringing done on them you have plenty to work on. At this point it is only sensible to view the Archives and the Beeston Library as one. Your first port of call could well be the wonderful collection of Guild Reports. There is a complete set in Stockport, but the number of reports in the CRO continues to grow. They are certainly complete from the end of the Second World War, and there are many from every decade since the founding of the Guild (1887). We even have in the CRO the first Quinquennial Report of 1896, and quite a few of the separate printed reports of the old Stockport and Bowdon Branch. Thus you will be able to see who the ringers were in former times, and what peals were rung in the tower. The Reverend A.T. Beeston had a marvellous collection of postcards, so perhaps you might find a view of your church that is somewhat different from the contemporary scene. These are in the Archives.

Of course, the complete list of peals in any church is on the Internet: the late Kenneth Felstead kept records over many years of all the peals he could find, and it is constantly being kept up to date. Full details of the peals (Felstead recorded just the merest of information) can be found in The Ringing World or its predecessor Bell News. Sometimes the peal might be found in a local newspaper (indeed the Felstead database often reveals the source); and in the case of Chester Guild peals they can be found in the Annual Reports. The very early ones are in the Guild Peal Book (in the Archives). Again, the Beeston Library can help as it has complete sets of Bell News and Ringing World (and both are indexed). Later this year Bell News (+ its index) should be available on CD-ROM.

Two other basic sources that might give you some history of the bells are printed books about the church – there are many of these in local libraries – and Churchwardens’ Accounts. The latter may be found at the CRO, although with earlier documents the writing can be something of a challenge. If your church does not have its own history then there are always the standard books such as that by Ormerod. Finally a glance at the Archives catalogue will reveal an ever-growing collection of items relating to many of the Guild’s churches. Unfortunately Cheshire lacks a definitive history of its bells, unlike many other counties. The late J. W. Clarke did start such a work and six volumes were printed in the early 1950s in the Transactions of the Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society. The best coverage is for the Chester and Wirral areas. In the Archives catalogue all churches which appear in Clarke’s ‘Cheshire Bells’ are in blue.

Even though we have a good history of our Guild – produced by Ken Lewis for the 1987 centenary - there is still much more that could be done. Why not organize a history of your Branch? Or a study of the Branch at a particular period? The Archives have a very good set of Branch Minutes; there is a tremendous amount of material for all areas of the CDG.

So there are plenty of sources in the Beeston Library and in the Archives for you to follow up if you want to produce a study of your bells, the former ringers in your tower over the years, or even the history of your Branch. They can be supplemented by books and local newspapers in local libraries. If every active tower put together at least a short history of the bells, a list of its ringers and peals the information available for future ringers would be of enormous value and interest. Or you may prefer to concentrate on a particular ringer. The sources are very much the same; and the Archives have a useful collection of information on individual ringers (including peal books). The Central Council produced a few years ago a list of obituaries which have appeared in Bell News and The Ringing World. I have a copy, and it is available on the Internet. Then there is always oral history: perhaps an interview with some of your older ringers? This could reveal much. I managed to record some of the recollections of John Griffiths and Norah Randles before they died. And if you are in the older ringer yourself then have you thought of putting some of your experiences down on paper? In the Archives there is at least one such account: more would be very useful.

Whatever your interests please consider producing something, however short or limited in scope. I should be very pleased to help.

David Adams
CDG Archivist