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Rules

Roger Langton of Broughton Tower, 1559-1644, signed a document in 1587 outlining the use of bells for ringers at Preston Parish Church, which would also have been observed at Broughton:

1. Three peals for a dead person; one for passing; one for Church entry; and one for procession to the grave. A child or poor person to have no more than three bells; for others four bells; and for a gentleman or yeoman or honest householder, five bells.
2. No peals of pleasure to be used except at the request of a worshipfiul man or gentleman of the parish.
3. So many peals of bells to be rung for a Member of Parliament as is customary.
4. On Queen's Day and all triumphs of joy for Her Majesty, Elizabeth I, or good success of the realm and commonwealth, all the said bells to be rung and for the entertainmennt of the nobility as is usual.
5. Before every sermon the great bell is to be rung and also for any person in extremity of sickness.
6. If the clerk and church wardens permit bells to be rung otherwise than is set down, then they shall be fined twelve pence (5p) every time. It was later agreed that peals of pleasure could be rung one night in the week during winter from eight p.m. to ten p.m.

In the eighteenth Century the chapel wardens spent three shillings (15p) at Rushbearing - probably in payment to the bell ringers. In 1767 the select Vestry decided that the bell ringers should only receive five shillings (25p) a year and NO DRINK and in 1770 it was further reduced to three shillings (15p).



A further set of rules were published in the church magazine "Broughton Outlook" in January 1952 and are said to have been "recently discovered by Mr.J.Jolleys, captain of the bellringers, and evidently go back a good many years but are undated".
1. That all the ringers of this tower are to be a respectful body of men, and to give no occassion by their conduct for any person to speak evil against us, and not to bring disgrace on the Church to which we are connected by our office. Neither do we desire to take into our company any persons who are who are of low life and character, idle, drunken, or sabbath-breaker, for we acknowledge that the Belfry is part of the Church, and that the ringers, being officers of the Church, should bear a good character.
2. That all ringers should be in the belfry before the clock strikes (the appointed time for the bell to commence to ring) either at divine service, or at any practice, or at any special occassion. Should he break this rule to be fined one penny (0.5p). And if not there in the tower by ten minutes past the appointed time to start, he pays the fine of two pence (1p), and if he misses the whole of the service he pays the fine of four pence (2p) for every offence this rule is broken.

An additional 10 rules came to light in 2008 when a visitor to the church at practice night brought the orignal manuscript containing the next ten rules.

3. That all the ringers obey the conductor both in service & practice & special occasions when the majority of the ringers think proper to meet for practice or on any special occasions. The conductor is expected to carrie out the rules & see the conduct of the ringers is good.
4. That when the majority of ringers arrange for practice or any special occasion, they may make a special fine for non attendance of any ringer at the appointed time, him being absent, or neglect to come at all.
5. That no ringer shall escape this fine for non attendance, or being late, unless he can prove to the majority of the ringers that he has or was ill to such an extent to prevent him from coming to the tower.
6. That no substitute can be received for any ringer to exempt him from any fine.
7. That the ringers shall take the belfry door key a week in ther turns & that he who has the key must be at the tower with the door open 5 minutes before the time appointed to commence to ring on all occasions or be fined, one penny (0.5p).
8. That all person wishing to learn to ring must be brought before the whole body, and all must be willing & he, when received must pay one shilling (5p) for entry, before he commences & when he can ring the first course he must pay another shilling to a fund provided by the ringers, and that all the ringers pay one penny per week, this to go into the fund as well, and two shillings and sixpence (12p) at the end of a peal.
9. Should any member break these rules or bring disgrace on himself & the tower shall at the majority of the ringers be expelled from the tower and to loose all intress (sic) of monies which he may have paid into the fund.
10. There shall be an account book kept by the ringers for the monies paid and the fines. There should be a treasurer appointed every year and at the end of each year the ringers may dispose of the monies received for fines and entries as they think proper.
11. The practice night not to exceed two hours each night except on some special times.
12. That as the tower is part of the church their must be no smoking, drinking, swearing to be allowed in the tower by any one & should any of the ringers break any of these smoking, drinking, swearing shall for every offence be fined six pence (3p). And any ringer of the tower to ring in the state of intoxication shall:
for the 1st offence be fined three pence
for the 2nd offence be fined six pence and
for the 3rd offence be fined one shilling.
Should it occur any more be expelled from the tower

The rules may be amended by the desire of the majority of the ringers.

We the undersigned ringers agree to the foregoing rules and will endeavour by God's help to carry them out, and all our meetings to commence with prayer at divine service & practice & special occasions.

None of these rules were signed!!

Page last updated 20th April 2008