The history of bellringers & bellringing - Rolls of Honour

The Central Council Rolls of Honour commemorate those ringers who fell in the Great War 1914 – 1918 and 1939-1945 War.

The Council commissioned a handwritten Memorial Book for each War. These books can be viewed in a display case on the way up to the ringing chamber at St Paul’s Cathedral, London.

This website contains photographic copies of the pages of each Book, together with a listing of the text. Each entry shows the ringer’s name, initials, home tower and society where known.

In recent years much more information has become accessible on the website of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and additional names have been obtained from ringing societies and individual ringers. Alan Regin, the current Steward of the Rolls of Honour, has collected and organised this material to provide updated and more complete lists of casualties. This additional information includes age, date of death, rank, regiment and cemetery/memorial where known. Alan’s growing collection of photographs of headstones and memorials is also gradually being added.

The Great War Memorial Book of Church Bell-Ringers who fell in the Great War 1914-1918 is on display in a bookcase on the way up to the ringing chamber at St Paul’s Cathedral, London. Alan Regin, as Steward of the Rolls of Honour, is responsible for its safe-keeping. It bears the following inscription:

“They whom this book commemorates were numbered among those, who, at the call of King and Country, left all that was dear to them, endured hardness, faced danger, and finally passed out of the sight of men by the path of duty and self sacrifice, giving up their own lives that others might live in freedom.

“Following the Name of each man will be found that of the Parish or Township in which he gave most of his service as a Church Bell-Ringer previous to joining the Forces, and also that of the Society, Guild, or Association to which he more especially belonged.”

Alan Regin is currently undertaking research to find out more about each of the men listed, which includes finding where each of them is buried and/or commemorated and any other details that can be found along the way. Already, many ringers across the UK and beyond have been helping with this research.

Alan Regin would much appreciate it if ringers at all towers would check whether any former members are commemorated on peal boards or special memorials, in minute books or other documents that their tower may hold.

This is even more important when any are NOT included in the list of names on this website because we would like to commemorate all ringers who fell in the Great War, and we will add new names to the book in the future.

If anybody is able to supply any more information Alan would be very happy to receive photographs of any memorials, peals boards or even the men themselves.

He already has a significant collection, including more than 860 photographs of gravestones or memorials of the men, and would be very happy to pass any of these on.

Alan Regin can be contacted as follows:

(email)

Phone: (H)020 8471 7045

39 Maud Road , Plaistow, E13 0JT, UK