This picture shows the Down family ringers on the occasion when the church tower bells were taken down to be re-hung in October 1911. The ringers, from left to right with their age when portrayed (wp) in brackets, are John Down of Fisherton, Atherington, and his five sons, namely:

John Down	Charles	John (Jack)	Samuel	Edward Henry (Harry)	Arthur Edwin
69 (wp 45)	74 (wp 21)	80 (wp 14)	78 (wp 12)	73 (wp 9)	83 (wp 4)
1866 -	6th August 1890 -	1897 -	1899 -	5th June 1902 -	6th August 1907 -
18th January 1935	18th December 1964	20th April 1977	12th April 1977	14th January 1976	6th September 1990

This image is a scanned photograph of an original painting in oil on canvas, 36 inches x 18, by Gerald J Moore, 1994. The painting is framed in English oak, associated with a Bell Board to display a set of hand-bells, by Clive Lewis of Braunton. The hand-bells (there are twelve by Warners of London, in A major), belonged to Harry (second from the right in the picture).

At the time, six picture frames were made from the original oak of the bells’ framework, one for each ringer. The peal was re-hung in an iron frame.

Copyright © 1998 A John Down, High Bickington.

Copies of this picture, showing the bells, the church and the village green, can be purchased in the form of a greetings card, either from the village shop or from The Rev. John Carvosso, price sixty pence. (Proceeds will go to The Friends of St Mary’s Church, Atherington.)

The Atherington peal comprises six bells, the heaviest weighing 11cwt 9lb. They were cast at the Foundry of John and Christopher Pennington (IP:CP below, second generation founders), installed in 1786, being re-hung in 1833 and again at the time of the picture, 1911 (the first peal was at the re-dedication service on January 1st 1912), as a plaque in the tower states, “To the Glory of God in commemoration of the Coronation of HM King George V these bells were re-hung Anno Domini 1911. W W Arthur, Rector; F Hill and J Down, Churchwardens”.

Bell	Note	Diameter		Weight			Inscription
		ft.	in.	cwt.	qr.	lb.
Treble	D	2	5	4	3	25	IP:CP 1786
2nd	C	2	5⅞	4	3	16	IP:CP 1786
3rd	B flat	2	7⅝	5	1	22	John and Christopher Pennington Founders 1786
4th	A	2	9½	6	0	17	Peace and Good Neighbourhood IP:CP 1786
* 5th	G	3	0⅜	7	2	17	Wlliam Barker [poss. Parkin] and John Isaac Church Wardens IP:CP 1786
Tenor	F	3	5⅜	11	0	9	I Call the Quick to Church and the Dead to the Grave Hooper Morrison, Rector IP:CP 1786

* The fifth bell was recast in 1946 by Gillett and Johnson of Croydon, and re-dedicated by the Archdeacon of Barnstaple on 4th January 1947. Its weight was then recorded as 8 cwt, 3 quarters and 10 pounds.

Copyright © 1998 A John Down, High Bickington.