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A dispute at Painswick (newspaper extracts kindly provided by John Eisel)

(Cheltenham Chronicle, Thurs. 1 May 1817)

To the lovers of Ringing.—Monday next, the 5th of May, the Society of Painswick Ringers intend to ring, on their truly celebrated bells, a Peal of 12,312 Grandsire Cators; being the longest, and of the greatest duration, ever rung in this kingdom.—The peal will commence at 7.

(Cheltenham Chronicle, Thurs. 8 May 1817)

The arduous undertaking of the Painswick Youths to ring a peal of 12,312 Grandsire Caters, was successfully completed in eight hours and 40 minutes, on Monday last, to the admiration of a vast number of respectable characters who assembled on the occasion.—The 4th of June, another grand peal will be rung, and a magnificent dinner afterwards served up, at the Falcon, to the principal inhabitants.—They are about to ring for a silver cup at Wotton-under-Edge, and will shortly give us two celebrated peals.

(Cheltenham Chronicle, Thurs. 15 May 1817)

We have been informed of an inaccuracy in our report of the great Peal of Grandsire Caters, which was rung by the Painswick Youths on Monday week. The number of changes was correctly stated as 12,312; but the real time was seven hours and forty three minutes, averaging about twenty six changes and a half to each minute. Perhaps so striking an example of true British strength, and determined perseverance has seldom been witnessed. During the whole time every man stood to his bell, nor did any one discover the least inclination to shrink from the almost inconceivable exertion, which amusement, and the spirit of emulation only, had imposed on them. We are no friends of those brutal contests, by which it has been sometimes said, that the martial valour of our country is encouraged; but we have always the sincerest pleasure in announcing to our readers any manly and innocent exploit, which may remind them of the long-attested superiority of British nerve and heart; and if war should again threaten the liberties of Europe, may nourish a race of un-degenerate successors to the heroes of Trafalgar and Waterloo. The peal of Caters now announced, is, we have reason to believe, the longest of the kind, which has ever been rung in the memory of man; and we cannot but think the names of the ringers well worthy of public record. They were the following, ranged in the order of their several bells:—

1. Daniel Gyde, 6. James Savory,*

2. Giles Mansfield, 7. Robert Selwyn,

3. George Harding, 8. Thomas Bethell,

4. William Estcourt, 9. Thomas Andy,

5. John Tunley, 10. John Wood.

* The Conductor of the Peal

Morris (1931, p.171) also records the details of a stone tablet in the church where the peal is described as Tittum Grandsire Caters, the ringer of the ninth as Thomas Handy and the time taken as 7h 44m!