Coventry Youths
Coventry, West Midlands
Holy Trinity
Monday, 10 September 1787 in 6h 49 (20)
10128 Plain Bob Major
(Jopson's Coventry Mercury, Mon. 17 Sept. 1787; extract kindly provided by John Eisel)
On Monday last, was completely rung at St. Trinity, in this city, by the Coventry Youths, 10,128 changes of Bob Majors, in six hours and forty-nine minutes; which, in number, surpasses all that ever was rung within ninety miles of this place (circularly). The additional ornament, which gives a lustre to this grand performance, is, the sixth was at home the last twelve courses without parting the tenors.
Despite being recorded in many local newspapers, none name the ringers who took part. The bells in this lost ring were hung in the central tower, but there were always doubts about its stability – and in the 1850s restoration G.G. Scott opened up the lantern and the bells were consigned to a wonderful but unstable belfry in the churchyard. They were barely ever rung, and they were eventually sold and the tower demolished. When the various peals were rung the bells were a Whitechapel eight of 1776 (Chris Pickford pers. comm.)