XXX11. THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING. 



unforeseen difficulties, could not be realised. To guard against a similar failure 

 in the publication of this year's volume, the printers have commenced printing 

 earlier ; indeed, the volume has already made some progress. I am happy in 

 being able to report that, on account of the great assistance which I have 

 received from a number of able and experienced colleagues, information about 

 the bells of Dorset and rubbings and squeezes of the inscriptions are now almost 

 complete. There are not now 20 churches in the county for which returns have 

 not been obtained, and from these particulars are beginning to come in. I 

 cannot say too much in praise of the energy and perseverance of my colleagues, 

 who have been indefatigable in their arduous work. A remark of one of them 

 speaks volumes : that he had got wet through every day that week in riding 

 to the towers around ; another, in taking his rounds, sometimes went 60 miles 

 in a day. Perhaps the most trying and, in some cases, dangerous work 

 had been in taking rubbings and squeezes of bells hanging outside the church in 

 lofty bell turrets, to reach which long ladders had to be tied together. One 

 had to hire and bring builders' ladders from the nearest town, as there were none 

 sufficiently long on the spot. Another mentioned casually that he was caught in 

 a sudden storm when at work, and the ladder was so violently shaken that he 

 had difficulty in keeping his feet and completing his work. Two others, in order 

 to reach bells in a western gable, had to clamber up the roof and sit astride on 

 the ridge and so work ; and most men who have engaged in this kind of work in 

 ancient belfries know how careful they must be on insecure timbers and rotten 

 floors, and floors with holes through which one incautious step in the dusky light 

 would precipitate them to the ground beneath. Tower-climbing is fit only for 

 the vigorous and athletic, and is sometimes dangerous, and I have never pressed 

 any man to continue it if, after trial, he found he had no vocation for it. To 

 make "The Church Bells of Dorset" still more valuable, it should have an 

 appendix, with extracts from old churchwardens' accounts relating to the bells of 

 the church ; and, if any of the clergy who may hear or read these words, or any 

 layman who has access to parochial records, would send me copies of such 

 extracts, I should be grateful to him. I will gladly give dates for any parish, 

 under which he would be likely to find interesting information on the subject. I 

 may here be allowed to mention amongst those who have given assistance in this 

 and other ways, and to whom the Club is much indebted, the Revs. W. H. 

 Clarke, J. C. Hansel -Pley dell, A. A. Leonard, J. Ridley, P. A. Butler, C. W. 

 Dicker, and Messrs. W. W. Hughes D'Aeth, E. Hine, S. M. Dodington, A. T. 

 Beeves, Lawrauce E. Barnes, and Lionel Harrison, Mr. Justice Clarence, and 

 Mr. H. B. Walters, M.A., of the British Museum. I have abstained from saying 

 anything of Canon Eaven's work, because you are able to judge of that your- 

 selves, and know how valuable a contribution to bell literature it is, as indeed we 

 were sure it would be. And now one word about the illustrations of the bells. 

 These have all been drawn direct from squeezes by one of our members (Rev. C. W. 

 Dicker), and they have been much admired for their faithfulness and artistic excel- 

 lency. They are most valuable to bell experts, one of whom has expressed his warm 



