Bedfordshire Association of Church Bell Ringers

History

The Association’s first President was the Venerable Frederick Bathurst (1827-1910), who was the Archdeacon of Bedford from 1873 to 1910.
He was educated at Winchester College and Merton College, Oxford.
He made six appearances in first-class cricket, representing Oxford University Cricket Club and the Marylebone Cricket Club between 1846 and 1849.
He married Catherine Georgiana Moore, daughter of Rev. Calvert Fitzgerald-Moore, a Chaplain to the King.
He held incumbencies at Diddington, Cambs. (1857-1874), Biggleswade (1874-1884) and Holwell, Herts. (1884-1902).
It was during his tenure at Biggleswade that the association was formed in 1882.
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Association Officers from 1882

President
Archdeacon Frederick Bathurst	1882 – 1910
Rev W W C Baker	1910 – 1929
Rev A Rust	1929 – 1946
Miss E Steel	1946 – 1960
Mr A E Rushton	1960 – 1979
Mr C E Jeffries	1979 – 1981
Anthony H Smith	1981 – 1985
Derek A Hammond	1985 – 1989
Mr K Lewin	1989 – 1994
John R Pemble	1994 – 1998
Derek A Hammond	1998 – 2003
Wendy Piercy	2003 – 2007
Mr M Barnicott-White	2007 – 2009
Susan M Silver	2009 – 2022
Linda M Garton	2022 – 2026
Simon Stranks	2026 –

Vice President
Anthony H Smith	1988 – 1991
John R Pemble	1991 – 1994
Mrs L Shepherd	1994 – 1998
Patrick J S Albon	1994 – 1998
Wendy Piercy	1996 – 1998
John R Pemble	1998 – 2000
Patrick J S Albon	2000 – 2003
Robert R Churchill	2003 – 2013
Patrick J S Albon	2013 – 2022
Susan M Silver	2022 – 2023
Angela Blackburn	2023 – 2024

Honorary Secretary
Mr C Hertbert	1882 – 1887
Rev W W C Baker	1887 – 1895
Mr I Hills	1903 – 1909
Rev A Rust & I Hills	1903 – 1909
Rev A Rust	1909 – 1919
Mr E P Duffield	1919 – 1921
Mr A E Sharman	1921 – 1938
Mr F J Plummer	1938 – 1952
Mr H D Harris (acting)	1940 – 1945
Mr J M Stephens	1952 – 1955
Mr J W Sinfield	1955 – 1959
Mr J M Stephens	1959 – 1962
Stephen J Ivin	1962 – 1963
Alan S Smith	1963 – 1969
Philip Mehew	1969 – 1975
James W Yates	1975 – 1980
Rev M C C Melville	1980 – 1980
John Parsons	1988 – 1988
Martin D Barratt	1988 – 1993
Richard A Horne	1993 – 2004
Rosemary Maclaine	2004 – 2006
Ms J O’Regan	2008 – 2010
	2010 – 2022
Teresa J Brown	2010 – 2022
Penny Bellis	2022 – 2022
Sarah-Louise Ward	2022 – 2025
Marc Kasfiner	2025 –

Honorary Treasurer
Mr T G Elger	1882 – 1895
Mr T Bull	1895 – 1907
Mr I Hills	1903 – 1909
Rev A Rust & I Hills	1903 – 1909
Rev C B Hulton	1907 – 1909
Rev A Rust	1909 – 1919
Mr E P Duffield	1919 – 1921
Mr A E Sharman	1921 – 1938
Mr F J Plummer	1938 – 1952
Mr H D Harris (acting)	1940 – 1945
Mr J M Stephens	1952 – 1955
Mr J W Sinfield	1955 – 1959
Mr J M Stephens	1959 – 1962
Stephen J Ivin	1962 – 1963
Alan S Smith	1963 – 1969
Philip Mehew	1969 – 1975
Alan S Smith	1975 – 1979
Richard J Hillson	1979 – 1991
Dr Nicola Darwood	1991 – 1995
Michael J Matthews	1995 – 2001
Martin S Hartfield	2001 – 2006
Beth J Overfield	2006 – 2010
Barbara Fraser	2010 – 2017
Tim Blunt	2017 – 2023
Susan M Silver	2023 –

Honorary Peal Secretary
Dennis Knox	1954 – 1956
Stephen J Ivin	1956 – 1963
Philip Mehew	1963 – 1966
Anthony H Smith	1966 – 1970
David Redfearn	1970 – 1971
C Michael Orme	1971 – 1976
Stephen J Ivin	1976 – 1980
Mark Regan	1980 – 1981
Mrs K A Marriott	1981 – 1987
Mrs S M J Stanford	1987 – 1989
Andrew M Keech	1989 – 1992
David A Potts	1992 – 1995
Mrs L Shepherd	1995 – 1996
Stephen H Stanford	1996 – 2007
Anthony H Smith	2007 – 2018
Christine A Williams	2018 – 2020
Richard A Horne	2020 –