Ringing Forums

Here’s one link which might help: https://www.whitingsociety.org.uk/old-ringing-books/ellacombe-bells-somerset.html
I’ve definitely read articles on this topic in the Ringing World so it would be worth searching their archives and I think John Harrison will have some advice on sources.

Lucy, Thank you so much. By coincidence I found that today!! . ‘ The Use and abuse of the church bells Blunt W., Joseph Masters 1846’ - is on the Whiting Society page. It has all the ridiculous piety I was looking for…
The text is actually briefly mentioned in Clarke’s Gothic Revival masterpiece which I only thought of skimming today.
Kind regards
Mark

See also The Ringer's True Guide by Rev. S. Beaufoy, which has a foreword by Ellacombe.

They generally go to the ale-house and spend it in waste. At such times filthy conversation and swearing, lying and quarrelling, frequently abound among them. Intoxication often ensues, and each man's share of liquor, in one night, is very often as much as would refresh a man and his family a whole week, yea, more than many get in a month. - Some of these ringers are out of order the next day; they visit the publican again-spend more money - and lose more time

And much, much more besides.

https://www.whitingsociety.org.uk/old-ringing-books/beaufoy-the-ringers-true-guide.html

More:

A Company of Ringers may attend a neighbouring Church rightly and usefully, as may a Choir, or a private family of worshippers. But if they habitually go out to ring they do wrong, because the practice involves a failure of principle. It amounts to treating the Lord's house and the Lord's day as our own wholly for our own amusement and without reference to His service.

https://www.whitingsociety.org.uk/old-ringing-books/wigram-change-ringing-07.pdf

Do you mean Ecclesiologists in the sense of those interested in theology, or those with an interest in church buildings (ie the Cambridge Camden Society, later the Ecclesiological Society)? If the first, I would be very careful about assuming that the well-publicised criticisms of the belfry reformers, such as Ellacombe, were either an accurate reflection of ringing and ringers or the generally held views of CofE clergy. I'm currently researching 'belfry reform' and there are at the very least significant question marks over its claims and the extent of its influence. If you mean those interested in church buildings then drop me a line at charollaisatgmaildotcom and I'll share some information about the Cambridge Camden Society and its attitude to bells (largely indifferent!).

Ridiculous piety? I guess it's easy to be scornful of something that was written nearly 200 years ago!

well it is…. Like public hangings and not having a vote….
Oh for the old days eh?