The Historic Change Ringing Bells

Old North Church houses the oldest set of change ringing bells in North America. These eight change ringing bells were cast by Abell Rudhall in Gloucester, England in 1744 and installed here in 1745. In the ringing room today hangs a copy of a 1750 charter in which the guild agreed upon a democratic organization of the tower. Paul Revere is the second signature on the contract. The future Patriot was then 15 years old.

The bells were restored in 1894, and then were mostly idle. They were restored (again) in 1975 with the help of Geoffrey Davies, of Simon W. Robinson Lodge in Lexington, for the Boston Bicentennial celebration. They have been rung regularly ever since.

When to Hear the Bells

Old North’s Bell Ringers Guild is a dedicated community of volunteers trained in the art of change ringing and helps in the maintenance of Old North’s bells. They are a subset of the larger MIT Guild of Bellringers. The Guild usually rehearses on Saturday afternoons in preparation for ringing on Sundays following services. The bells are usually heard each Sunday at about 12:15 p.m. The bells also are rung on special occasions, such as Lantern Services, important anniversaries, days of national or international significance, weddings, etc. Full peals (often as long as three hours) are rung on Christ the King Sunday and Easter Sunday.