This wonderful picture of the Eaton Bellringers from 1887 hangs at the bottom of the tower in St Denys' church.  The group of eight men, who appear to be pictured in their Sunday best, are photographed against some large wooden doors and are shown with a table containing a set of handbells. 

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The Eaton group were apparently early members of the Society of Farmland Ringers who  were formed in November 1875 and are still in existence today. 

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The pictured men are:

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George Singleton – Ironstone miner born 1865 d 1939 age 75

James Shelton – Labourer iron ore mine b 1857 d 1931 age 74

Henry Singleton – (John Henry) Bootmaker b 1868 d 1949 age 82

George Jackson – Baker, parish constable b 1862 d 1923 age 61

William Smart – Gardener at Eaton Grange (living Glenn’s cottages (Undles) - b 1861 d 1944 age 83

Richard Harrison – Labourer iron ore mine, secretary for the Reading Room. Lost eye in mining accident. b 1857 d 1929 age 73

Thomas Pearson - Carrier and dealer, secretary of Friendly Society, parish constable, chairman of Parish Council, sexton and parish clerk b 1850 d 1929 age 79

Richard (Watchorn) Selby – Labourer iron ore mine and parish constable b 1852 Wymondham d 1939 age 79

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It's clear that they were a skilled group and that they rang the bells as a team for many years:

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Grantham Journal 1905: Wedding of Miss Edith Derby of Eaton and Mr William Cooper of Nottingham

'The Church ringers rang a merry peal at the conclusion of the ceremony and signalised the occasion by a record performance on the church bells. in the evening, a grandsire doubles consisting of 2520 changes being successfully rung in one hour and twenty-three minutes. The ringers were - James Shelton, treble; Henry Singleton, 2nd (conductor); George Singleton, 3rd;  Walter Jackson, 4th; Richard Harrison, tenor. This is the greatest number of changes ever rung on the bells'

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Grantham Journal March 1913:

On Easter Sunday morning, at 6.30am, the following ringers rang 720 changes of grandsire doubles on the bells of the Parish Church.: - T.E. Pearson, Henry Singleton, George Singleton, William Waltham and Walter Jackson.

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and perhaps most poignant is the obituary for Thomas Pearson August 1929

'He was a bellringer at the Parish Church for over 50 years, and was well known to all the ringers in the Farmland Society of Change Ringers, whose annual b=meetings he looked forward to and attended, being present at  all but two since 1877.... In the evening a half muffled peal was rung on the Church bells my Messrs Walter Jackson, George Singleton, James Shelton, Bert Shipman, John Wright and A.E. Hubbard.'

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