St John-the-Baptist Church Kings Norton Leics., built in 1760/61 on the site of an earlier church at a cost of £20,000, equivalent to £5,170,000 in today’s money. The donor was William Fortrey who 14 years later added a spire rising to 156 feet, unfortunately taken down following a lightning strike in 1850 leaving the original tower as we see it today. He was an enthusiastic supporter of bells and campanology, epitomised by his Kings Norton church and it’s ring of 10 bells.

On a memorable Saturday, May 17^th 1952, a lovely sunny afternoon, we went there, cycling out via the old Roman military road “Via Devana”, Redvers Elkington, David Harris and many friends from Leicester, Anstey and other towers. A short anonymous account in the RW of June 6^th 1952 tells us “twenty-two members of the Leicester Diocesan Guild travelled by various means and after greasing and oiling the bells this rough going eight was raised and several triples and major methods attempted” They certainly were rough but what focussed my attention was why only eight and not ten bells? I recall inspecting the wooden frame, guide holes etc but could find no evidence that there had ever been ten bells yet there certainly were as later I learned there had been a peal of Grandsire Caters rung on September 3^rd 1781. Sadly the two treble bells to the ring of 10 were later removed as apparently the total weight of the complete ring caused “strain on the tower”.

The weight of the tenor in my young days was recorded as 21cwt but has since suffered from that common endemic known as “shrink-flation” as it now tips the scales at 18 ¾ cwts, all eight apart from No 4 cast during 1760/64 by Joseph or Thomas Eayre . Old style sound, pre Simpson tuning they were re-hung by Taylors in 1977 and are a huge improvement though rather noisy in the ringing room.

Members of our Gedney band visited on Saturday, June 22^nd 2019, kindly met at the tower by the late Roland Cook. I went as a passenger in a friend’s car, pleasant but somehow not quite the same as those youthful days some 67 years earlier!

Returning to 1952 the RW report continues, “After tea on the village green, Thurnby and Humberstone were visited. After making one more call! the party travelled homewards, everyone agreeing it had been grand day”. What was that “one more call” followed by the exclamation mark? I suspect a pub where that lad (as he was ) from Lincolnshire, the late John Enoch Cook and possibly Bill Lacy and friends slaked their thirsts after ringing that “rough eight” plus the 20 cwt six at Humberstone.

With regard to William Fortrey, Lord of the Manor, the man who made all this possible , I can find relatively little written about him . He was unmarried and died on December 11^th 1783 following a fall in his garden. He would have been 77 years old. Why “Squire”? Well according to North’s 1876 publication, Fortrey’s name is still cherished by the old change ringers of Leicester who speak of him as “Squire Fortrey” – hence my title to this article. His Kings Norton church, a remarkable building is there today for all to enjoy, a memorial to his life, achievements and well worth a visit.

John Bennett