Bells ring out for celebration marking double anniversaries

When the bells ring out at Haworth Parish Church in the heart of Brontë country next week they will celebrate two special anniversaries.
By The Newsroom
Published 22nd Dec 2012, 06:00 BST

Next Saturday will mark 200 years since the Rev Patrick Brontë, father of the famous literary sisters, who was the vicar at Haworth from 1820 to 1861, married his wife Maria.

By a stroke of fate it will also mark the 39th wedding anniversary of the current priest-in-charge the Rev Peter Mayo-Smith and his wife Eileen.

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To mark the Brontës’ double-centenary, the bell ringers at Haworth Parish Church – St Michael & All Angels – will undertake a two and three-quarter hour full peal of the church bells.

Earlier in the day, the bell ringers at St Oswald’s, Guiseley Parish Church, where Patrick and Maria were married, will also attempt a full peal.

Rev Mayo-Smith said: “It’s an amazing coincidence that I should be priest-in-charge at Haworth when the 200th anniversary of Patrick and Maria Brontë is celebrated and even more remarkable that my wife Eileen and I should have three daughters too.

“It’ll be wonderful if our bell-ringing team succeed in delivering the full peal and it’ll help make our anniversary an even more special and memorable day.”