John Edwin Beams 1905-2003

in Ewell. John was baptised, married and buried at St. Mary's.

By profession, John was a shoemaker. He served an apprenticeship with a local shoemaker, after leaving school and eventually became Head Shoemaker, making special surgical footwear at Horton Psychiatric Hospital in Epsom. Throughout the time I knew him I never saw him wearing other than polished shoes, or more often sandals, which he seemed to prefer no matter the weather.

John came from a family of bellringers. His Uncle Harry rang the treble to the first peal recorded in the present church in 1892 and his Grandfather, Jesse, rang the treble, also to Grandsire Triples in 1896. John rang his first peal in 1924 when he rang the treble. Again it was Grandsire Triples.

He was never a great peal ringer. There are only 12 peals recorded in which he rang at St. Mary's. Of these, five were Grandsire, four were Bob Major with one Stedman Triples and one Oxford Bob Triples. Undoubtedly he rang more peals at neighbouring towers but unfortunately no record of these has yet come to light. John rang his last peal at St. Mary's in February 1962.

In March 1943, when bellringing was resumed after the wartime restrictions, John was elected Tower Captain at Ewell. The recorded minutes of meeting held on 7th March 1943 state that John very reluctantly accepted the job protesting that he did not consider himself a good enough ringer. He was succeeding, a Mr. Charles Read who had held the post for 40 years! When John took it on he would never have thought he would be in the job for the next 55 years!

John might not have been a ringer with a wide repertoire of methods but among his many attributes, two were outstanding. One was his love and knowledge of Grandsire Triples. He seemed to be able to conjure up an endless variety of touches of any duration. His second was his undoubted expertise in teaching new learners. How many ringers today owe their first tuition to Joint cannot be estimated but it is certainly a very large number.

John might not have been a ringer with a wide repertoire of methods but among his many attributes, two were outstanding. One was his love and knowledge of Grandsire Triples. He seemed to be able to conjure up an endless variety of touches of any duration. His second was his undoubted expertise in teaching new learners. How many ringers today owe their first tuition to Joint cannot be estimated but it is certainly a very large number.

It can be no surprise that John Beams was held in high esteem by so many present and past ringers. At Christmas time he used to send and receive over 100 cards, many of which were from his ringing friends and some of whom attended his funeral at St. Mary's on 22nd January.

Prior to the Service the Ewell band rang Grandsire Triples, half-muffled, and immediately after the service in the Church during the Committal and burial, the tenor was tolled 97 times, one blow for every year of his life. It was, perhaps, coincidence that the final blow coincided almost exactly with the end of the burial proceedings. Included in the service were two 'Bellringers Hymns', 'Let bells peal forth in universal fame' and 'Unchanging God who livest enthroned on high'. Needless to say these were sung lustily in a very full Church. Later there was open ringing in which many of those attending participated.

John was an Honorary Life Member of the Surrey Association and was the last surviving Founder Member of the Guildford Diocesan Guild of Bellringers.

In his younger days he used to visit local towers frequently, often on his bicycle and very often taking one of his learners with him. He also organised Parish outings for the ringers and friends. These were very popular and were well supported.

Apart from his bellringing activities, John was a great worker for St. Mary's. When funds were needed for some urgent restoration work on the bells, he organised a waste paper collection and with his band of helpers raised sufficient for the work to he carried out in 1970. He then carried on collecting and raising money until, in recent years, the operation became uneconomic. He was never sure how much he and his helpers raised for the Church but a figure of ?25,000 has been quoted. He also served on the PCC for several years. If anyone could he described as a pillar of the church, that was John Beams. He was a devout Christian and there can be few, if any, who have done so much for so long for St. Mary's.

When he decided to retire as Tower Captain, with typical generosity he donated Steve Colman's three books to the tower, a gesture which ensures his influence for continual improvement will not die with him.

Right up to the end he retained a lively interest in events in the belfry. He was a great man who spread goodwill everywhere and was loved and admired by all who knew him.

MALCOLM PITSTOW
Ewell, Surrey