The Churchwarden's accounts are extracted from the Richmond Parish Assessment Book of 1736-1752 with two additional items from 1800 and 1820.

Around 1892 the old bell frame was suspected of being at or near its end and was, in the opinion of many, due for replacement. The records held in the North Yorkshire County Record Office contain a number of letters and other papers related to the developments in the tower at this time.

Several bell hangers and founders were consulted and prices were obtained for the job. William Snowdon, a very well known Yorkshire bell ringer who started the Snowdon series of books and pamphlets on ringing and conducting and who was responsible for the founding of the Yorkshire Association of bell Ringers, was a Structural Engineer working from Leeds. He had some forthright views on several of the firms' suggesting ways of 'fixing' the bells. His long letter telling the Rector and the ringers of Richmond how to go about the job is extremely straightforward about Thomas Mallaby of Barnby Dun, near Doncaster.

Thomas Mallaby worked with John Warner and acted as the bell-hanger for many Warner jobs in the latter part of the 19th century. In the end Mallaby got the contract and the frame was replaced in 1894 with pits for eight bells, although only the six current bells, with the 1862 re-cast Warner tenor, were fitted. The other two bells to make the octave had to wait until Albert Morton of Richmond spearheaded the project to augment the six to eight.

There is nothing in the records that have been found to date to give any reason why the tenor was 'found to be cracked' and had to be replaced, as stated on the wooden headstock of the tenor and mounted in the tower in the exhibition.Some suspicion has fallen on the commonly used technique of 'clocking' the tenor by swinging the clapper by a rope fitted to the ball and flight. It is known that this can lead to a crack forming as the clapper is held too long against the bell, thereby preventing it from vibrating freely.

The frame installed in 1894 was for eight bells, although only six were fitted. In the early part of the 20th Century Albert Morton, the Post Master of Richmond and a great entrepreneur, led the project to augment the bells to a full octave of eight by installing two new bells; a new treble and a new second bell. These were added to the existing six to make an octave in the key of F#. Some recordings of these bells being rung can be found in the sound archives of the website. This part of our site contains letters and papers found in the archives of the Parish held in the North Yorkshire County Record Office.

The papers refer to contracts for the re-hanging; the casting and hanging of two new bells; work for the clock and work done by local Joiner, John J Kinchin who was also an influential member of the ringing team, being captain for some years. The costs of publicity material are also found here with an invoice from Spencers of Richmond for printing of leaflets and other material. A subscription book listing donors and an account book of individual contributions from people in Richmond are also viewable.