The recorded history of Pocklington goes back around 1,500 years and there is archaeological evidence of settlement 1,000 years earlier. The early spelling was "Poclintun" – from the Old English for farm or settlement (“tun”) following the name of the tribe that inhabited the area, “Pocel” or “Pocela”. This is how it later appeared in the Doomsday Book of 1086 when Pocklington was one of the larger settlements in what is now the East Riding.
The first Christian Church was established at the site where, in the 7th century, Paulinus preached and baptised converts when he paused here while making his way from Londesborough and Goodmanham to York. The 15th century Sotheby Cross (originally Soteby), which was rediscovered in 1835 and now stands in the churchyard, has a Latin inscription that translates as "Paulinus here preached and celebrated AD627".
Although some traces of earlier Norman construction remain, much of the present church building dates from the late 12th to early 15th centuries with, of course, more modern alterations and extensions.
By the early 20th century the tower contained five bells, ranging in weight from 7½ to 21½ cwt. No other records of these bells and their histories are available other than their inscriptions:
1. Te Deum Laudamus. Tho. Lovett vicar. R. Walker. I. Gartham Ch Wardens. 1754. G. Dalton. York. (George Dalton cast bells in York from 1750 until 1785).
2. Voco veni precare. 1712. Io. Lowe, vie J. Manby. G. Baitson. Church Wardens. SS Ebor. (Possibly Samuel Smith who was active in York as a bell-founder from 1693 until 1731).
3. Gloria in altissimus Deo. 1739. Will. Chambers. Tho. Linton Church Wardens. E. Seller, Ebor. (Edward Seller II who, in partnership with John Seller, was active as a bell-founder from 1725 until 1763).
4. Soli Deo Gloria Pax Hominibus inet 1650. M. B. P. B. I. L. S55.
5. Memento mori. Joseph Lowe vicar. George Overend. John Horsley. Church Wardens. 1722. S. S. Ebor. (See note for the 2nd, above).
An inscription carved in the belfry reads “Thomas Lovett, vicar, 1739; Thomas Linton & William Chambers, Church-wardens; James Harrison of Barton-on-Humber in Lincolnshire, Bell-hanger." James is said to have provided a bell frame to York Minster in 1733 and went on to construct bell frames for All Saints Church at Wakefield, Great Coates in Lincolnshire and Richmond in Yorkshire, as well as for Pocklington, before starting a bell-founding business that lasted for several further generations of Jameses. John Harrison, inventor of the marine chronograph that revolutionised navigation, was from a branch of the same family.
Alex Leadman, writing in the journal of the Yorkshire Archaeological Society in 1899 (Volume 14, Page 85), told that “the Curfew is still rung in this parish every evening, and on December 1st the ringing is continued for an hour, for which one shilling is paid. The money was left by a man, name now unknown, who was lost when coming home from Stamford Bridge Fair. For hours he wandered on the moor and at last recovered his way by hearing the bells of Pocklington Church. This was before the Enclosure Act, which was passed in 1756-57.”
Later, as also told by Alex Leadman, “Mr. Henry Powell, of Hampton Villa, Esplanade Gardens, Scarborough, who died on the 25th March 1895, by his will and codicil, directs the purchase of £4,300 2 per cent consols in the names of the vicar and churchwardens of Pocklington, the interest to be appropriated in the payment of £5 per annum to each of the five ringers of the Parish Church, who, among other services, shall ring a dumb peal on the anniversary of his death and the sum of one shilling each after the said annual commemoration service”.
In 1914 the bells were recast and rehung with funds raised by public subscription, and augmented to six with a new treble presented by Francis Scaife (one of the churchwardens) and his wife Mary to commemorate their silver wedding. This work was carried out by John Warner and Sons. A report published in the Ringing World noted that “they have hung the peal in a steel frame of their latest design […] provision has been made for adding two more bells […] the six have been tuned on the Simpson principle and hung with Warner’s self-aligning and self-lubricating oil bath and oil ring bearings.” It went on to say that “following the service of dedication rounds were rung by the Pocklington ringers. This was followed by 720s of Oxford and Kent Treble Bob and Plain Bob by members of the York Minster band.”
Although not mentioned by The Ringing World a local newspaper report included the weights of the new bells, the tenor being given as 17-0-1 (cwt-qtr-lb).
The first recorded quarter peal on the six – probably the first quarter peal in the tower – was not rung until after two world wars had been fought. It included ringers from the Pocklington, Nunburnholme and Market Weighton bands and was reported in the Ringing World thus: July 25th 1948, 1,260 Grandsire Doubles: V H Brighton 1, F Wilkinson 2, F Kneeshaw 3, C Bairstow 4, J H W Kneeshaw (cond.) 5, L Straughan (first quarter) 6. First quarter on bells since augmentation in 1914.
The treble to the six was not Francis Scaife’s only gift to ringing; on April 29th 1938 the Ringing World recorded that “Among the bequests of the late Mr. Francis Scaife, of Pocklington, Yorkshire, who died on October 29th [1937] at the age of 82 years, is a sum not exceeding £300 to the Vicar and church wardens of Pocklington Parish Church for the erection of two bells to complete the peal of eight bells, and £400 upon trust, the income to be applied for or towards the salary of three ringers, and a further £100 upon trust for the instruction of all the bellringers in Pocklington Church. Although payments to ringers from the Powell and Scaife bequests are no longer made some members of the current band remember receiving them into the 21st century.
In 1952 two new bells by J Taylor & Co. bearing the inscriptions "Hilariter resono Francis Scaife Jubente" and "Francis Scaife Bonae memoriae me dedit" were installed. The Warner bearings were probably all replaced at the same time – all eight bells have certainly had grease-packed ball bearings for a long time.
A report by “H.W.” on the dedication of the augmented ring was published in the Ringing World. It is notable for including critical remarks about Warners made by H. Walker – president of the York Minster Society – who “congratulated the local ringers on having acquired two very beautiful treble bells which rather improved the sound of the old six”. J.P Fidler – representing Taylors – said that, “as usual, his firm had made the best possible job of the work they had undertaken. He was not satisfied with the old bells but that could not be helped.”
Despite those negative comments both local and visiting ringers, as well as Pocklington residents, find the sound of the eight to be very acceptable – rather good in fact.
The weight of the tenor was given by “H.W.” as 17 cwt 11 lb. This slightly erroneous weight was also given in “Dove’s Guide” and by both the Yorkshire Association and the Beverley and District Society for many years, but it is now accepted that 17-0-1 is correct.
In 2014, a century after the back six were hung, substantial maintenance was completed by Whites of Appleton – helped by local assistants – with financial support from the PCC, the B&D Society, and the Yorkshire Association. Bearings were cleaned out and re-greased, clappers rounded and re-bushed, crown staple bolts replaced, new pulleys fitted and the rope falls modified to eliminate some drag.