Ancient Society of College Youths

The Ancient Society of College Youths (ASCY) is the world's premier society of church bellringers, founded in 1637 and based in the City of London. The society provides ringers for important events at St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey.

The Society is said to be founded on 5 November 1637, although it is possible that it was actually in existence before this date. The first Master is noted as Lord William Brereton. The first ringing by the Society was recorded in c.1642 when it managed "a plain six-score on five bells". Robert Roan (Master in 1652) is said to have invented Grandsire Doubles and Plain Bob Minor.

Copies of historical documents (1637–1974) of the society are held by the National Archives, British Library and London Metropolitan Archives.

Since its formation the ASCY has been a leader in ringing achievement, including large numbers of "long length" peals - ringing bells for up to 17 hours continuously. The first of these long lengths took place on 18 May 1728, and consisted of 10,080 changes of Plain Bob Major. More recently, three members of the ASCY - Philip Earis, Andrew Tibbetts and David Pipe - have rung the longest peal ever, on handbells, consisting of 72,000 changes of Minor, ringing 100 different methods, all of which had to be memorised, and taking 24 hours and 9 minutes.

The Society also rang the 'extent' (or maximum number of possible permutations in the order of the bells) of Major - 40,320 changes, on 27 December 1977, taking 15 hours, 59 minutes to do so. The ASCY is responsible for the bells at St Giles-without-Cripplegate, St Lawrence Jewry, St Sepulchre-without-Newgate, St Magnus the Martyr and St Michael, Cornhill. Its members hold regular practices at these towers, as well as at St Paul's Cathedral, St Mary-le-Bow and Southwark Cathedral.

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