A Brief History of Handbells

Once upon a time in 17th century England, some fed-up neighbors decided they had enough of the endless clanging from bell towers. Enter handbells, the perfect solution for those who wanted to practice their ringing skills without disturbing the peace—because who doesn’t love a good rehearsal in a cozy pub? That's right, they practiced in a pub. Fast forward to around 1840, and handbells made their grand debut in the U.S., thanks to P.T. Barnum, who thought they’d make a fantastic circus act. Who knew bells could juggle?

By the 1940s, handbells found their way into American churches, proving that even the divine can appreciate something new and fun. The 1960s saw the first handbells manufactured in the U.S., and now there are over 10,000 handbell choirs in North America! About 1% of these are community groups like Harmony Ringers of A Chorus for a Cause, while the rest are busy ringing their way through church and school events, probably trying to out-jingle each other!