Why should ringers wear gloves ?
This debate has gone on for many years, recedes into the background of the Handbell World, and emerges again periodically with more fervor than discussions of most other topics. Likely, it will continue to generate interest as long as handbell groups continue to wear or not wear gloves. Early groups did not wear gloves. Older handbells are marked, have spots and stains from skin oils, and show numerous “dinks” from clanging the bells together, mostly placing them on the table (most early groups returned the bells to the table between rings, rather than raising to the shoulder and damping the sound as most groups perform today. This is called “Off the Table Ringing. Damping, when done, was done on the table pad.). The appearance of the bells was not deemed important. A point of conjecture might be that when handbells were introduced to the Boston area by Mrs. Margaret Schurcliff in 19–, her Beacon Hill Ringers walked through Beacon Hill ringing Christmas carols. (We understand the trad
