Douglas Jordan
1922-2009
Doug had been ringing for 72 years at St Matthew’s, Harwell, and had been Tower Captain twice, as well as Secretary and chairman of the band. He had been a member of the Oxford Diocesan Guild for over 70 years and he greatly enjoyed hearing the quarter peal that was rung for him, in celebration of this fact, on Saturday, 20th December last year.
A former churchwarden at St Matthew’s for more than 20 years, Doug’s earliest association with St Matthew’s was as a chorister. When his voice broke the then rector suggested he join the bell-ringers. Doug was proud of the reputation of the bells at St Matthew’s, the back six dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. Doug, who was among several generations of bell-ringers in his family, recalled: ‘For a young man, bellringing was a focal point in life at a time when there was nothing much else to do. There was a lot of camaraderie among the ringers at the different churches in the area, which we visited on different nights each week. The social life included visiting the local pubs where we used to play handbells. Landlords welcomed us because playing our handbells brought them trade’.
At the age of 18 Doug enlisted in the Army and took part in the Normandy landings, serving in the Royal Berkshire Regiment. He later transferred to the Somerset Light Infantry and saw active service in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany.
Apart from his life-long love of bell-ringing, Doug said the mental and physical exercise kept him fit following a heart-bypass operation
in 1987. A retired builder, Doug was still supervising much of the repairs and maintenance to the church, including the releading of the church tower in 2008. He oversaw the hauling up of a Christmas tree to the top of St Matthew’s tower each year, and was Father Christmas at St Matthew’s children’s party for more than 40 years.
He had recently had a bad chest infection which prevented him from ringing for a few weeks, but had just returned to ringing. He went to see his brother the day before he died, otherwise he would have been ringing for a wedding.
The Rector, Revd Chris Stott, described Doug’s exceptional service to St Matthew’s as ‘an outstanding example to young people of commitment and public service’. Other tributes recalled him as a family man who would always stop for a chat when out and latterly caring for his wife Enid. It was a proud day for him when he took Enid to a Buckingham Palace garden party. His family members have lost a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
On 27th May, following a private cremation, a thanksgiving service was held which many family, friends and bell ringers attended. Prior to this a half-muffled quarter peal of Grandsire was rung by the same band that rang for his 70 years ODG membership, in December (see p.639).
Before he died, Doug instigated a sponsored quarter peal to raise funds for urgently needed new bell-rope pulley wheels. This was rung on Sunday, 7th June and dedicated to Doug.
Doug will be sorely missed at St Matthew’s in so many ways.
Mike Pepper
