George Houssemayne du Boulay

1922-2009

Professor George Houssemayne du Boulay, CBE. FRCR. FRCP. Hon FACR and his wife Pam came to live in the village of Brington in 1968. George was born in Alexandria, Egypt where his father worked coming to England when he was 5. He had one brother Robin who was a Professor of Medieval History who had passed away a year earlier. One of George’s interests was his Rolls Royce cars. He had two of them, a Rolls Coupé and a very old and rare Rolls Phantom Shooting Brake.

George was very instrumental in village life becoming Churchwarden in 1985, one of his delights was to chime three of the four unringable bells for Sunday Services. On a visit from the HCBRS George marveled at the late Roy Ward from Houghton Conquest who could swing chime all four bells from a standing position which involved winding one rope around his arm, afterwards George practised and practised this until he had perfected this form of chiming. During the recent Interregnum he helped to hold the village together with Molesworth, Old Weston and Leighton Bromswold. George took a keen interest in the restoration work of the bells in the "Spire Valley" (either side of the A14 from Brampton to Keyston) by the HCBRS in particular the bells of Ellington and Bythorn and the bells of Hargrave in the neighboring county of Northants and was in attendance at the first ringing of many. After Bythorn was re-hung it was not long before the order was placed to re-hang and restore the bells in his own Church of Brington. Unfortunately George had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, one of the illnesses he was a specialist in. This did not stop his enthusiasm for the Brington project. This work involved taking the bells down, hoisting the Oak bell cage in the air, removing the rotten beams and replacing them with a new steel girder foundation. During this work many site meetings took place in the Church involving the structural engineer, the Church architect, the Diocese bell advisor and the HCBRS. these meetings were enthusiastically chaired by George who was also frequently seen in the bell chamber whilst the work was being carried out. About this time a call went out to all the local villages for volunteers to learn to ring and form a joint team to ring all the bells in the Spire Valley. The first person to come forward was George who was a frequent visitor to the learners’ practices at Godmanchester. If George had learnt to ring a few years earlier no doubt he would have made a fine ringer, unfortunately his illness was catching up with him, ringing the backstroke and hand stroke separately he was fine but could not coordinate the two strokes together, but nevertheless he contented himself with ringing backstroke to rounds, the hand stroke often looked after by a family friend Alison Finn a member of HCBRS.

George and Pam were present at the first ringing of Brington bells and at the Service of Dedication by the Bishop of Ely, Rt Revd Dr Anthony Russell. The last thing George did for the bells was to give a new set of bell ropes and was last seen in the tower during a Sunday service when the new ropes were dedicated. Unfortunately George’s illness progressed and shortly after returning from a week’s respite care he passed away. George’s funeral took place on Thursday, 2nd April. After a Service at Cambridge Crematorium there was a Memorial Service in Brington Church conducted by the Vicar, Revd Jackie Duck. At Pam’s request the bells were rung open before and after the service. The Church was packed to capacity with Medical colleagues and former students, many people from the many other organizations he belonged to and of course the many friends and local people he had known over the years joining his family. It was mentioned during the service that in 1992 the year George had celebrated his 70th birthday he won a pledge to drive a tank and fire a live shell on Salisbury Plain. The Saturday following the memorial services a quarter peal was rung in celebration of his life. We extend our Sympathy to his wife Pam, his sons Benedict, Giles, David and Andrew his daughters Mary Jane and Kathryn and other members of his family. He was a true gentleman.

Chris Higgins
Huntingdonshire Church Bell Restoration Society