Henry Johnson Commemoration Dinners

Henry Johnson (1809-1890) was an admired leader of ringing in Victorian Birmingham. He became widely known through his ability in composition, his achievements as a conductor, and his life-long dedication to the art.

His 80th birthday was the focus of a grand dinner at which A. P. Heywood launched the idea of the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers. This grand event in 1889, the last year of Johnson’s life, has been counted as the first of the unbroken series of annual dinners held to celebrate the Birmingham tradition and its links with the wider ringing community.

The latest dinner at which someone present had known Henry Johnson – or had at least seen him – was, remarkably, 1955.