It is claimed[1] that a prominent London ringing Society, known as the London Scholars, rang the bells at Shoreditch church as William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland and third son of George II, passed by on his return from the Battle of Culloden in April 1746.
Whether or not the Society of Royal Cumberland Youths (The word 'Royal' was added in the 1870s) descends from the London Scholars, there is no doubt about the foundation of the Society in its present form, which, according to the original Name Book, now housed in the Guildhall Library, was on 6 September 1747.
The lists of members from the first century of the Society's existence shows that at that time it attracted some of the great names in ringing history, such as John Reeves, George Gross and William Shipway, and records of the many first performances achieved at that time still exist in the ringing chambers of City churches.
Gross's outstanding achievement, remarkable in its time, was the celebrated peal of 12,000 Oxford Treble Bob Royal[2] at Shoreditch on 27 March 1784, in 9 hours and 5 minutes, which he conducted.
At this time women were still excluded from ringing societies, which were typically male-only organisations.