This story was told by a woman who has lived in Ixworth for quite some time. About 12 years ago she was returning to her cottage in Commister Lane at about 9.30 in the evening after giving her dog a walk. As she approached from the Abbey moat direction she noticed that her dog was becoming extremely agitated. She looked up, in great surprise, to see an exceptionally tall man walk out from the side of her house, walk straight in front of her, then walk straight though a pair of solid wooden gates. She noticed that he was wearing a very long coat that seemed to come to a point at the back and that he appeared to be wearing some kind of hat. His head was held bowed and he was stooped over. Her and her dog both fled inside!
The next day she went to her neighbors immediately to see if they knew anything about who the man may have been. She had never seen anybody like him. When she described his strange appearance and stature she was amazed to be told that she had seen "Old Friday Durrant!". Apparently he had been a very well known man who had been captain of the St Mary's Bell Ringers between the wars. He was very distinctive because he was over 6 feet tall, always wore a long coat and because of his stoop!
From asking some of the older citizens of Ixworth who still remembered him he found that he used to live with his sister in Commister Lane. He worked as a local farm labourer and both him and his sister were unmarried. There is a plaque up in the bell tower of St Mary's that says that W.Durrant was one of the bell ringers and that he rang 'Bob Minor" (bell number 5).
By visiting The Suffolk Records Office in Bury St. Edmunds he found that "Old Friday Durrant's" first name was William and his sister's name was Alice Ann. William Durrant was born in 1877 and died in 1945.
The next day she went to her neighbors immediately to see if they knew anything about who the man may have been. She had never seen anybody like him. When she described his strange appearance and stature she was amazed to be told that she had seen "Old Friday Durrant!". Apparently he had been a very well known man who had been captain of the St Mary's Bell Ringers between the wars. He was very distinctive because he was over 6 feet tall, always wore a long coat and because of his stoop!
From asking some of the older citizens of Ixworth who still remembered him he found that he used to live with his sister in Commister Lane. He worked as a local farm labourer and both him and his sister were unmarried. There is a plaque up in the bell tower of St Mary's that says that W.Durrant was one of the bell ringers and that he rang 'Bob Minor" (bell number 5).
By visiting The Suffolk Records Office in Bury St. Edmunds he found that "Old Friday Durrant's" first name was William and his sister's name was Alice Ann. William Durrant was born in 1877 and died in 1945.