OE Rec. Gifts of Bp. Leofric to Exeter Cathedral (Bodl.) in A. J. Robertson Anglo-Saxon Charters (1956) 228 Nu þær sind xvi upphangene & xii handbella.

lOE Rec. Gifts of Bp. Æðelwold to Peterborough (Sawyer 1448) in S. E. Kelly Charters of Peterborough Abbey (2009) 324 x hangiende bellan, vii handbellan.

1447 Acct. in Berks, Bucks & Oxon Archæol. Jrnl. (1905) 11 117 (MED) iiij hand Belles for seruyse of dede pepull.

1552–3 Inventory Church Goods in Ann. Diocese Lichfield (1863) IV. 31 A handbell, a crosse of wodde, a surples, and a lavor.

1570 P. Levens Manipulus Vocabulorum sig. Eii^v/1 A Handbell, tintinnabulum.

1643 R. Baker Chron. Kings of Eng. iv. 152 A competant maintenance..for finding some Devine to come to the prison of New-gate, the mid-night before Execution, and there to ring a hand Bell, and put the prisoners in mind of their approaching death.

1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory iii. 461/2 A Saint Bell, or Hand Bell..is held in a mans hand, and soe rung.

1744 in R. Boyle Wks. IV. Index Bell, a trial about sounds by a Hand-Bell.

1773 S. Johnson Let. 30 Sept. in H. L. Piozzi Lett. to & from Johnson (1788) I. 173 On the other side still stands a hand-bell, which..has no clapper.

1856 W. Collins Yellow Mask ii. ii, in After Dark 307 He took up the hand-bell to ring for lights.

1894 J. T. Fowler in St. Adamnan Vita S. Columbae Introd. 43 The abbot or bishop called the brethren together by the sound of a hand-bell.

1938 E. Williams Corn is Green ii. i. 71 She takes a small handbell from a hook beneath the stairs, rings it vigorously, and hangs it up again.

1995 N. Whittaker Platform Souls (1996) i. 17 At secondary school there'd be..no squabbling for the privilege of fetching sir's mid-morning tea, no brassy clanging handbell to signal hometime.

1494 in J. Stuart Extracts Council Reg. Aberdeen (1844) I. 53 The aldirman [etc.]..gathreit be the premunicioun of the hand bell.

c1525 Bk. Mayd Emlyn sig. A.ii^v The handbell ofte dyd she tolle Full great sorowe makynge.

1562 in A. J. Mill Mediaeval Plays in Scotl. (1927) 152 For the passing throw the newis of the toun with the hand bell be oppin voce to convene the haill communite.

1681 W. Robertson Phraseologia Generalis 1066/1 It passes about like an hand-bell.

1798 W. Gilpin Observ. Western Parts Eng. xxvii. 256 About twelve o'clock a fellow begins his operations with a monstrous handbell, and a hoarse voice, informing us, that all is safe.

1837 T. Carlyle French Revol. I. v. v. 254 Criers rushing with hand-bells: ‘Oyez, oyez, All men to their Districts to be enrolled!’

1880 A. McKay Hist. Kilmarnock (ed. 4) 130 A hand-bell was rung through the streets when a person departed this life.

1959 H. H. Wernecke Christmas Customs around World i. 28 During the Puritan era a crier with a harsh-sounding hand bell went around to remind citizens that no celebration would be allowed.

2003 R. David Child of our Time ii. 17 In the 1930s radios were not a common possession, but the village boasted a town crier, who appeared daily at noon with his handbell and the villagers were meant to listen.

1734 London Daily Post 7 Nov. An extraordinary Peal of Cinques was perform'd on the Hand-Bells.

1849 G. F. Pardon Juvenile Museum 20 In this country the ringing of hand-bells was once extensively practised, and is still common in many places.

1872 H. T. Ellacombe Bells of Church iii. 41 They..rang a course of cinques on hand-bells.

1913 Chatterbox 7 Aug. 383/1 Mummers..went about from house to house singing carols and performing on hand-bells.

2007 Edmonton (Alberta) Jrnl. (Nexis) 27 May b1 Fred persuaded the principal to invest in the school's first set of handbells and the music caught on immediately with students.

a1802 J. Strutt Queenhoo-hall (1808) I. i. 53 Such of the villagers as had been actors in the first pageant, together with the handbell ringers, went up to Queenhoo-hall.

1889 D. E. Hurst Horsham Gloss. Handbellringer, at Christmas handbell ringers go round to different towns or villages with their bells.

1998 Evening Herald (Plymouth) (Nexis) 22 Sept. 4 Also enjoying the occasion were representatives of the Scouts, handbell ringers and psalmists from the church.

1822 Liverpool Mercury 12 Apr. 326/2 Hand-bell Ringing.

1938 Oxf. Compan. Music 441/1 In Russia..in the middle of the eighteenth century, proprietors of large estates established horn bands, much on the principle of our present day handbell ringing.

2011 Somerset Guardian (Nexis) 8 Dec. 14 Several budding musicians tried their hands at handbell ringing.

1884 National Rev. Mar. 126 A brown handbell-shaped brick-and-stone erection to Buddha.

2006 Western Morning News (Plymouth) (Nexis) 9 Dec. 9 Codorniu Pinot Noir Cava Rosé..comes in a snazzy clear, handbell-shaped bottle.