BEKESBOURNE, St Peter |
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DETAILS OF THE BELLS |
Bell Weight
(as supplied)Weight
(after retuning 2005)Diameter Cast Founder 1
4-0-4
3-2-22
253/4"
1890
Mears & Stainbank
2
4-2-15
4-0-15
271/8"
1890
Mears & Stainbank
3
4-3-8
4-1-11
29"
1884
Mears & Stainbank
4
6-0-0
5-1-15
307/8"
1884
Mears & Stainbank
5
6-1-16
5-3-6
323/4"
1884
Mears & Stainbank
6
8-1-23½
7-2-16
357/8"
1884
Mears & Stainbank
INSCRIPTIONS |
| 1. | MEARS & STAINBANK, WHITECHAPEL FOUNDRY, LONDON, 1890 |
| 2. | MEARS & STAINBANK, WHITECHAPEL FOUNDRY, LONDON, 1890 |
| 3. | MEARS & STAINBANK FOUNDERS LONDON, 1884. |
| 4. | MEARS & STAINBANK, FOUNDERS, LONDON 1884. |
| 5. | MEARS & STAINBANK FOUNDERS LONDON 1884 |
| 6. | MEARS & STAINBANK, FOUNDERS LONDON. |
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| During the 2005 restoration, the headstocks were given brass plates inscribed as follows: |
| 1. | This bell was restored with the help of The Friends of Bekesbourne Church 2005 |
| 2. | This bell was restored with the help of The Heritage Lottery Fund 2005 |
| 3. | This bell was restored with the help of Local Donations 2005 |
| 4. | This bell was restored with the help of The Heritage Lottery Fund 2005 |
| 5. | This bell was restored with the help of The Heritage Lottery Fund 2005 |
| 6. | This bell was restored with the help of The Kent County Association of Change Ringers 2005 |
DETAILS OF THE FORMER PAIR OF BELLS |
Bell |
Weight |
Diameter |
Cast |
Founder |
1 |
2-1-14 |
These bells were used in the casting of the new ring and details of their possible antiquity was lost. | ||
2 |
2-3-16 |
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HISTORY |
1884
4 bells cast by Mears & Stainbank to replace a pair of inscriptionless bells. They show a variety of punctation, possible due to the introduction of new lettering following the death of Robert Stainbank the year before.
1890
2 trebles added by Mears & Stainbank to make 6. Additional framework was added to facilitate this, with the treble hung in an upper tier above the second.
c.1923 Work done by Mears & Stainbank (not clear what the extent of this was). 2005 Bells retuned by Whitechapel. 2006 Bells rehung in the existing frame (which was strengthened) by Whites of Appleton.
CORRESPONDENCE WITH JOHN TAYLOR |
| Research by David Cawley in the archives of the Taylor, Eayre & Smith foundry in Loughborough has yielded some interesting correspondence with Bekesbourne church in 1884. As it happens the church went to the Whitechapel foundry for their bells, but it is curious how the Loughborough foundry vastly overestimated the size of the tower. The correspondence is given below. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bell Foundry, To the Vicar of Bekesbourne Rev Sir We are honoured by receipt of your esteemed favour in reference to the proposed ring of bells and in reply thereto respectfully submit to you the enclosed estimate for a medium ring of six bells with all requisite fittings and framework fixed complete under ordinary circumstances ready for ringing - and also estimate for the four and five largest of the peal. We have the honour to remain, Rev Sir, John Taylor & Co.. BEKESBOURNE Bell Foundry ESTIMATE
Fitting the above ready for ringing under ordinary circumstances about £20 £295..12..0 Fittings and framework as specified before £93..10..0 £379..2..0 Fixing under ordinary circumstances £19 If the Frame is made complete for the six bells instead of five, £9 extra _________________________________________________________ Also for the four largest bells of the preceding peal - to weigh altogether about 42 cwt and to be charged for at the rate of £5..19 per cwt £249..18..0 Fittings and frame as specified before £82..0..0 £321..0..0 Fixing under ordinary circumstances £17 If the framework is made complete for six bells instead of four, £12 extra The Railway charges for carriage of bells from Loughborough to Canterbury is 75/= per ton The whole to be completed in a workmanlike, satisfactory and substantial manner with the best of materials of their several kinds. John Taylor & Co.. |
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Clearly a 15 cwt ring of six would have been too big for the tower. The bells are on two levels as it is (7 cwt). This was pointed out to the bellfoundry who came back with additional quotations as given below: |
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| BEKESBOURNE Bell Foundry Rev Sir We respectfully beg to say that the ring should certainly consist of six bells and we strongly recommend a tenor of not less than 10 cwt the total weight of the ring to be about 55 cwt. There is plenty of room in the tower (10 feet square) for them and we can guarantee such a peal to be satisfactory in every respect - we enclose a list of peals cast since our catalogue was printed - - there are very few peals of five cast nowadays - six are the best for musical effect and for scientific change ringing on 5 bells there are only 120 changes taking five minutes to ring, whereas on 6 bells there are 720 changes which take nearly half an hour to ring. The smallest tenor in a peal of five should not be under 7 cwt - indeed it is many years since we have cast so light a peal as that. The tone of the heavier bells is so much finer that we find it more satisfactory to have a smaller number of bells of a fair weight - others can be added at a future time rather than distribute the same weight of metal in a larger number of bells. We remain, Rev Sir, John Taylor & Co..
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