Benenden

BENENDEN, St George

	12 bells + Flat 6th
	Tenor 18-0-24 in E flat
	Grid Ref. TQ808326
	Ashford District
	Frame: 1971 John Taylor; 2003 Hayward Mills
	Retuning: John Taylor 1971
	Open Gallery
	PEALS
	Ż The Ring of Eight (Recorded by Roger Button)
	Ż The Ring of Twelve (Rounds before the first peal on the bells, 21st Dec, 2003, recorded by Dickon Love)
	& "And 12,000 Bottles Later" by Dickon Love

DETAILS OF THE BELLS

Bell

Weight

Diameter

Cast

Founder

1	4-3-24	25"	2003	John Taylor & Co.
2	4-3-16	26"	2003	John Taylor & Co.
3	5-0-18	26˝"	2003	John Taylor & Co.
4	4-3-10	27˝"	2003	John Taylor & Co.
5	5-1-23	29"	1971	John Taylor & Co.
6	5-3-0	30ž"	1802	Thomas Mears I
7	6-2-6	33"	1802	Thomas Mears I
8	7-3-23	34˝"	1882	John Taylor & Co.
9	8-0-11	36˝"	1819	Thomas Mears II
10	10-1-23	40"	1923	Alfred Bowell
11	13-2-19	43˝	1719	Richard Phelps
12	18-0-24	48ž"	1753	Lester & Pack
Flat 6th	6-0-2	30˝"	2004	John Taylor & Co.

Alfred Bowell weighed the 10th (was 6th of 8) at 11-0-0 in 1923. It has since been retuned with the others. Prior to retuning, the 8th (was 4th of 8) was supplied in 1882 by John Taylor at 8-1-24. The 5th was generally recorded as weighing 5-3-16. It now turns out that this was the cast weight.

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GIVEN BY
SUE AND MARTIN PEXTON.
IN GRATITUDE FOR
OVER 20 YEARS FAITHFUL MINISTRY
IN BENENDEN
BY REVD. CHRISTOPHER F.SMITH,
VICAR.

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GIVEN BY
JOHN AND VI BATEMAN
TO CELEBRATE
THEIR SILVER WEDDING.
1.IX. 2004
AND IN MEMORY OF
MR & MRS A.E.BATEMAN.

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GIVEN BY
THE RICHARDSON FAMILY
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
GEORGE AND BARBARA RICHARDSON
OF THE OLD MANOR HOUSE
1945 - 88.

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GIVEN BY
THE MACHIN FAMILY
OF THE RED HOUSE
IN MEMORY OF
JOHN D. R. MACHIN.

THOS MEARS OF LONDON FECIT 1802

RECAST 1971	A. JESSOP PRICE VICAR
	L.G. MAN R.J. REYNOLDS	} CHURCHWARDENS

THOs MEARS OF LONDON FECIT 1802

JOHN TAYLOR & Co: FOUNDERS LOUGHBOROUGH 1882

T. MEARS OF LONDON FECIT 1819

10.

CAST 1719. RECAST 1923
ALFRED BOWELL, FOUNDER, IPSWICH
ADESTE. FIDELES
BOOTH H. LYNES, VICAR
J. P. REED & C. B. BUTCHER, CH-WARDENS

11.

DEUS BENEDICAT FUNDATORIBUS NOSTRIS -:- I:S -:- G:G -:- E:G -:- R:G -:- S:H -:- PHILL: GIBBON ARMIGER DINISSIMUS BENEFACTOR

12.

NEW CAST 1753 REV^D M^R IOHN WILLIAMS VICAR IOHN CARLY SEN^R & THOMAS RICHARDSON CH:WARDENS

THOMAS LESTER & THOs PACK OF LONDON FECIT

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GIVEN BY HER FAMILY
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
MRS. IRENE HOPWOOD SMITH
1916 - 1998
OF THE RED HOUSE, BENENDEN

Bell	Weight	Diameter	Cast	Founder	Comments
1 of 8	5-3-15	29˝"	1802	Thomas Mears I	Recast 1971
4 of 8		35"	1764	Lester & Pack	Recast 1882
6 of 8		40"	1719	Richard Phelps	Recast 1923

1.	THOs MEARS OF LONDON FECIT 1802

4.	THE REVD JOSEPH DUNN VICER SAML HUNT & ALEXR WHELLER CH WARDENS LESTER & PACK OF LONDON FECIT 1764

6.	NUNQUAM ERRABO INO SAUNDERS L:L:B: VIC: GEO: GIBBON RIC: GRANT EDM: GIBBON SAM: HUNT MANAGERS R.P.FECIT 1719

1418

John, Bishop of Sora, was instructed to consecrate 4 bells, hung in a detached timber tower, similar to that at Brookland, though stated to be 132 ft high!

c. 1550

Around this time there were 5 bells, tenor 27 cwt.

1672

The tower and bells were completely destroyed, and the church gutted, by a fire caused by a lightning strike. The bell metal was sold to finance the repair.

1718

Present tower built.

1719

New ring of 6 cast by Richard Phelps.

1753

Tenor (of 6) recast by Lester & Pack.

1764

2nd (of 6) recast by Lester & Pack.

1802

Treble (of 6) recast and 2 trebles added to make 8 by Thomas Mears in a new frame.

1819

5th recast by Thomas Mears.

1882

4th recast by John Taylor.

1923

6th recast and bells rehung by Alfred Bowell on girder headstocks and tie-rodded the frame.

1923

6th recast by Alfred Bowell.

1923 14th Nov.
To recasting the 6th bell and rehanging the peal of eight bells Ł20. Paid cq. on a/c Ł160 23rd Nov. 1923. Ł40 cq. 5th Jan. 1924.

1924

7th rehung by Alfred Bowell.

1924 19th May:
To lowering the 7th bell into position and refixing the clapper in same. Three mens' time & expenses Ł2. Paid cq. 6th June 1932.

1939

Alfred Bowell invoiced:

1939 31st May:
To repairs to 12 handbells Ł2-17-6. Paid cq. 7th June 1939.

1971

Treble recast, bells retuned and rehung in a new frame by John Taylor.

1971

1st May

Bells dedicated.

1994

Sound control installed.

2003

The addition of 4 Taylor trebles by Hayward Mills Associates augments the ring to 12. The try out took place on 20th Nov. and the dedication on 21st Dec.

2004

Following an additional donation to the bells project, a flat 6th was cast by John Taylor.

2005

18th Mar

The local ringers had lowered the 6th in its frame by 14" to allow new framework to be fitted above it. Hayward Mills then installed the new flat 6th.


The four new trebles (treble at the back counting down to the 4th at the front).	The 4th.

Tenor in the foreground.

Bells 5, 6 and 7 along the east wall.

South west corner of the belfry.
	Rod Lebon (Tower Captain and inspiration behind the augmentation) standing beside the 4th.