BRENCHLEY, All Saints |
|
|
DETAILS OF THE BELLS |
Bell Weight
(1924 before tuning)Weight
(1924 after tuning)Diameter Cast Founder 1
n/a
4-0-5
1924
John Taylor & Co.
2
n/a
4-3-0
1924
John Taylor & Co.
3
5-2-10
5-1-11
1863
George Mears & Co.
4
6-3-5
6-1-21
1729
Richard Phelps
5
8-2-10
8-1-6
1610
Joseph Hatch
6
9-3-15
9-2-10
1813
Thomas Mears II
7
14-1-0
13-3-9
1610
Joseph Hatch
8
18-1-0
17-3-24
47"
1610
Joseph Hatch
The 3rd was supplied in 1863 at 5-2-24.
INSCRIPTIONS |
| 1. | (ornamental border) 1924 (ornamental border) | |||
|
||||
| 2. | (ornamental border) 1924 (ornamental border) | |||
|
||||
| 3. | G. MEARS & CO FOUNDERS LONDON 1863 | |||
| 4. | INTACTUM SILEO PERCUTE DULCE CANO R : PHELPS FECIT 1729 | |||
| 5. | ioseph hatch made me 1610 | |||
| 6. | IOHN RELF & I WIMSHURST CHURCHWARDENS. T. MEARS OF LONDON FECIT 1813 | |||
| 7. |
|
|||
| 8. |
|
|||
| Interestingly the 3rd line on the
treble was meant to read: RAYMOND & DENNIS LEES (ALL SERVICE) but when the bell came out of the mold it read: RAYMOND & DENNIS (ALL SERVICE) Mr Lees was not pleased when he saw this so Taylors etched off (ALL and brazened on the letters LEES ( to get the desire result shown above. The result was very good and Mr Lees was pleased with the result. |
HISTORY |
1610
4 bells cast by Joseph Hatch.
1729
2nd (of 6) cast by Richard Phelps.
1813
4th recast by Thomas Mears.
1863
Treble cast by George Mears.
1883 The tower was equiped with a clock and chimes at a cost of two hundred guineas. 1924
It was reported that the old frame was a strange wooden affair. Bells 5,1,2,3 hung across the centre of the tower in a straight line swinging N/S. On the north side hung the 4th and on the south side the tenor. It did give a clockwise fall of ropes but it could not have been called a circle. 9th Feb. The Rochester DAC approved plans for rehanging the bells in a new frame. They very earnestly wished that great care be taken of the old bells of 1610. "They earnestly hope that the canons of the bells shall not be cut off & they would express the hope that if posssible you would have a timber frame - oak or teak - instead of the proposed metal one, which generally they disapprove of". 18th Mar. A faculty was granted for rehanging the bells in a new cast iron frame for eight bells, the three 1610 bells to have canon-retaining headstocks. May Bells removed from the tower. John Taylor & Co tuned them and refitted them. 7th Sept. 2 trebles were ordered from Taylor's to make the ring up to 8 bells. 1925 7th Jan. The Tower Captain wrote to Taylor's to hope that the bells would soon be back, and that Horsmonden "wanted doing" and that one of the bells at Lamberhurst had fallen out of its framework. 3rd Feb. The parish wrote to Taylors, "How pleased everyone is with the bells. A Rochester ringer had said that they ring as well if not better than the recently hung Cathedral bells." 1932 11th Nov. 7th headstock cracked. It was "repaired" by Taylors who reduced their price, after a row, to £20. 1958 13th Oct. 7th headstock (steel) broke across middle. Colin Tester ordered a new cast iron canon retaining stock which was installed the following February by Taylors (£80). 1975 15th Mar. Tenor headstock broke. Tom Sone advised a new one, like the 7th, and Taylors installed it later in November for £422.
PHOTOGRAPHS |
 |
The 1924 treble bell. |
 |
A view of the belfry, with the tenor in the foreground. |
 |
The tenor bell. Note the ornamental canons and canon-retaining headstock. The bells is a good casting dated 1610. |
 |
A plaque recording the presentation of the clock and chimes. It is hung over the door to the belfry. |
DE