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CITY OF CANTERBURY, St Alphege
(Now part of King's School)

6 bells
Tenor 7½ cwt approx. in B
Grid Ref. TR149580
Canterbury District
Frame: 1888
Retuning: Never subsequently retuned
Upstairs Ringing Room
Treble came from All Saints, Canterbury
PEALS

DETAILS OF THE BELLS

Bell Weight Diameter Cast Founder

1

2¾ cwt approx

23"

18th Cent

Unknown

2

3¼ cwt approx

25⅛"

1894

Samuel B. Goslin

3

4¼ cwt approx

27½"

1893

Samuel B. Goslin

4

3¾ cwt approx

28½"

1692

John Hodson

5

5¼ cwt approx

30½"

15th Cent

Unknown

6

7½ cwt approx

3315/16"

1616

Joseph Hatch

1.  
(engraved on waist)                   GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO
2. S. B. GOSLIN. LONDON.
ADORAMUS DEO
_____ .               

T. G. CROSSE
H. HEWARD

} CLERGY

T. BUNCE
F. W. YOUNG

} CHURCHWARDENS

1894
3. S. B. GOSLIN. FOUNDER. LONDON. 1893
LAUS DEO

T. G. CROSSE
T. BUNCE
T. W. YOUNG

RECTOR
| CHURCHWARDENS

4. HENRY TOMLIN GEORGE MAY CH : WARDENS I H MADE ME 1692
 
5. [Blank]
 
6.
ioseph hatch made me 1616
 

The tenor is particularly sharp compared with the rest of the bells.  The scale is a poor one, with the 3rd particularly flat and the 2nd particularly sharp.  The 2nd is the closest to true harmonic tuning.

HISTORY

c.1450

Present 5th cast.

1552

Record of 4 bells in the tower.

1616

Present tenor cast.

1692

Present 3rd cast.

c.1750

A clock bell was cast for All Saints' church, Canterbury. This was destined to become the treble of the ring of 6 at St Alphege.

1888

The 3 bells rehung in a new frame for 6 by Samuel Goslin.

1893

Ring augmented to 4 with a new treble from Samuel Goslin.

1894

Ring again augmented with one bell cast by Samuel Goslin and the clock bell from All Saints' church. The bells were rung from the Ground Floor.

1894

26th Sept.

Ring dedicated.

1931

Bells rehung by Alfred Bowell. The ringing chamber was moved to the first floor.

1931 31st Mar:
To new gudgeons and bearings and overhauling the six bells £60. Extra 2 new stocks & ironwork £3. Total £63. Paid by money orders 1 May 1931.

1957

Bells overhauled by the King's School Society of Change Ringers and ringing recommenced after a silence of some 20 years.

1969

Bells overhauled by the KCACR and the tower completely cleared of vast quantities of lumber.

1983

Church made redundant and turned into the Urban Studies Centre.

1992

Ringing resumed from the intermediate chamber (2nd floor), the old ringing chamber having become an office.

GALLERY

  DLC Collection  
 

The church as it appeared in c.1826 (E J Langdon).
Canterbury Cathedral is in the background.