|
|
CHATHAM, The former Church of St Mary |
|
|
DETAILS OF THE BELLS |
Bell Weight Diameter Cast Founder 1
7-0-10
33¼"
1897
John Warner & Sons
2
7-0-19
32"
1897
John Warner & Sons
3
7-3-25
34¼"
1897
John Warner & Sons
4
10-1-6
37"
1897
John Warner & Sons
5
12-2-24
41"
1897
John Warner & Sons
6
14-3-24
43"
1897
John Warner & Sons
7
18-3-27
47"
1897
John Warner & Sons
8
25-0-21
52"
1897
John Warner & Sons
| 1. |
CAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS LTD LONDON 1897 |
|
RECAST 1812 FOR CHATHAM PARISH BY ORDER OF ARCHIBALD CHARLES WINEYER GIDEOM DAVIS CHURCHWARDENS RECAST 1897 |
|
| 2. | CAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS LTD LONDON 1897 |
|
"JANE" THIS BELL WAS GIVEN BY CHARLES RICHARD BESSENT IN MEMORY OF HIS MOTHER JANE BESSENT 1897 |
|
| 3. | CAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS LTD LONDON 1897 |
|
"CHARLES BESSENT" THIS BELL WAS GIVEN BY CHARLES RICHARD BESSENT IN MEMORY OF HIS FATHER CHARLES BESSENT 1897 |
|
| 4. | CAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS LTD LONDON 1897 |
|
"HAROLD" THIS BELL WAS GIVEN BY H.J.T. BROWNE MAYOR OF CHATHAM IN MEMORY OF HIS DEAR WIFE CAROLINE BROWNE AND HER SON HAROLD 1897 |
|
| 5. | CAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS LTD LONDON 1897 |
|
"MARY" THIS BELL WAS GIVEN BY MARY VINES IN MEMORY OF HER FATHER AND MOTHER CHARLES AND MARY WITHECOMB OF THIS PARISH 1897 |
|
| 6. | CAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS LTD LONDON 1897 |
|
"CHARLES" THIS BELL WAS GIVEN BY ANN RANDALL IN MEMORY OF HER FATHER AND MOTHER CHARLES AND MARY WITHECOMB OF THIS PARISH 1897 |
|
| 7. | CAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS LTD LONDON 1897 |
|
"NELLIE" |
|
| 8. | CAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS LTD LONDON 1897 |
|
"VICTORIA" |
| The bells do not fall into a standard scale. The trebles are particularly sharp with respect to the Just Tuned scale (which is the closest). All the bells have particularly flat primes. These bells have a reputation of sounding very good. The Editor is firmly of the view that this is due to the particularly good acoustic properties of the tower rather than of the bells, and were they to be moved to another tower (as has been proposed) then it is unlikely they will sound as good, returning a sound more typical of Warner's. |
EARLIER BELLS |
Bell |
Weight |
Diameter |
Cast |
Founder |
Fate |
Clock bell |
4-2-2 |
28½" |
1651 |
William Hatch |
To Eakring, Notts. |
|
Service bell |
38" |
1812 |
Thomas Mears II | Recast as treble 1897 |
| C. |
|
|||
| S. | RECAST 1812 FOR CHATHAM PARISH BY ORDER OF ARCHD CHAS WINDEYER GIDEON DAVIES CHURCH WARDENS | |||
HISTORY |
1651
Clock bell cast by William Hatch.
1788
Church built.
1812
Bell cast by Thomas Mears II which, according to the inscription, was from the metal of a former bell.
1884
Chancel added.
1897
"Victoria Tower" built and ring of 8 cast. The Hatch bell was put on display in the church.
1898
2nd Feb.
Dedication of the Victoria Ring.
1920
Bells rehung by Alfred Bowell with steel headstocks.
1920 July:
To rehanging the eight bells, painting ladders & rewiring clock hammers £157. Paid cq. 17 Aug 1920.1974
Church made redundant. Some time later it was turned into the Medway Heritage Centre.
2002
The Heritage Centre closed and the bells remained silent until the future of the building and tower was decided by the Diocese. 2004
The William Hatch bell was stolen from the church. Following local publicity, it was recovered at a local scrap yard, the owner having paid £150 for it. It was put into the care of the Kent CACR pending its reuse somewhere. 2010
The Hatch bell was hung as the treble of a ring of five at Eakring, Notts.
GALLERY |
|
 |
| This is an unusual photographs of the church shortly after the Victoria Tower was built, but before the old tower was demolished. | The ring of eight bells on display prior to hanging in the church. |
 |
|
| The small William Hatch bell on display in the church above the entrance to the spiral staircase that was the entrance to the former tower. This bell was stolen in 2004 but recovered a few weeks later and went into the care of the Kent CACR and then went to Eakring, Notts as the treble of five. |
