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CHELSFIELD, St Martin of Tours

 

 

8 bells
Tenor 10-3-14 in A flat
Grid Ref. TQ479640
Lewisham District
Frame: 1880 Gillett & Bland;
extended 2009 Taylors Eayre & Smith
Retuning: 1936 Mears & Stainbank
Open Gallery
PEALS

DETAILS OF THE BELLS

Bell

Weight
(prior to 1936 retuning)

Weight
(after retuning measured 1936)

Weight
(measured by Taylors 1992 / 2009)

Diameter

Cast

Founder

1

n/a

n/a

5-0-6

25½"

2009

Taylors, Eayre & Smith

2

n/a

n/a

5-1-2

26⅛"

2009

Taylors, Eayre & Smith

3

n/a

4-2-11

5-1-10

27"

2009

Taylors, Eayre & Smith

4

5-0-5

4-3-16

4-3-8

28"

1672

John Hodson

5

5-1-4

5-0-13

5-0-10

30⅛"

1672

John Hodson

6

6-2-5

6-2-2

6-2-0

32"

1672

John Hodson

7

8-1-21

8-1-5

8-0-26

35¼"

1672

John Hodson

8

11-0-14

10-3-15

10-3-14

39"

1672

John Hodson

1.
JOHN TAYLOR MADE ME 20 08
  THESE THREE TREBLE BELLS WERE ADDED A.D. 2009

RECTOR ~ CANON LESLIE VIRGO

CHURCHWARDENS

{ ANN BLATCHER
ANTHONY VERNON
JAMES ROOKE (2002 – 2008)
BOBBY LAWES (2004 – 2008)

FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS;
IT TOLLS FOR THEE
WILLIAM KENNETH ‘KEN’ WILKINS
1924 – 1985
GIVEN BY THE WILKINS FAMILY

2.
JOHN TAYLOR MADE ME 20 08
   
GIVEN IN MEMORY OF
THE WARING FAMILY,
LATE OF WOODLANDS
IN THIS PARISH,
BY THEIR DESCENDANT
JAMES INGHAM
3.
JOHN TAYLOR MADE ME 20 08
   
GIVEN BY
RICHARD GEORGE
TO COMMEMORATE
THE GEORGE FAMILY’S
100 YEARS AT TRIPES FARM,
CHELSFIELD
4.
IOHN HODSON MADE ME 1672 fleur.jpg (998 bytes) IOHN ALLEN ○○○○○ fleur.jpg (998 bytes) WILLIAM CHARMAN CHVRCH WARDENS ○○○ CH ○○ fleur.jpg (998 bytes)
 
5.
IOHN HODSON MADE ME 1672 fleur.jpg (998 bytes) IOHN ALLEN ○○○○○○ fleur.jpg (998 bytes) WILLIAM CHARMAN CHVRCH WARDENS ○○○ CH ○○ fleur.jpg (998 bytes)
 
6.
IOHN HODSON MADE ME 1672 fleur.jpg (998 bytes) IOHN ALLEN ○○○○○○ fleur.jpg (998 bytes) WILLIAM CHARMAN CHVRCH WARDENS ○○○ CH ○○ fleur.jpg (998 bytes)
 
7.
IOHN HODSON MADE ME 1672 fleur.jpg (998 bytes) IOHN ALLEN ○○○○○○ fleur.jpg (998 bytes) WILLIAM CHARMAN CHVRCH WARDENS ○○○ CH ○○ fleur.jpg (998 bytes)
 
8.
IOHN HODSON MADE ME 1672 fleur.jpg (998 bytes) IOHN ALLEN ○○○○○○ fleur.jpg (998 bytes) WILLIAM CHARMAN CHVRCH WARDENS ○○○ CH ○○ fleur.jpg (998 bytes)
 

The bells are closest to the Just Tuned scale, although the 5th is rather flat of it.  The tenor is remarkably true harmonic, although the other 4 bells of the 1672 back 5 have rather flat primes.  They have been augmented with 3 true harmonic bells.

EARLIER BELL

Bell

Weight
(supplied)

Weight
(measured by
Taylors 1992)

Diameter

Cast

Founder

1 of 6

4-2-11

not weighed

27"

1936

Mears & Stainbank

1.  

M & S LONDON
TO COMMEMORATE THE RESTORATION OF BELFRY
AND SPIRE 1936

B PARSONS RECTOR
A. F. NORMAN BUTLER
F TERRY CHURCHWARDENS

 

HISTORY

1552

Record of 3 bells in the tower.

1672

Bells recast into a ring of 5 by John Hodson.

1880

Bells quarter-turned and rehung by Gillett & Bland in a new frame.

1936

Treble added by Mears & Stainbank and the remainder were tuned and rehung.

1962

Ringing gallery built.

1992

Bells rehung by John Taylor.

1993

28th Feb.

Bells rededicated.

2009

The treble was replaced with a bell the more closely matched the Hodson back 5, and two trebles were added in a similar style to make a ring of 8. The work was done by Taylors Eayre & Smith.  The old treble was passed to the Keltek Trust.

GALLERY

From a picture hanging in the church.