CHEVENING, St Botolph |
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DETAILS OF THE BELLS |
Bell Weight
(1938)Weight
(1999/2007)Diameter Cast Founder Treble
3-1-21 2007
Whitechapel
2
3-2-13 2007
Whitechapel
3
4-0-15 261/2" 1999
Whitechapel
4
4-1-8
4-1-6
283/8"
1715
Richard Phelps
5
5-2-1 301/4" 1999
Whitechapel
6
6-1-8 313/4" 1999
Whitechapel
7
8-0-26 35" 1999
Whitechapel
Tenor
10-1-17
10-1-13 381/2" 1938
Gillett & Johnston (5922)
Gillett & Johnston quoted the tenor as being in G sharp. Whitechapel quote it as G. This has yet to be investigated.
INSCRIPTIONS |
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| 4. | IN HON : ANNÆ F : NATU : MAX : GEOR : ET WILHELM : PRUM : WAL : R : PHELPS MADE ME 1715 | ||||||||||
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| 8. | FAC:AO:FELICISSIMÆ INAUG:GEORGII M:B:F:&HIB:REGIS F:D:P:P:PRO SALUTE REL:PROT:ECCL:&LEGUM | ||||||||||
| REGNIS EDW:GEE:D:D:RECTOR BENEF:A:WARD R:DENHAM I:SMITH T:COTTON CH:W 1715 R:PHELPS RECIT | |||||||||||
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THE FORMER RING OF 6 |
Bell
Est Weight
Diameter
Note
Cast
Founder
Notes 1
4¾ cwt approx
283/8"
D# 1715
Richard Phelps
Still in the tower 2
5½ cwt approx.
C# 1715
Richard Phelps
Lost prior to 1867 3
6 cwt approx.
B 1715
Richard Phelps
Lost in c. 1870 4
8 cwt approx.
A# 1715
Richard Phelps
Lost prior to 1867 5
10½ cwt approx
G# 1715
Richard Phelps
Recast in 1938 6
14 cwt approx.
F# 1715
Richard Phelps
Lost prior to 1867
| 1. | IN HON : ANNÆ F : NATU : MAX : GEOR : ET WILHELM - PRUM : WAL : R : PHELPS MADE ME 1715 |
| 3. | IN HON:WILHELMINÆ PR : WAL : REGIÆ SOBOLIS FELICMÆ:MATRIS v I SMITH T : COTTON CH : W : 1715 |
| 5. | FAC:AO:FELICISSIMÆ INAUG:GEORGII M:B:F:&HIB:REGIS F:D:P:P:PRO SALUTE REL:PROT:ECCL:&LEGUM |
| REGNIS EDW:GEE:D:D:RECTOR BENEF:A:WARD R:DENHAM I:SMITH T:COTTON CH:W 1715 R:PHELPS RECIT | |
HISTORY |
1715 Ring of 6 given by General (later the first Earl) Stanhope to commemorate the accession of George I. These were hung in a new frame. 1855 The church records show: "At a Parochial Visitation held at this Church on Tuesday May 1 1855. It was recommended to provide two new floors to the Belfry, and a complete new framework, wheels etc for the Bells: and it were greatly to be desired that the three missing bells should be replaced at the same time. The louvre boarding would fall to be replaced at the same time. Chas Lane, Rural Dean" 1867 Record of only 3 bells left in the tower. The original 3rd was noted to be cracked. It soon disappeared. 1887
Record of only 2 bells left - the treble and 5th. 1938
Tenor of the remaining 2 bells recast, and both bells rehung by Gillett & Johnston on RSJs. The treble was not tuned. 1999
4 new bells were cast to form bells 1, 3, 4, 5 around the existing 2 bells. They were cast and hung in a new frame by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. The frame had a foundation for 8 bells. Whitechapel did not retune the existing bells. 2000
The bells were dedicated by the Bishop of Tonbridge on 20th Feb. 2007
2 new bells were added to augment the ring to 8.
PHOTOGRAPHS
Originally the treble of a ring of 6, the bell below is the last survivor of this ring. It is now the 2nd of the remodelled ring of 6.
Views of the belfry.
The 2nd, originally the treble of the first ring of 6 in this tower.
The Gillett & Johnston 5th. Unusually they reproduced the inscription on the former bell in facsimile.
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The 5th. |
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Looking up from the ground floor, 6 rope holes can be seen where the former ring of 6 was rung. There are signs that these bells were rung from a gallery (now removed). |