COWDEN, St Mary Magdalene |
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DETAILS OF THE BELLS |
Bell
Weight (measured 1911)
Weight (measured 2000)
Diameter
Cast
Founder
1
3-3-14
3-1-23
25¾"
1911
John Warner & Sons
2
4-1-14
3-2-20
27½"
1911
John Warner & Sons
3
-
3-3-7
28"
1791
Thomas Mears I
4
-
5-0-6
30¼"
1410
Robert Burford
5
-
6-1-17
32½"
1584
Unknown (Itinerant)
6
8-2-0
7-2-15
36¼"
1911
John Warner & Sons
INSCRIPTIONS |
| 1. | CAST BY JOHN WARNER AND SONS LTD, LONDON, 1911. | |||
| IN MEMORIAM EDWARD VII ANNO DOMINI MCMXI |
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| 2. | RECAST BY JOHN WARNER AND SONS LTD, LONDON, 1911. | |||
| 3. | THOS MEARS OF LONDON FECIT 1791 | |||
| 4. |
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| 5. |
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| 6. | RECAST BY JOHN WARNER AND SONS LTD, LONDON, 1911. | |||
FORMER BELLS
Bell
Weight
Diameter
Cast
Founder
Fate
1 (of 5)
3¾ cwt approx.
26"
1654
John Hodson
Recast 1911.
Tenor (of 5)
8¼ cwt approx. 35½" 1635 John Wilnar Recast 1911.
1. JOHN HODSON MADE ME 1654 H
5. I à W 1635
HISTORY
1392
-1418
Bell cast by Robert Burford (present 4th).
1584
Bell cast by an unknown founder (present 5th).
1635
Tenor cast by John Wilnar.
1654
Treble (of 5) cast by John Hodson.
1726
Richard Still from Waystrode Farm bequested 20 shillings a year for the ringing of "The Great Bell" at 5am and 8pm "from Michaelmas to Lady Day for ever".
1791
2nd (of 5) recast by Thomas Mears.
1875
The 5am bell ceased, "the amount not being considered sufficient pay for the double work".
1911
Treble and tenor (of 5) recast by John Warner, who added an extra treble to make 6. The bells were retuned and rehung on plain bearings in a new cast iron frame. The bells were dedicated by the Bishop of Rochester.
1912
3rd Feb.
Cowden band elected to the Kent C.A.
1972
Bells condemned as unringable.
2000
Tower strengthened and bells retuned by Whitechapel Bell Foundry (apart from the listed 4th and 5th). The frame was rebuilt lower in the tower
2000
24th Sept. Bells rededicated by the Archdeacon of Horsham, The Ven. William Filby.
