Doddington

DODDINGTON
The Beheading of St John the Baptist

	2 bells, formerly 6 bells
	Tenor 6-1-13 in B flat
	Grid Ref.
	Canterbury District
	Frame: Timber
	Retuning: 1962 John Taylor & Co.

DETAILS OF THE BELLS

Bell	Weight	Diameter	Note	Cast	Founder
1	5-3-25	31Ľ"	C	1712	Robert Catlin
2	6-1-13	32˝"	B flat	1962	John Taylor & Co.

1.	ROBERT CATLIN FECIT J75J (ornaments)

2.	RICHARD PHELPS MADE ME 1712
	RECAST 1962 * * *
		CHRISTOPHER VEAZEY, VICAR
		CHARLES LEESE C.M.G. CYRIL SMITH	}	CHURCH WARDENS

PREVIOUS BELLS

6-0-3

c. 34"

1712

Richard Phelps

2.	RICHARD PHELPS MADE ME 1712

Originally the church possessed 6 bells. Faussett (1760) records "three of them useless being cracked and out of their frames". It appears that this was the result of a fire, which Stahlschmidt records as having been c.1650, but which is difficult to reconcile with two 18th Cent bells which were provided after the fire yet before the present tower was built, which Stahlschmidt records as "At the beginning of the present century" (i.e. the 19th) "four of the bells being sold to defray the expense."

c. 1650	Stahlschmidt wrote that there was a fire at this time.
1712	Bell cast by Richard Phelps (evolved to be tenor of 2).
1751	Bell cast by Robert Catlin (evolved to be treble of 2).
1760	Faussett records three cracked useless bells out of their frames. It appears that this was the result of fire.
c. 1800	The present wooden tower was built on the base of a stone one. Four of the bells are said to have been sold to defray the expense.
1887	Stahlschmidt notes the 2 bells, and states that there used to be 6 bells in the tower.
1962	Tenor recast. Both bells were rehung in the old frame.