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ELHAM, St Mary the Virgin

8 bells
Tenor 13-2-15 in F#
Grid Ref. TR178438
Canterbury District
Frame: 1887 John Warner
Retuning: Never subsequently retuned
Upstairs Ringing Room
PEALS

DETAILS OF THE BELLS
Bell Weight Diameter Cast Founder

1

3-2-16

26"

1970

Whitechapel

2

4-1-11

27"

1970

Whitechapel

3

4-3-27

28½"

1970

Whitechapel

4

5-0-20

30"

1970

Whitechapel

5

6-2-8

32½"

1970

Whitechapel

6

7-1-26

34"

1970

Whitechapel

7

9-3-0

38"

1970

Whitechapel

8

13-2-15

42¼"

1970

Whitechapel

INSCRIPTIONS
1. LESTER & PACK OF LONDON FECIT 1763
RUTH BIRON LIVED HERE
1919 - 1970
DEO GRATIAS

RECAST
1570 wc1981.jpg (2438 bytes) 1970
2. LESTER & PACK OF LONDON FECIT 1763

RECAST
1570 wc1981.jpg (2438 bytes) 1970
3. LESTER & PACK OF LONDON FECIT 1763

RECAST
1570 wc1981.jpg (2438 bytes) 1970
4. LESTER & PACK OF LONDON FECIT 1763
FRANK VERNEY
CHURCHWARDEN 1932 - 1970
CAPTAIN OF BELLS

RECAST
1570 wc1981.jpg (2438 bytes) 1970
5. LESTER & PACK OF LONDON FECIT 1763
IOHN POTTER BELLHANGER

RECAST
1570 wc1981.jpg (2438 bytes) 1970
6. LESTER & PACK OF LONDON FECIT 1763

RECAST
1570 wc1981.jpg (2438 bytes) 1970
7. THOMAS MEARS & SONE OF LONDON FECIT. ROB- WESTFIELD & JOHN HORTON CHURCHWARDENS 1809

RECAST
1570 wc1981.jpg (2438 bytes) 1970
WHITECHAPEL
8. LESTER & PACK OF LONDON FECIT 1763

RECAST
1570 wc1981.jpg (2438 bytes) 1970

HISTORY

1552

Record of 5 bells.

1639

5 bells cast by John Wilnar for St Mary's, Sandwich.

1667

Tower of St Mary's, Sandwich fell down. Some time afterwards, the bells were given to Elham.

1763

Bells recast into 8 by Lester & Pack.

1809

7th recast by Thomas Mears.

1887

Bells rehung in a new frame by Warner.

1970

Bells recast and rehung by Whitechapel.

WEIGHTS OF PREVIOUS BELLS

Initially, five bells came from St Mary’s Sandwich (cast by John Wilnar in 1639) after the collapse of the tower in 1663. They were recast into an 8 by Lester & Pack in 1763.

Weights of the bells from Sandwich prior to recasting in 1763:
1. 8-1-22
2. 8-2-13
3. 12-0-9
4. 15-0-6
5. 20-0-14

Weights of the 1763 octave prior to recasting in 1970:
1. 4-2-2
2. 4-2-18
3. 5-3-8
4. 6-2-11
5. 7-0-11
6. 7-3-24
7. 10½ cwt approx., recast in 1809 by Mears to 11-3-27
8. 15-2-11

According to Stahlschmidt's "Church Bells of Kent" (1887), there was a local tradition that the 7th was sent here by mistake as it should have gone to Wye, and that the Wye people got the Elham bell.

PHOTOGRAPHS

Photo DLC

The belfry prior to the restoration of 1970.

Photo DLC

 Photo DLC

David Cawley, lowering the tenor bell.

Loading the tenor bell. July 1970.

Photo DLC

Harry Parkes and David Cawley with the old eight bells after removal.