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GRAVESEND, St George

8 bells
Tenor 18-1-6 in E
Grid Ref. TQ647743
Rochester District
Frame: 1923 John Taylor & Co.
Retuning: Never subsequently retuned
Upstairs Ringing Room
PEALS
¯ Sound Clip
(1st May, 2004 recorded by Dickon Love)

DETAILS OF THE BELLS
Bell Weight Diameter Cast Founder

1

4-0-26

 261/2"

1923

John Taylor & Co.

2

4-1-17

 271/2"

1923

John Taylor & Co.

3

5-0-23

 291/2"

1923

John Taylor & Co.

4

6-1-23

 32"

1923

John Taylor & Co.

5

8-0-21

 35"

1923

John Taylor & Co.

6

9-3-2

 371/8"

1923

John Taylor & Co.

7

13-1-2

 411/2"

1923

John Taylor & Co.

8

18-1-6

 461/2"

1923

John Taylor & Co.

INSCRIPTIONS
1. SEVERAL GENTLEMEN STRANGERS GAVE THIS BELL 1736.
RECAST AT THE CHARGE OF THE PARISH 1793 JOHN TUCKER A. M. RECTOR. GEO THOMPSON & JAMES KIRK CH. WARDENS
THOS MEARS OF LONDON FECIT

RECAST 1923
2. CAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS LTD LONDON 1900

THIS BELL WAS RECAST AND
THE PEAL REHUNG IN 1900


RECAST 1923
E. LIONEL GEDGE - RECTOR
WM. FLETCHER
J. R. CROFT		 }WARDENS
3. GEO : ARNOLD. ESQR MAYOR THOS. KILLICK IOHN HALES CH. WARDENS
T. MEARS OF LONDON FECIT 1803

RECAST 1923
4. MEARS & STAINBANK, FOUNDERS, LONDON.
ROBT JOYNES RECTOR
E. F. JEWELL
JOHN PAINE		 } CHURCH WARDENS 1871


RECAST 1923. AT THE CHARGE OF
GEORGE SANDFORD, ESQ., J.P.

RING OUT SWEET MEMORIES OF THE PAST
5.
RECAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS LTD. LONDON 1902

JNO JOYNES : WAT NYNN : WM LANCE.
ANTH. IRELAND : WM MYERS : JNO FOX
JNO. BOLGER : JNO HUGHES : JA. ROE

GEO CLARKE TRUSTEES
FOR THE SUBSCRIPTION MONY GAVE THIS BELL 1736
JOHN APPLEBEE & RICHARD PHELPS
MADE THESE EIGHT BELLS.

 

IN LOVING MEMORY OF
WILLIAM RUSSELL, J.P.
WHO DIED NOV. 26TH 1920 AGED 78 YEARS
FOR 13 YEARS A WARDEN OF THIS CHURCH
ALSO OF JANE HIS WIFE
WHO DIED JULY 6TH 1914 AGED 67 YEARS

RECAST 1923. AT THE CHARGE OF
GEORGE IRELAND. GERTRUDE & WILLIAM BEAUMONT
CHILDREN OF THE ABOVE
6.
IAMES : WADE : MAYOR : ESQR : GAYNHAM : RACKSTRAW : GEORE : THOMPSON : CH : WARDENS J77J


RECAST 1923.

1923
MRS. W. E. THOMAS, MAYORESS OF GRAVESEND
RAISED ONE HUNDRED GUINEAS
TOWARDS THIS PEAL

EDWARD HADLOW, A RINGER OF THIS TOWER
COLLECTED THE GREATER PART
OF THE SUBSCRIPTION MONEY

LABOR OMNIA VINCIT
7. MEARS & STAINBANK, FOUNDERS, LONDON
FREDERICK BECKLEY NETTLEINGHAM
MAYOR
GAVE THIS BELL A. D. 1879
ROBERT JOYNES RECTOR
JAMES DAVIES
JAMES TURNER		 } CHURCH WARDENS

RECAST 1923
IN MEMORY OF THE RINGERS OF THE TOWER
WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918
CHARLES EDWARD CONSTANT
WALTER JAMES CROWHURST
WILFRID RANDALL CLARKE


8.
L

THE CORPORATION GAVE

50

TOWARDS THESE BELLS WILLIAM MAN ESQ:MAIOR 1736 THIS BELL WAS RECAST AT THE CHARGE

(same line) OF THE PARISH 1793.
JOHN TUCKER, A.M. RECTOR. GEO THOMPSON & JAMES KIRK CH. WARDENS (border) THOS MEARS OF LONDON FECIT (border)
 

1923
THIS PEAL WAS RECAST AND REHUNG IN
A NEW FRAME BY PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION
THE TOWN COUNCIL SUBSCRIBED THE SUM
OF ONE HUNDRED GUINEAS.

WILLIAM EVAN THOMAS MAYOR
EDWARD LIONEL GEDGE RECTOR
WILLIAM HENRY ARCHER
JAMES EVERDEN		 } CHURCH WARDENS

 

  
19

[Foundry
Stamp]

 23

FORMER RINGS OF BELLS

The original ring of 8 bells placed in the tower of 1733 were as follows:

Bell

Weight
(where 'exact' measured 1793)

Diameter

Note

Cast

Founder

1

 4-3-20 28¼"

E

1736

Richard Phelps

2

 5 cwt approx.

D sharp

1736

Richard Phelps

3

 6-1-7 31¼"

C sharp

1736

Richard Phelps

4

 7-1-12 34"

B

1736

Richard Phelps

5

 9-0-6 37"

A

1736

Richard Phelps

6

 10 cwt approx.

G sharp

1736

Richard Phelps

7

13-1-1

 42"

F sharp

1736

Richard Phelps

8

 18 cwt approx.

E

1736

Richard Phelps

One by one, these bells were all recast over time.

Bell

Weight
(measured 1793)

Weight
(measured 1923)

Diameter

Note

Cast

Founder

1

 n/a 5-1-5 26½"

E

1900

John Warner & Sons

2

 5-2-11 5-1-4 275/8"

D sharp

1793

Thomas Mears I

3

 n/a 6-3-26 291/4"

C sharp

1803

Thomas Mears I

4

 n/a 7-0-17 313/4"

B

1871

Mears & Stainbank

5

 n/a 8-1-23 35"

A

1902

John Warner & Sons

6

 10-1-4 9-3-24 373/8"

G sharp

1771

Thomas Swain

7

 n/a 12-2-13 415/8"

F sharp

1879

Mears & Stainbank

8

 17-2-20 17-3-10 463/8"

E

1793

Thomas Mears II

The weights and diameters are as recorded by John Taylor & Co. 1923. These bells were inscribed as follows:

1. CAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS LTD LONDON 1900

THIS BELL WAS RECAST AND
THE PEAL REHUNG IN 1900
E. LIONEL GEDGE - RECTOR
WM. FLETCHER
J. R. CROFT		 } WARDENS
2. SEVERAL GENTLEMEN STRANGERS GAVE THIS BELL 1736.
RECAST AT THE CHARGE OF THE PARISH 1793 JOHN TUCKER A. M. RECTOR. GEO THOMPSON & JAMES KIRK CH. WARDENS
THOS MEARS OF LONDON FECIT
3. GEO : ARNOLD. ESQR MAYOR THOS. KILLICK IOHN HALES CH. WARDENS
T. MEARS OF LONDON FECIT 1803
4. MEARS & STAINBANK, FOUNDERS, LONDON.
ROBT JOYNES RECTOR
E. F. JEWELL
JOHN PAINE		 } CHURCH WARDENS 1871
5. RECAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS LTD. LONDON 1902

JNO JOYNES : WAT NYNN : WM LANCE.
ANTH. IRELAND : WM MYERS : JNO FOX
JNO. BOLGER : JNO HUGHES : JA. ROE
GEO CLARKE TRUSTEES
FOR THE SUBSCRIPTION MONY GAVE THIS BELL 1736
JOHN APPLEBEE & RICHARD PHELPS
MADE THESE EIGHT BELLS
6.
IAMES : WADE : MAYOR : ESQR : GAYNHAM : RACKSTRAW : GEORE : THOMPSON : CH : WARDENS swain.jpg (1957 bytes) J77J
7. MEARS & STAINBANK, FOUNDERS, LONDON A. D. 1879
FREDERICK BECKLEY NETTLEINGHAM
MAYOR
GAVE THIS BELL
ROBERT JOYNES RECTOR
JAMES DAVIES
JAMES TURNER		 } CHURCH WARDENS
8.
L

THE CORPORATION GAVE

50

TOWARDS THESE BELLS WILLIAM MAN ESQ:MAIOR 1736 THIS BELL WAS RECAST AT THE CHARGE

(same line) OF THE PARISH 1793.
JOHN TUCKER, A.M. RECTOR. GEO THOMPSON & JAMES KIRK CH. WARDENS (border) THOS MEARS OF LONDON FECIT (border)

The pre-1900 treble had already been recast by Thomas Swain, as follows:

Bell

Weight

Diameter

Note

Cast

Founder

1

4¾ cwt approx.

28"

E

1771

Thomas Swain
1.
IS WADE ESQ MAYOR GM RACKSTRAW G THOMPSON CH. WARDENS

swain.jpg (1957 bytes)

 J77J
TH SWAIN FECIT
All 8 bells were then recast in 1923 by John Taylor. In doing so, the inscriptions on the new treble and second were mixed up. Therefore the new treble had the inscription on the former 2nd (Thomas Mears I) and the new 2nd had the inscription on the former treble (John Warner & Sons).

HISTORY

1522

 The ringers were fined for not ringing at Bishop Fisher's visitation.

1731

- 1733

Tower built.

1736

Ring of 8 cast by Richard Phelps.

1771

Treble and 6th recast by Thomas Swain.

1793

2nd and tenor recast by Thomas Mears I.

1813

3rd recast by Thomas Mears I.
1871 4th recast by Mears & Stainbank.
1879 7th recast by Mears & Stainbank.

1896

Bells rehung by Samuel Goslin.

1900

Treble recast and bells rehung by John Warner & Sons.

1902

 5th recast by John Warner & Sons.
1922 December The old bells and frame were removed by William T. Billinghurst (Taylor's senior bellhanger at the time.
1923 1st Feb A new ring of 8 bells were cast by John Taylor. The inscriptions on the former bells were preserved on the new bells, although those on the treble and second became transposed in error.
1923 May The new bells and frame were installed by Richard Lane and George Smith. The total cost of the project was £789 10s. 0d. This was quite expensive at the time, but the result was an excellent set of castings and one of the best rings in Kent.
1923 13th May The new bells were dedicated by the Bishop of Rochester.
The author would like to acknowledge the considerable assistance of John Taylor & Co Bell Founders in piecing together the history, inscriptions and weights of the various rings in this tower.

PHOTOGRAPHS
Photo DLC collection

The new ring of 8 in the church yard prior to their hanging in 1923.

Photo from Bowell collection

The 8 bells pictured at the bell foundry. (Click on image to enlarge)
Photo DrL 1st May 2004

The belfry (north wall at top). 4th in middle, 5th above and 6th on right.
Photo DrL 1st May 2004
The belfry (east wall at top). Treble on left, 2nd above and tenor on right.
Photo DrL 1st May 2004
The tenor bell.
Photo DrL 1st May 2004
The front of the tenor with all its inscription.