LEWISHAM, St Mary the Virgin |
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DETAILS OF THE BELLS |
Bell
Weight
Diameter
Note
Cast
Founder
1
5¼ cwt approx.
29½"
E flat
1819
Thomas Mears II
2
6-0-11
30½"
D
1895
John Taylor & Co.
3
6-2-10
33"
C
1819
Thomas Mears II
4
8-1-8
35"
B flat
1896
John Taylor & Co.
5
9¼ cwt approx.
38"
A flat
1777
Pack & Chapman
6
11-2-11
41"
G
1776
Pack & Chapman
7
16-3-19
45¾"
F
1893
John Taylor & Co.
8
21-1-14
50"
E flat
1777
Pack & Chapman
INSCRIPTIONS |
| 1. | T MEARS OF LONDON FECIT 1819. | |||||||||||||
| 2. | LESTER & PACK OF LONDON FECIT 1766 | |||||||||||||
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| 3. | T MEARS OF LONDON FECIT 1819. | |||||||||||||
| 4. | CAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS LONDON 1859 | |||||||||||||
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| 5. | YE PEOPLE ALL WHO HEAR ME RING BE FAITHFULL TO YOUR GOD AND KING | |||||||||||||
| PACK & CHAPMAN OF LONDON FECIT 1777 | ||||||||||||||
| 6. | CAST IN 1743 JNO BAKER & GEO : THORNTON CH. WARDENS PAUL VALENTINE & JNO EVENS CH. WARDENS | |||||||||||||
| PACK & CHAPMAN OF LONDON FECIT | ||||||||||||||
| 7. | CAST IN 1766. LESTER AND PACK. RECAST IN 1893. JOHN TAYLOR OF LOUGHBOROUGH | |||||||||||||
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| 8. | THIS BELL WAS PAID FOR BY VOLUNTARY SUBSCRIPTION 1777 PAUL VALENTINE AND JOHN EVANS CHURCHWARDENS | |||||||||||||
| PACK & CHAPMAN OF LONDON FECIT | ||||||||||||||
| The underlining on the 4th is actually a line under the D with two commas beneath the line. |
PREVIOUS BELLS |
| The present ring of 8 have been through the hands of bell founders and hangers several times since the original ring was put in. This has involved remodelling the entire ring as well as various rehangings. The inscription on the 6th suggests that there was originally a bell dated 1743. This was incorporated into a new ring of eight - probably recast in the process. The Whitechapel Peals Book gives the following details for the original bells. |
| Bell | Weight | Diameter | Note | Cast | Founder |
| 1 | 5-1-10 | 28" | F | 1766 | Lester & Pack |
| 2 | 5-2-9 | 29½" | E | 1766 | Lester & Pack |
| 3 | 6-1-13 | 31" | D | 1766 | Lester & Pack |
| 4 | 7-0-23 | 32¾" | C | 1766 | Lester & Pack |
| 5 | 7-2-13 | 35" | B flat | 1766 | Lester & Pack |
| 6 | 8-3-18 | 37" | A | 1766 | Lester & Pack |
| 7 | 11-2-23 | 39¾" | G | 1766 | Lester & Pack |
| 8 | 15-2-16 | 44½" | F | 1766 | Lester & Pack |
While the tower was being rebuilt in 1776-7, the ring was remodelled into a heavier one. A heavier tenor was added and bells recast/retuned as follows to evolve the ring in the current one, as described below: |
Bell |
Supplied Weight |
Scrapping or tuned Weight |
Diameter |
Note |
Cast |
Founder |
Fate |
1 (formerly 2) |
5-2-9 | 29½" | E |
1766 |
Lester & Pack |
Recast or retuned to E flat 1777. Recast 1819. |
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5¼ cwt approx.* |
29½" |
E flat |
1819 |
Thomas Mears |
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2 (formerly 3) |
6-1-13 | 6-0-12 |
31" | D |
1766 |
Lester & Pack | Recast 1895 |
6-0-11 |
30½" |
D |
1895 |
John Taylor & Co. |
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3 (formerly 4) |
7-0-23 | 32¾" | C |
1766 |
Lester & Pack | Recast 1819 |
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6-2-10** |
33" |
C |
1819 |
Thomas Mears |
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4 (formerly 5) |
7-2-13 |
35" |
B flat |
1766 | Lester & Pack | Recast 1859 |
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7-1-13*** |
?*** |
35" |
B flat |
1859 | John Warner & Sons |
Recast 1896 | |
8-1-8 |
35" |
B flat |
1896 | John Taylor & Co. |
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5 (formerly 6) |
8-3-18 | 37" |
A |
1766 | Lester & Pack | Recast 1777 | |
9¼ cwt approx. |
38" |
A flat |
1777 | Pack & Chapman |
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6 (formerly 7) |
11-2-23**** | 39¾" | G |
1766 | Lester & Pack | Recast 1776 | |
12-0-21***** |
11-2-11 |
41" |
G |
1776 | Pack & Chapman |
Retuned 1894 (Taylor's) |
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7 (formerly 8) |
15-2-16 |
44½" |
F |
1766 | Lester & Pack | Recast 1893 | |
16-3-19 |
45¾" |
F |
1893 | John Taylor & Co. |
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8 |
21-1-14 | 50" |
E flat |
1777 | Pack & Chapman |
| * | The Rev'd F E Robinson in his book "Among the Bells" quoted the treble of the current ring to be 5-1-10. This however is suspiciously identical to the weight of the 1766 treble and nowhere does he give a source for this weight. Furthermore, Robinson gives the diameter of this bell as 28", which is also the given diameter of the 1766 treble. It would appear that he had confused his trebles! |
| ** | Robinson gives the weight of the 3rd as 6-2-10 and 4th as 7-1-13 although it is again unclear how he got to this weight. |
| *** | Robinson gives the weight of the 4th as 7-1-13. It is not clear what the scrapping weight of this bell was. Chris Pickford noted in the Taylor records that the Furnace Book states: 11 Feb 1896 - Ex Lewisham, one cracked bell nett 6-0-12. This could refer to the old cracked 2nd, although according to the Job Book, the 2nd was recast 4th Sept 1895. It is possible though that the new 2nd was recast before the old 2nd was entered into the Furnace Book. |
| **** | The inscription suggests the bell was originally cast in 1743. It is possible that the 1766 ring was cast around this bell. The Whitechapel Peals Book suggests it was a complete ring, but the possibility cannot be discounted. |
| ***** | The 6th arrived at Loughborough for retuning, and was weighed as 12-0-21. |
| 2. | LESTER & PACK OF LONDON FECIT 1766 | ||||||||
| 4. | CAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS LONDON 1859 | ||||||||
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| 7. | HENRY CORBETT & JOSEPH HARTWELL CH. WARDENS 1766 LESTER & PACK OF LONDON FECIT | ||||||||
HISTORY |
1471
Plans to build the tower were drawn up.
1512
Tower completed.
1552
Record of 4 bells.
1743
A bell was cast that was later recast into the present 6th.
1766
A new ring of 8 bells was cast by Lester & Pack at Whitechapel.
1774-7
Church and tower rebuilt by George Gibson, junior, architect.
1777
Whole ring remodelled into a heavier one. A new tenor was added and the 6th was recast acting as the new 5th. The 7th was recast the previous year to form the new 6th.
1819
Treble and 3rd recast by Thomas Mears.
1893
The 7th had become cracked in the crown and was recast by John Taylor (completed 24th Mar 1894). The 6th was also retuned at this time (completed 12th Mar 1894).
1895
The 2nd had become cracked and was recast by John Taylor.
1896
4th recast by John Taylor who rehung all the bells in a new frame.
1950
Bells rehung on ball bearings by Mears & Stainbank.
