Maidstone All Saints

MAIDSTONE, All Saints
and Maidstone County Hall

Photo MAB, Jun 2001

	10 bells
	Tenor 32-0-20 in C sharp
	Grid Ref. TQ760554
	Maidstone District
	Frame: 1957 John Taylor & Co.
	Retuning: Never subsequently retuned
	Upstairs Ringing Room
	PEALS
	Local Tower Web Site

DETAILS OF THE BELLS

Bell Weight Diameter Cast Founder

1

5-0-26
29"
1957

John Taylor & Co.

2

5-3-4
30"
1957

John Taylor & Co.

3

6-0-24
31"
1957

John Taylor & Co.

4

6-2-18
32½"
1957

John Taylor & Co.

5

7-3-17
35½"
1957

John Taylor & Co.

6

9-1-22
38"
1957

John Taylor & Co.

7

12-2-27
42"
1957

John Taylor & Co.

8

15-3-4
45"
1957

John Taylor & Co.

9

23-0-12
50½"
1957

John Taylor & Co.

10

32-0-20
56"
1957

John Taylor & Co.

INSCRIPTIONS

1. RECAST BY JOHN TAYLOR & CO. LOUGHBOROUGH 1957

CHAPMAN & MEARS OF LONDON FECERUNT 1784

2. RECAST BY JOHN TAYLOR & CO. LOUGHBOROUGH 1957

CHAPMAN & MEARS OF LONDON FECERUNT 1783

3. RECAST BY JOHN TAYLOR & CO. LOUGHBOROUGH 1957

CHAPMAN & MEARS OF LONDON FECERUNT 1784

4. RECAST BY JOHN TAYLOR & CO. LOUGHBOROUGH 1957

T. MEARS OF LONDON FECIT 1829

5. RECAST BY JOHN TAYLOR & CO. LOUGHBOROUGH 1957

CHAPMAN & MEARS OF LONDON FECERUNT 1784

6. RECAST BY JOHN TAYLOR & CO. LOUGHBOROUGH 1957

CHAPMAN & MEARS OF LONDON FECERUNT 1784

7. RECAST BY JOHN TAYLOR & CO. LOUGHBOROUGH 1957

W^M MEARS OF LONDON FECIT 1786

8. RECAST BY JOHN TAYLOR & CO. LOUGHBOROUGH 1957

CHAPMAN & MEARS OF LONDON FECERUNT 1784

9. RECAST BY JOHN TAYLOR & CO. LOUGHBOROUGH 1957

CHAPMAN & MEARS OF LONDON FECERUNT 1784

10. RECAST BY JOHN TAYLOR & CO. LOUGHBOROUGH 1957

THOMAS MEARS FOUNDER LONDON
REV^D JAMES REEVE, MINISTER WHEN LESLIE WALLIS WAS THE MAYOR
ME AND MY FELLOWS RECAST WERE

HENRY ARGLES
THOMAS LAURANCE } CHURCHWARDENS 1840

EARLIER BELLS

Bell	Weight*	Diameter	Cast	Founder	Fate
1	6-1-20	30½"	1784	Chapman & Mears	Recast 1957
2	6-3-15	32"	1783	Chapman & Mears	Recast 1957
3	7-0-12	33½"	1784	Chapman & Mears	Recast 1957
4	?		1784	Chapman & Mears	Recast 1829
4	7-1-18	34"	1829	Thomas Mears II	Recast 1957
5	8-1-15	37"	1784	Chapman & Mears	Recast 1957
6	10-2-24	40½"	1784	Chapman & Mears	Recast 1957
7	?		1784	Chapman & Mears	Recast 1786
7	13-0-20	43½"	1786	William Mears	Recast 1957
8	16-1-18	47"	1784	Chapman & Mears	Recast 1957
9	20-2-8	51	1784	Chapman & Mears	Recast 1957
10	28-2-13		1784	Chapman & Mears	Recast 1840
10	29-2-13 (quoted when cast as 31-3-2)	57"	1840	Thomas Mears II	Recast 1957

*Nett from Taylor Furnace Book, 9th Sept. 1957, ** Stahlschmidt

HISTORY

1395

Tower built.

c.1450

Tower thought to possess 4 bells.

1509 The Will of John Leche, 25 August 1509 (proved 10^th October 1509 by Alice relict, Thomas Polyll, Wm. Ade and John Plomer) suggests a bell was cast in 1508 or 1509. The "Thomas Hatwiche" could be Thomas Hatch, a hitherto unknown earlier bellfounder, or a church official.

John Leche of Maydeston [Maidstone], draper, 25^th August 1509. To be buried in churchyarde of the parishe church of Alhalowen in Maydeston … I bequeth to Thomas Hatwiche 5 marc of my stuff. Toward the costs of the new bell late bought for the said church 6s. 8d.

1604

The 2nd and tenor (probably of 4) were recast.

1667

Record of 6 bells in the tower.

1678

Tenor recast by John and/or Christopher Hodson and bells rehung.

1719

7th stated to have been repaired - therefore the tower possessed 8 bells.

1721

Some of the bells recast by Richard Phelps.

1730

Spire struck by lighning and burnt down.

1762

Tenor repaired at the cost of 10 guineas.

1783-4

Bells (totalling 6 tons) recast into a ring of 10 by Chapman & Mears and hung in an anticlockwise frame.

1784

The new ring of bells was opened by the Leeds ringers.

1786

7th recast by William Mears.

1798 Edward Hasted wrote:
In the tower were eight bells, a clock, and chimes; the bells, in 1784, were new cast into ten, by Chapman and Mears of London.

1829

4th recast by Thomas Mears.

1840

Tenor recast by Thomas Mears. The tenor was formerly 28-2-13. The recast weight of the tenor of the new 10 was 31-3-2.

1898

Bells rehung by John Warner.

1899

Clock purchased from Gillett & Johnston.

1921

Bells rehung by Mears & Stainbank.

1945

Old barrel chime on the clock went out of action.

1957

Bells recast by John Taylor.

1958

The new bells were hung in a new clockwise frame by John Taylor.

GALLERY

The tenor bell.
The seventh in the foreground.

MAIDSTONE, County Hall

1 bell: 1-1-19 in A sharp (1832Hz)

Grid Ref.: TQ761562

Ship's bell of bronze mounted on the wall

¯ Sound clip
(Recorded by Dickon Love, 25th Jan 2007)

Bell Weight Diameter Pitch Cast Founder

1

1-1-19

19"

A sharp

1928

Gillett & Johnston (2524)

(The editor noted Serial No 2524 in the Gillett records, but Mr Alan Buswell advises that it should be 2549.)

1.

GILLETT & JOHNSTON, CROYDON

H. M. S. KENT
PRESENTED BY
THE COUNTY
1928
1

1928

The ship's bell was cast for the 10th HMS Kent. This ship lasted until 1997 when a more modern version was built. It is assumed the bell came to County Hall at this time. The bell of the 9th HMS Kent went to Rochester Cathedral. The bell was dispatched 2nd June 1928. A bell was received of 14½" on 31st May 1928, note C#.