ROCHESTER |
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DETAILS OF THE BELLS |
Bell Weight Diameter Cast Founder 1
5-3-7
271/2"
1921
Gillett & Johnston
2
6-1-19
291/8"
1921
Gillett & Johnston
3
6-1-22
30"
1921
Gillett & Johnston
4
6-3-17
311/2"
1921
Gillett & Johnston
5
7-1-19
331/4"
1921
Gillett & Johnston
6
9-1-21
361/2"
1921
Gillett & Johnston
7
11-1-26
401/8"
1921
Gillett & Johnston
8
15-0-9
433/4"
1921
Gillett & Johnston
9
20-0-13
48"
1921
Gillett & Johnston
10
30-0-14
533/4"
1921
Gillett & Johnston
INSCRIPTIONS |
| 1. | CAST BY GILLETT & JOHNSTON, CROYDON, 1921. | ||||
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| 2. | CAST BY GILLETT & JOHNSTON, CROYDON, 1921. | ||||
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| 3. | RECAST BY GILLETT & JOHNSTON, CROYDON, 1921. | ||||
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| 4. | RECAST BY GILLETT & JOHNSTON, CROYDON, 1921. | ||||
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| 5. | RECAST BY GILLETT & JOHNSTON, CROYDON, 1921. | ||||
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| 6. | RECAST BY GILLETT & JOHNSTON, CROYDON, 1921. | ||||
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| 7. | RECAST BY GILLETT & JOHNSTON, CROYDON, 1921. | ||||
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| 8. | RECAST BY GILLETT & JOHNSTON, CROYDON, 1921. | ||||
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| 9. | RECAST BY GILLETT & JOHNSTON, CROYDON, 1921. | ||||
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| 10. | |||||
| RECAST BY GILLETT & JOHNSTON, CROYDON, 1921. | |||||
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PREVIOUS BELLS |
| The ring of 8 that was recast in 1921 into the present bells was as follows: |
| Bell | Weight | Diameter | Pitch | Cast | Founder |
1 |
6-3-14 | 311/2" |
D |
1904 |
Mears & Stainbank |
2 |
7-2-6 | 323/4" | C sharp |
1904 | Mears & Stainbank |
3 |
8-2-15 | 351/8" | B |
1904 | Mears & Stainbank |
4 |
9-3-20 | 373/4" | A |
1904 | Mears & Stainbank |
5 |
12-0-14 | 41" |
G |
1904 | Mears & Stainbank |
6 |
16-0-9 | 44" |
F sharp |
1712 |
James Bagley |
7 |
18-2-5 | 473/4" | E |
1904 | Mears & Stainbank |
8 |
26-1-0* | 52" |
D |
1834 |
Thomas Mears II |
* Tuned weight, 1904. |
| 1. | MEARS & STAINBANK, FOUNDERS, LONDON. 1904. |
| IN REMEMBRANCE OF S. REYNOLDS HOLE, DEAN DIED 27TH AUGUST 1904. T. H. F. |
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| 2. | MEARS & STAINBANK, FOUNDERS, LONDON. 1904. |
| T. H. FOORD GAVE ME. 1904 |
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| 3. | MEARS & STAINBANK, FOUNDERS, LONDON. 1904. |
| RECAST IN REMEMBRANCE OF W. W. F. DIED 10TH SEPTEMBER 1881. T. H. F. |
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| 4. | MEARS & STAINBANK, FOUNDERS, LONDON. 1904. |
| RECAST IN REMEMBRANCE OF M. F. DIED 1ST JULY 1896. T. H. F. |
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| 5. | MEARS & STAINBANK, FOUNDERS, LONDON. 1904. |
| RECAST IN REMEMBRANCE OF E. S. W. DIED 6TH SEPTEMBER 1896. T. H. F. |
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| 6. | IAMES BAGLEY OF LONDON
MADE ME 1712 A |
| 7. | MEARS & STAINBANK, FOUNDERS, LONDON. 1904. |
| OLIM THALEBOT NUNC TALBOT VOCOR. IN DIE S. ANDREAE MCMIV T. H. F. RESTAURAVIT |
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| 8. | FECIT CHRs HODSON. A. D. MDCLXXXIII : REGIS CAROLI II XXXV |
| REFECIT THOs MEARS. A. D. MDCCCXXXIV : REGIS GULIEMI IV . V | |
| These themselves were modelled from a former ring of 6 in 1904. |
| Bell | Weight | Diameter | Cast | Founder | Fate |
1 |
7-3-17 | 34" |
1770 |
Pack & Chapman |
Recast 1904 |
2 |
8-0-0 | 34½" |
? |
Unknown |
Recast 1904 |
3 |
10-2-10 | 40" |
1635 |
John Wilnar |
Recast 1904 |
4 |
16-0-9 | 44" |
1712 |
James Bagley |
Recast 1921 |
5 |
21-2-18 | 48" |
1683 |
Christopher Hodson |
Recast 1904 |
6 |
?* | 52" |
1834 |
Thomas Mears II |
Recast 1921 |
| * Tuned in 1904 to 26-1-0. |
| 1. | CAST IN THE YEAR 1695 RECAST IN THE YEAR 1770 BY PACK & CHAPMAN OF LONDON |
| 2. | [Blank] |
| 3. | IOHN à WILNAR à MADE à ME 1635 |
| 4. | IAMES BAGLEY OF LONDON
MADE ME 1712 A |
| 5. | ¯ CHRISTOPHERVS ¯ HODSON ¯ Ao D ¯ MDCLXXXIII ¢¢¢¢ |
| ANNOQVE ¯ SERNIS ¯ REGIS ¯ CAROLI ¯ IId ¯ XXXV | |
| [The Royal Arms] | |
| 6. | FECIT CHRs HODSON. A. D. MDCLXXXIII : REGIS CAROLI II XXXV |
| REFECIT THOs MEARS. A. D. MDCCCXXXIV : REGIS GULIEMI IV . V | |
| Some of these bells were recast from earlier bells, some of which are known as follows:: |
| Bell | Weight | Diameter | Cast | Founder | Fate |
1 (of 6) |
7½ cwt approx. | 1695 |
John Wood |
Recast 1770 |
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5 (of 6) |
20-2-16 | ? |
Unknown |
Recast 1683 |
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6 (of 6) |
29-0-10 | 1683 |
Christopher Hodson |
Recast 1834 |
HISTORY |
1154 |
Record of 3 bells being hung in the Gundulf Tower by Prior Reginald, one of them coming from a former cracked bell. |
1251-74 |
Record that Richard of Waldedene made a bell called Andrew. |
1343 |
Bishop Hamo de Hythe built up the central tower and hung 4 bells in it. |
1545 |
Record of 6 bells in the central tower with the bells in the Gundulf Tower gone. |
1635 |
3rd (of 6) recast by John Wilnar. |
1683 |
5th and Tenor (of 6) recast by Christopher Hodson. |
1695 |
Treble (of 6) recast by John Wood of Chancery Lane. |
1711 |
Richard Phelps gave an estimate to recast the 4th (of 6) although he never actually did. |
1712 |
4th (of 6) recast by James Bagley of Cripplegate, who also quarter-turned the 2nd. |
| 1749 | Upper part of the tower and spire rebuilt. |
1770 |
Treble (of 6) recast by Lester & Pack. |
| 1823 | Old tower demolished to ringing chamber level and a taller, pinnacled tower built by L N Cottingham. |
1834 |
Tenor (of 6) recast by Thomas Mears. |
1838 |
Some bells repaired and rehung by John Stedman. |
1840 |
Some bells repaired and rehung by John Stedman. |
1843 |
Some bells repaired and rehung by John Stedman. |
1882 |
Bells rehung and Ellacombe chiming apparatus restored by H. Stokes of Woodbury. |
1904 |
Cottingham's work was demolished and the present bell chamber and spire were built and the lower part of the tower refaced by C Hodgson Fowler. Treble, 2nd, 3rd and 5th of 6 recast and the ring augmented to eight by Mears & Stainbank at the expense of Mr Thomas Hellyar Foord. Dedicated 30th November, 1904, by Dr Randall Davidson, Archbishop of Canterbury, and formerly Bishop of Rochester. |
1921 |
Whole peal recast into 10 by Gillett & Johnston. Two new pits were formed on the south side: lowside frames on RSJs. |
1960 |
Bells rehung in a new frame by John Taylor. |
| c.1935 | The frame was braced by the erection of steel 'buttresses' at each corner. |
1991 |
6 of the clappers were refurbished by John Taylor together with a number of pulley wheels. |
PHOTOGRAPHS |