banner1.jpg (38669 bytes)

SELLING, St Mary the Virgin

Photo RCO 2005
8 bells
Tenor 5-3-26 in C
Grid Ref. TR038568
Canterbury District
Frame: 1899 Mears & Stainbank
Retuning: Never subsequently retuned
Upstairs Ringing Room
PEALS
& "The Seal Mystery"
by Dickon Love

DETAILS OF THE BELLS
Bell Weight Diameter Cast Founder

1

2-0-24

20"

1980

Whitechapel

2

2-1-0

201/2"

1980

Whitechapel

3

2-1-16

211/4"

1980

Whitechapel

4

2-2-8

221/4"

1980

Whitechapel

5

3-0-12

241/4"

1980

Whitechapel

6

3-2-0

253/8"

1980

Whitechapel

7

4-2-16

28"

1980

Whitechapel

8

5-3-26

31"

1980

Whitechapel

INSCRIPTIONS
1.  
 

I.P.M.
MONTAGUE GEORGE NEAME
OF HAREFIELD
WHO DIED 28TH FEBRAURY 1899
ERECTED BY HIS WIDOW AND SON

RECAST
19

wc1981.jpg (2438 bytes)

80

WHITECHAPEL
2.  
 

I.P.M.
EDWIN NEAME
OF HAREFIELD
WHO DIED 20TH JANUARY 1895
ERECTED BY HIS WIDOW AND SON

RECAST
19

wc1981.jpg (2438 bytes)

80

WHITECHAPEL
3.  
 

RECAST
19

wc1981.jpg (2438 bytes)

80

WHITECHAPEL
4.  
 

RECAST
19

wc1981.jpg (2438 bytes)

80

WHITECHAPEL
5.  
 

RECAST
19

wc1981.jpg (2438 bytes)

80

WHITECHAPEL
6.  
 

RECAST
19

wc1981.jpg (2438 bytes)

80

WHITECHAPEL
7.  
 

RECAST
19

wc1981.jpg (2438 bytes)

80

WHITECHAPEL
8.  
 
IN 1638 SOME OF US WERE HERE
IN 1766 WE BECAME SIX
IN 1899 WE BECAME EIGHT
IN 1980 WE WERE ALL RECAST

RECAST
19

wc1981.jpg (2438 bytes)

80

WHITECHAPEL

FORMER BELLS

The bells that were recast in 1980 at Whitechapel. These are the details recorded at the time.

Bell

Supplied
Weight

Scrapped
Weight

Diameter

Note

Cast

Founder

1

3-3-17

3-3-12

251/4"

A

1899

Mears & Stainbank

2

4-0-23

4-0-20

261/4"

G sharp

1899

Mears & Stainbank

3

5-0-12

5-0-8

281/8"

F sharp

1766

Lester & Pack

4

5-3-4

5-2-12

30"

E

1766

Lester & Pack

5

5-3-11

5-3-8

319/16"

D

1899

Mears & Stainbank

6

6-3-6

6-3-4

3215/16"

C sharp

1766

Lester & Pack

7

7-1-6

7-1-8

347/8"

B

1899

Mears & Stainbank

8

9-3-5

9-3-2

381/8"

A

1766

Lester & Pack

These bore the following inscriptions:

1. MEARS & STAINBANK, FOUNDERS, LONDON. 1899
TO THE MEMORY OF
MONTAGU GEORGE NEAME
OF HAREFIELD
WHO DIED 28TH FEBRUARY 1899.
ERECTED BY HIS WIDOW AND SON.
2. MEARS & STAINBANK, FOUNDERS, LONDON. 1899
TO THE MEMORY OF
EDWIN NEAME
OF HAREFIELD
WHO DIED 20TH JANUARY 1895.
ERECTED BY HIS WIDOW AND SON.
3. LESTER & PACK OF LONDON FECIT 1766
4.    (orn)
LESTER & PACK OF LONDON FECIT 1766
5. RECAST BY MEARS & STAINBANK, LONDON. 1899
6.   LESTER & PACK OF LONDON FECIT (orn) THESE SIX BELLS CAST BY SUBSCRIPTION ANNO DO 1766
7. RECAST BY MEARS & STAINBANK, LONDON. 1899.
IN 1638, SOME OF US WERE HERE,
IN 1766, WE BECAME SIX,
IN 1899, WE BECAME EIGHT,
WHEN THE REV: J. ELLSTON, WAS VICAR,
T. P. BYRON, ESQ: AND ARTHUR NEAME, ESQ:
WERE CHURCHWARDENS
8.   LESTER & PACK OF LONDON FECIT 1766

The "Peals Book" in the Whitechapel Bell Foundry archives gives the following details for a tower labelled as "Seal".
It is actually thought that the details are actually for Selling.
See The Seal Mystery article for justification of this ascertion.
This therefore gives us weights for the bells that were recast by Mears & Stainbank in 1899.

Bell Weight
(measured in 1766)		 Weight
(measured in 1899)		 Diameter Cast Founder
Treble 5-0-12 5-0-16 28½" 1766

Lester & Pack
2nd 5-3-4 - 30" 1766 Lester & Pack
3rd 6-0-27 5-3-8 32" 1766 Lester & Pack
4th 6-3-6 - 33" 1766 Lester & Pack
5th 7-3-1 7-1-8 35¼" 1766 Lester & Pack
Tenor 9-3-5 -- 38¼" 1766 Lester & Pack

The previous 3rd (of 6) was inscribed as the 3rd (of 8 above).
The 5th (of 6 recast as the 7th of 8) was inscribed:

3. LESTER & PACK OF LONDON FECIT 1766 JOHN POTTER BELLHANGER
 

Prior to 1766 there were 4 bells in the tower in their own frame (dated 1638).
3 were mediaeval and the tenor was recast by William Hatch in 1657.
Mr Faussett preserved the inscriptions in c.1760. Allowing for an error in his original transcription, they were as follows:

1. Sancte Roberte Ora Pro Nobis
 
2. Sit Nomen Domini Benedictum
 
3. In Multis Annis Resonet Campana Iohannis
 
4. MARY 1657  WILLIAM HATCH MADE ME
 

HISTORY

1638

This is the date on the old 4-bell frame. (The dated part was preserved when the bells were rehung in 1899.) There were 4 bells in the frame, at least 3 of which were mediaeval.

1657

Tenor recast by William Hatch.

1760

Fausett records 4 bells in the tower: 3 pre-reformation bells with the William Hatch bell as the tenor.

1766

Bells recast into a ring of 6 by Lester & Pack and hung in the 1638 frame, which was adapted from one designed for four bells by John Potter.

1899

The 3rd and the 5th which were cracked were recast and 2 trebles were added to make 8 bells by Mears & Stainbank. The bells retained their canons, those of the 1899 bells being of the Doncaster type. The remaining 1766 bells were tuned and all rehung in a new cast iron frame on a timber foundation. Ellacombe chiming apparatus was also installed.

1980

Bells recast into a lighter octave and rehung by Whitechapel. The frame was overhauled and the Ellacombe chiming apparatus was discarded.