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ST MARGARET-AT-CLIFFE
St Margaret of Antioch

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8 bells + service bell
Tenor: 6-0-2 in C
Grid Ref. TR358447
Frame: 16th cent for service bell; rest 1977.
Canterbury District
Electric keyboard chime

DETAILS OF THE BELLS

Bell

Weight

Diameter

Note

Cast

Founder

1

1-1-1

17⅜"

C

1977

Whitechapel

2

1-1-20

18¼"

B

1977

Whitechapel

3

1-2-6

20"

A

1977

Whitechapel

4

2-1-12

22"

G

1977

Whitechapel

5

3-0-21

24¼"

F

1977

Whitechapel

6

3-1-26

25⅜"

E

1977

Whitechapel

7

4-3-2

28"

D

1977

Whitechapel

8

6-0-2

31"

C

1977

Whitechapel

Service Bell

6½ cwt approx

32"

B

1696

John Wood

INSCRIPTIONS
1.  

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WHITECHAPEL
2.  

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WHITECHAPEL
3.  

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WHITECHAPEL
4.  

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WHITECHAPEL
5.  

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WHITECHAPEL
6.  

STEPHEN EASTER
VICAR
JUBILEE YEAR
1977

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7.  

THE ST MARGARET'S BAY TRUST
1977
F. E. CLEARY, M. B. E.
FOUNDER

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8.  

ELIZABETH II
SILVER JUBILEE
1977

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WHITECHAPEL
S.   I C 1696
(4 imprints of a shilling of William III at cardinal points; 3 on soundbow, 1 on lower waist)

HISTORY

1696

Bell cast by John Wood (an itinerant founder, based in Bishopsgate, London). It was hung for ringing in a new double braced king post frame.
1759 Rev'd Bryan Faussett didn't note this bell, but did note 3 bells broken into pieces.
This Church is large, and high, and supported by many round, wrought Arches, and large tall Pillars. It has, also, round the Top of the Wall, on the out Side, many Small, round, wrought Arches and Pillasters. It consists of ye Chancell, Body, and 2 Side Isles. The Tower, which is very large and roomy, and adorn’d with Pillasters, Arches and carv’d Work, is at ye West End, and seems ready to fall. There were 3 Bells in it, wch. are now broken to Peices and lay in an Old Chest. They were taken down, for Fear of their falling, or overturning ye Tower; but what they were broken to Pieces for, I cd. not learn.
1800 Edward Hasted wrote:
The tower, which is square, had formerly four small turrets, one at each corner, but about the year 1711, that turret on the west side, with a part of the tower, fell down, and the tower having never been repaired, the other three turrets were probably taken down to make the whole appear more uniform.

1887

 Stahlschmidt records that local tradition asserts that there were once more bells in the tower and that they were sold to Ashford or Portsmouth. He notes that the upper part of the tower was ruinous for many years and so may indeed have been repaired through the sale of bells. There is no evidence that they went to Ashford.

1977

 A chime of 8 was cast to commemorate the Queen's Silver Jubilee. They were cast without canons and hang in pairs just beneath the concrete roof of the tower on steel joists. They are fitted with internal solenoid operated hammers which are controlled from a small ivory keyboard in the vestry.