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STROOD, St Nicholas
10 tubular bells (formerly 6 bells)
Former tenor of 3: 8½ cwt approx.
Former tenor of 6: 16 cwt approx.
Grid Ref. TQ736693
3 bells sold 1850
3 bells sold 1898

EARLIER BELLS

Bell

Weight

 Diameter

Cast

Founder

Fate

1

5 cwt approx.

 30"

1765

Unknown

 Sold 1898

2

6 cwt approx.

 32"

1788

"Old" John Warner

 Sold 1898

3

8½ cwt approx.

 36"

1788

"Old" John Warner

 Sold 1898
4         Sold 1841
5         Sold 1841
6         Sold 1841
I have tried to reconstruct the old ring of bells from evidence available.
  • Stahlschmidt (in 1887) states that there were 3 bells, the details being 1,2 and 3 above.
  • Hasted (in 1797) states that there were 6 bells, of which one of them was added in 1765.  This suggests that the 1765 bell above was the treble, and therefore the 1788 bells numbers 2 and 3.
  • Stahlschmidt states that 3 bells were cracked and sold "about 50 years ago" to offset the purchase of a new clock.
  • Given the diameters of the bells recorded by Stahlschmidt, the ring of six was probably about 16 or 17 cwt.

INSCRIPTIONS
1. WA WC WB SB GB WP 1765
 
2. WM MUMFORD WM BENNETT CHURCHWARDENS JOHN WARNER FOUNDER OF LONDON 1788
 
3. WM MUMFORD WM BENNETT CHURCHWARDENS JOHN WARNER FOUNDER OF LONDON 1788
 
4. [unknown]
 
5. [unknown]
 
6. [unknown]
 

HISTORY

1552

Record of 4 bells and a sanctus in the tower.

1765

The bells had been augmented to 5 at some stage, and in this year a new bell was added to make 6.

1788

2 bells (conjectured to be the 2nd and 3rd of 6) were recast by "Old" John Warner.
1797 Edward Hasted wrote:
The church of Stroud is dedicated to St. Nicholas. It was formerly a chapel to the parish church of Frindsbury… It is a spacious building, consisting of a nave and two isles, and the great chancel, with a tower steeple at the west end, in which is a clock and six bells, one of which was added in 1765.

1818

The church and top of the tower were rebuilt.
1846-1850 Some parts of the church clock went missing, stolen it seems by a workman of the millwright and horologist John Stedman.  A new clock was therefore bought from the sale of 3 of the cracked bells.  Stedman also received a £10 reward for leading the parish to the apprehension of the thief.  The bells were sold in 1850.  This bizarre story is recounted by Henry Smetham in his "History of Strood", 1898, where he quotes the minute book of the Strood Trustees:
1846 7th April "Ordered, that the clerk do to-morrow write to Mr Steadman and request him to restore the works of the parish clock immediately".
  14th April Mr Steadman had not answered the clerk's letter. "Ordered, that Messrs West and Bass be appointed to wait upon him and endeavour to induce him to restore the works of the parish clock."
  21st April The two emissaries above named were unable to see Mr Steadman, that gentleman being ill; but they reported that the worthy but unfortunate clocksmith (he was in fact a millwright) had handed over the missing vitals to his workman, named Sedgewick. Mr Wickham "is desired to interrogate" the last named horological authority  ...
  5th May Mr Steadman "is informed that the Trustees will pay him two guineas for replacing and repairing them within two weeks."
  29th May It appears that the works had been stolen! The Trustees resolve "To offer £10 reward for the apprehension of the person or persons by whom the said works were clandestinely removed."
  7th July No news being forthcoming, "Mr Wickham is instructed to prepare a case for the opinion of counsel as to what steps should be taken to recover the missing works of the parish clock or compensation for the loss of them."
  11th Aug "Resolved, that so many of the bells which are cracked as shall be necessary to enable the Trustees to pay for a new clock and the fixing thereof shall be sold. Resolved, that [9 members] are hereby constituted a committee for the purpose of selling the said bells, and with the proceeds of such sale of purchasing a new turret clock and having the same fixed in the tower of the church."
  10th Nov "Ordered, that the sum of ten guineas demanded by Mr Steadman be paid at the first opportunity from the poor rate." Apparently the clocksmith scored!
1850 16th May "By proceeds of the sale of bells £79..18s..1d
To [sundry works] and balance paid Messrs Moore £32..9s..5d
To Mr Steadman for losing the works £10"
1887 A gentleman offered to put a new ring of bells in the tower.  This generous offer was rejected by the Trustees.  Smetham writes:
1887 10th Mar One for the three remaining bells having become cracked, the Vicar, Mr Banning offered to place in the tower "A complete and splendiferous peal of bells". Misgiving existed among some of the Trustees as to the stability of the tower and "On the proposition being put to the meeting that the Trustees give their consent to the placing of extra bells in the tower of the Church, and a show of hands being called for, the proposition was declared lost." Had things gone differently, the new bells would have lasted only eleven years.
1887 J C L Stahlschmidt wrote:
Formerly six bells; the other three (being cracked) were sold about fifty years ago, the proceeds being mainly appropriated to the purchase of a new clock.
1898 The tower was gutted by fire, the bells crashed and broke and later sold. A new clock was purchased and 10 tubular bells were installed, made by Harrington, Latham & Co.  Smetham writes:
1898 17th Dec "A disastrous fire broke out under the floor of the tower....the whole of the interior fittings were entirely destroyed. The ringing platform went first, then the clock and finally the bells, which came down with a heavy crash and smashed to pieces among the debris. ....the Insurance brought forth the sum of £1780, with such other sums as the sale of the bells, &c, might raise.... It was decided, after a visit of inspection to Holy Trinity Church, Sloane Square, London [by a committee] and after their favourable report on the same to have a peal of ten tubular bells, completely fitted with chiming apparatus, erected in the tower, in lieu of the three cracked bells lost in the fire. Also a new clock ....The bells were contracted for by Messrsd Harrington, Latham & Co., of Coventry, for the sum of £291; and the clock by Messrs John Smith & Sons, of Derby, fotr the sum of £135."