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Beckenham, St George
 Photo: Dickon Love
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♫ Sound clip of the ring of bells.(c. 1979) |
Details of the Bells |
| Bell | Weight (most recent) | (As dispatched in 1903) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Canons | Retuned | ||
| ® | Treble | 4-1-12 | 25⅛" | A | 1934 | Gillett & Johnston, Croydon (5001) | Flat | Never | ||
| ® | 2 | 4-1-22 | 26" | G | 1934 | Gillett & Johnston, Croydon (5002) | Flat | Never | ||
| ® | 3 | 4¼ cwt approx. | 4-3-20 | 28" | F | 1902 | John Warner & Sons | Removed | Never | |
| ® | 4 | 5 cwt approx. | 5-0-19 | 29" | E | 1902 | John Warner & Sons | Removed | Never | |
| ® | 5 | 5¼ cwt approx. | 5-2-10 | 30¼" | D | 1902 | John Warner & Sons | Removed | Never | |
| ® | 6 | 6½ cwt approx. | 6-2-26 | 32½" | C | 1902 | John Warner & Sons | Removed | Never | |
| ® | 7 | 6¾ cwt approx. | 7-3-3 | 35" | B♭ | 1902 | John Warner & Sons | Removed | Never | |
| ® | 8 | 7¾ cwt approx. | 8-0-17 | 36½" | A | 1902 | John Warner & Sons | Removed | Never | |
| ® | 9 | 10½ cwt approx. | 11-0-12 | 40" | G | 1902 | John Warner & Sons | Removed | Never | |
| ® | Tenor | 14-0-2 | 14-2-18 | 44" | F | 1903 | John Warner & Sons | Removed | Never | |
| Sanctus | 2-0-0 | 21" | 1894 | Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel | Never |
Bellframes |
| Position |
Frame | Bells | Year | Maker | Material | Truss(es) | Local Layout | |||
| Lower tier | 1 | 2,3,5,6,7,8,9,10 | 1902 | John Warner & Sons | ||||||
| Upper tier | 2 | 1,4 | 1934 | Gillett & Johnston, Croydon |
Inscriptions |
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Prior to 1902 recast |
| Bell | Weight (most recent) | Diameter | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
| Treble | 4½ cwt approx. | 29" | 1796 | Thomas Mears I | Never | Recast 1902 | |
| 2 | 5 cwt approx. | 31" | 1640 | William Lambart | Never | Recast 1902. | |
| 3 | 6 cwt approx. | 32½" | 1624 | Thomas Bartlett | Never | Recast 1902 | |
| 4 | 9 cwt approx. | 36½" | 1629 | Thomas Bartlett | Never | Recast 1902 | |
| 5 | 10 cwt approx. | 40½" | 1625 | Thomas Bartlett | Never | Recast 1902 | |
| Tenor | 15 cwt approx. | 45" | 1629 | Thomas Bartlett | Never | Recast 1902. KCACR Handbook says 20cwt |
History |
| 1454 | Record of new bells for the church, paid for from a bequest by Ralph Langle. [1] | ||
| 1552 | Record of 4 bells in the tower. [2] | ||
| E | 1624 | Bell cast by Thomas Bartlett (treble of 4). | |
| 1625 | Bell cast by Thomas Bartlett (3rd of 4). | ||
| 1629 | 2 bells cast by Thomas Bartlett (2nd and tenor of 4). | ||
| 1640 | Treble added by William Lambert to make 5. | ||
| 1783 | Vestry decided to purchase a 6th bell, although it is not clear whether one was actually purchased at this time. | ||
| 1790 | 23rd Dec | Shingle spire destroyed in a thunder storm, together with much of the church. | |
| 1791 | The Vestry agreed not to rebuild the spire, but rather to make good the lead gutters in the belfry and to allow the tower to remain in its incomplete condition | ||
| 1794 | Contrary to the earlier decision, the spire was rebuilt, and the bells were rehung. | ||
| 1796 | Treble bell added to make 6 by Thomas Mears. | ||
| c | 1870 | There was a fatal accident in the belfry. The bells had been raised ready for wedding ringing when a workman visited the belfry to execute some repairs. He accidentally knocked off the 5th (of 6) which hit him on the head and killed him immediately. Traces of this sad event remained in the belfry until the old tower was pulled down. | |
| 1887 | Church rebuilt and reconsecrated. The bells were rehung in a wooden shed on top of the incomplete tower. They were not rung but struck by hammers worked by chiming apparatus in the ringing chamber beneath. | ||
| 1894 | Sanctus Bell cast by Mears & Stainbank. | ||
| 1902 | Tower completed to its full height. Bells recast into a ring of 8 by John Warner. They were removed from the tower on 11th July. | ||
| 1903 | Tenor bell completed by John Warner and all 8 bells hung in the tower on 6th March and dedicated by the Archbishop of Canterbury on 14th November. | ||
| 1904 | The Beckenham Guild of Ringers was formed on 16th June and the bells first rung on 8th July. | ||
| 1934 | 2 treble bells added to make 10 by Gillett & Johnston. | ||
| 1952 | Back 8 quarter turned and rehung on ball bearings by Gillett & Johnston and all 10 were first rung on 7th October. | ||
| 1986 | Tenor rehung on ball bearings and canons removed by Whitechapel after its gudgeon broke. | ||
| 1992 | Bells 3 - 9 rehung on ball bearings and canons removed by Whitechapel. | ||
| 1999 | Sound control completed in the tower. | ||
| 2013 | The bearings of the tenor were replaced and the opportunity was taken of weighing it and the 6th in the tower. |
| [1] | Ralph Langle of Beckenham by his will bequeathed "ordinacioni nove campane ibidem iij s iiij d". ("Reliquary", Mr E H IV Dunkin for 1877-8.) |
| [2] | Item iiij bells of bellmetell suted in the steple whereof on was broken. Item ij litle sacryng bells of brasse. Mem.: "one hand bell and one Sacrament bell of brasse" had been sold. (Edwardian Inventory, 1552) |
Articles
Gallery |
Photographs from 1903 when the bells were on display in the churchyard. Photo: Picture displayed in the ringing room. |
1903 photograph. Photo: Picture displayed in the ringing room. |
1903 photograph. Photo: Picture displayed in the ringing room. |
The church as it looked before the tower was completed. Photo: |
Elsewhere in the Parish |
| Beckenham Place, Mansion |
| Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent | Page updated: 1 April 2016 |