Lyminge, Ss Mary & Eadburga
Photo: Brian Butcher |
♫ Recording of the ring of bells prior to retuning in 2002.(William A Hibbert) ♫ Recording of the ring of bells after retuning in 2002.(William A Hibbert) ♫ Recording of the ring of bells prior to retuning in 2002.(c. 1979) |
Details of the Bells |
Bell | Weight (most recent) | (Prior to retuning) | (1904 Plaque on wall) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Canons | Retuned | ||
® | Treble | 4-3-14 | 5-1-24 | 5-1-20 | 29" | E | 1904 | Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel | Removed | 2002 Whitechapel | |
® | 2 | 5-1-12 | 6-0-4 | 6-0-0 | 30¼" | D♯ | 1904 | Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel | Removed | 2002 Whitechapel | |
® | 3 | 6-0-15 | 6-3-1 | 6-3-9 | 32⅜" | C♯ | 1904 | Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel | Removed | 2002 Whitechapel | |
® | 4 | 6-2-27 | 33¾" | B | 1631 | John Wilnar, Borden, Kent | Conventional | 2002 Whitechapel | |||
® | 5 | 7-1-0 | 35¾" | A | 1785 | William Mears | Removed | 2002 Whitechapel | |||
® | 6 | 8-3-6 | 37¹¹⁄₁₆" | G♯ | 1727 | Samuel Knight, Southwark | Removed | 2002 Whitechapel | |||
® | 7 | 9-0-26 | 40½" | F♯ | 1785 | William Mears | Removed | 2002 Whitechapel | |||
® | Tenor | 15-3-25 | 18-0-11 | 17¾ cwt approx. | 46" | E | 1759 | Lester & Pack, Whitechapel | Removed | 2002 Whitechapel |
Bellframes |
Frame | Bells | Year | Maker | Material | Truss(es) | Local Layout | |||
1 | All bells | 1904 | Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel |
Inscriptions |
How the bells are tuned |
Earlier ring of five bells |
Bell | Weight (most recent) | Diameter | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
Treble (of 5) | 7¼ cwt approx. | 33¾" | 1631 | John Wilnar | Never | Present 4th | |
2nd (of 5) | 1585 | Thomas Hatch | Never | Recast 1785 | |||
3rd (of 5) | 9½ cwt approx. | 37¹¹⁄₁₆" | 1727 | Samuel Knight | Never | Present 6th | |
4th (of 5) | 1727 | Samuel Knight | Never | Recast 1785 | |||
Tenor (of 5) | 1508 | Unknown | Never | Recast 1759 |
Later treble |
Bell | Weight (most recent) | Diameter | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
Treble | 6-2-12 | 33" | 1810 | Thomas Mears I | Never | Recast 1904 |
History |
1508 | Tenor recast at the bequest of Rev'd Thomas Duffyn. | ||
1552 | Record of 5 bells. [1] | ||
1585 | 2nd (of 5) recast by Thomas Hatch. | ||
1631 | Treble (of 5) recast by John Wilnar (this is the current 4th). Stahlschmidt writes that "Local tradition affirms that [this] bell was cast on the green near the church, and that silver coins were thrown into the molten metal by members of the Honywood amily of Sibton. | ||
1727 | 3rd and 4th (of 5) recast by Samuel Knight. | ||
1758 | Record of 5 bells in the tower. [2] | ||
1759 | Tenor recast by Lester & Pack. In the inscription is the weight 18-0-27. Mears & Stainbank later estimated this to be too high. | ||
1787 | 2nd and 4th (of 5) recast by William Mears. | ||
1799 | Record of 5 bells in the tower. [3] | ||
1810 | Treble added by Thomas Mears to make 6. The augmented ring was opened on 30 June. [4] | ||
1904 | Treble recast and 2 trebles added by Mears & Stainbank to make 8. Whole peal rehung in a new rivetted wrought steel frame. | ||
1960 | Bells rehung by Mears & Stainbank. Only the headstocks went to the foundry. | ||
2002 | Bells retuned by Whitechapel and rehung by Matthew Higby. Site work was carried out with the assistance of the KCACR. |
[1] | Item v belles in the steple. Item ij hand belles and ij sacryng belles. (Edwardian Inventory, 1552) |
[2] | "The Church is an Handsome Building of Flint Stones; and consists of ye Body, and 1 Side Isle toward ye North. The whole Structure is cover’d with Lead. The Bells, which are 5 in Number, hang in a beautyfull Square Tower, at ye West End, having a Small Spire in ye Middle. The Bells have ye following Inscriptions. 1. John Wilnar made Me. 1631. W.N. (Stahl. 344. Prest. 1 is T. Mears & Son, 1810 now 2). 2. J.B. 1585. In ye Name of God. Amen. T.H. 3. William Marche, Robert Wood, Samuel Knight fecit. 1727. (No. 3 is Wm. Mears, 1785). Now 4. 4. William Rigden, Samuel Knight fecit. 1727. 5. Sancta Maria, Ora pro Nobis. (No.5 now W.M. 1785). (Reset by L. & Pack in 1759, & is now No.6)." (Rev’d Bryan Faussett, 1758) |
[3] | The church, which is dedicated St. Mary and St. Eadburgh, consists of two isles and a chancel, having a square tower steeple, with a low pointed turret on it, at the west end, in which are five bells. ('The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent. Vol 8', Edward Hasted) |
[4] | To RINGERS and OTHERS. THE NEW PEAL of SIX BELLS will be opened, at LYMINGE, ON SATURDAY next. 30th inst. when the company of any set of Ringers, or other Gentlemen, will be thankfully acknowledged by Mr Robert Hogben. A good Ordinary, at the Coach and Horses, at one o'clock. Lyminge, June 25th, 1810. (Kentish Gazette (Tuesday 26 June 1810)) |
Articles
Gallery |
The 8 bells were removed in January, 2002, and loaded on this lorry heading for the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. Photo: Matthew Higby 2002 |
Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent | Page updated: 1 April 2016 |