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Lyminge
 

Lyminge, Ss Mary & Eadburga


Photo: Brian Butcher

Details of the Bells

Bell Weight
(most recent)

(Prior to retuning)

(1904 Plaque on wall)
Diameter Note Date Founder Canons Retuned
® Treble 4-3-145-1-245-1-2029" E 1904 Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel Removed 2002 Whitechapel
® 2 5-1-126-0-46-0-030¼" D♯ 1904 Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel Removed 2002 Whitechapel
® 3 6-0-156-3-16-3-932⅜" C♯ 1904 Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel Removed 2002 Whitechapel
® 4 6-2-2733¾" B 1631 John Wilnar, Borden, Kent Conventional 2002 Whitechapel
® 5 7-1-035¾" A 1785 William Mears Removed 2002 Whitechapel
® 6 8-3-637¹¹⁄₁₆" G♯ 1727 Samuel Knight, Southwark Removed 2002 Whitechapel
® 7 9-0-2640½" F♯ 1785 William Mears Removed 2002 Whitechapel
® Tenor 15-3-2518-0-1117¾ cwt approx.46" E 1759 Lester & Pack, Whitechapel Removed 2002 Whitechapel

®  - Hung for full circle ringing

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)
DiameterDateFounderRetunedFate
Treble (of 5)7¼ cwt approx.33¾"1631John WilnarNeverPresent 4th
2nd (of 5)1585Thomas HatchNeverRecast 1785
3rd (of 5)9½ cwt approx.37¹¹⁄₁₆"1727Samuel KnightNeverPresent 6th
4th (of 5)1727Samuel KnightNeverRecast 1785
Tenor (of 5)1508UnknownNeverRecast 1759

Later treble

Bell Weight
(most recent)
DiameterDateFounderRetunedFate
Treble6-2-1233"1810Thomas Mears INeverRecast 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

  • "St Mary and St Ethelburga, Lyminge, Kent", Joyce. David M (The Ringing World) 10 August 1973
  • "Kent County Association Report on the Bells", Alan P S Berry (KCACR) 10 June 1974
  • 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