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Margate, St John the Baptist
 Photo: Dickon Love
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Details of the Bells |
| Bell | Weight (most recent) | (As received 1900) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Canons | Retuned | ||
| ® | Treble | 6-0-4 | 6-2-3 | 31" | D♯ | 1823 | Thomas Mears II | Removed | 1900 John Taylor | |
| ® | 2 | 6-1-23 | 6-3-25 | 32⅜" | C* | 1823 | Thomas Mears II | Removed | 1900 John Taylor | |
| ® | 3 | 8-1-26 | 34¼" | B♯ | 1900 | John Taylor & Co., Loughborough | Flat | Never | ||
| ® | 4 | 10-3-7 | 11-1-11 | 35¾" | A♯ | 1785 | William Mears | Removed | Never | |
| ® | 5 | 12-2-10 | 13-0-23 | 41⅛" | G♯ | 1785 | William Mears | Removed | Never | |
| ® | 6 | 11-3-14 | 12-1-23 | 41⅜" | F* | 1785 | William Mears | Removed | Never | |
| ® | 7 | 14-2-26 | 15-1-0 | 44⅛" | E♯ | 1785 | William Mears | Removed | Never | |
| ® | Tenor | 21-2-3 | 22-1-22 | 51½" | D♯ | 1785 | William Mears | Removed | Never |
Bellframes |
| Position |
Frame | Bells | Year | Maker | Material | Truss(es) | Local Layout | |||
| Lower tier | 1 | 3,4,6,7,8 | 1900 | John Taylor & Co., Loughborough | Cast iron |
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5.12 |
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| Upper tier | 2 | 1,2,5 | 1900 | John Taylor & Co., Loughborough | Cast iron |
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Inscriptions |
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How the bells are tuned |
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Prior to 1900 |
| Bell | Weight (most recent)* | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
| 3rd (of 8) | 8-2-11 | 34¼" | C | 1785 | William Mears | Never | Recast in 1900 |
Ring of five prior to 1785 |
| Bell | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
| Treble | Late 16th Cent | Thomas Hatch | Never | Recast in 1785 | |
| 2 | 1615 | Joseph Hatch | Never | Recast in 1785 | |
| 3 | Blackletter | Unknown | Never | Recast in 1785 | |
| 4 | Blackletter | Unknown | Never | Recast in 1785 | |
| Tenor | 1445-1449 | John Sturdy | Never | Recast in 1785 |
History |
| c | 1400 | 2 bells cast, later forming 3 and 4 of 5. | |
| c | 1440 | Bell cast by John Sturdy, later forming the tenor. | |
| c | 1585 | Bell cast by Thomas Hatch (at some time forming the treble of 5). | |
| 1615 | 2nd (of 5) recast by Joseph Hatch. | ||
| 1723 | Lewis, in his "History of Thanet" quotes the five bells as being "tunable". | ||
| 1785 | Bells recast into a ring of 6 by William Mears. They were opened on Monday 12 December by the Society of Canterbury Ringers. [1] | ||
| 1823 | 2 trebles added by Thomas Mears to make 8. | ||
| 1900 | 3rd recast and bells rehung in a new composite 2-tier frame by John Taylor. Note that they did NOT retune the back 5 bells but did tune the 2 trebles. | ||
| 1935 | Bells overhauled by John Taylor. | ||
| 2011 | The tenor was given a wooden shafted clapper, by John Taylor. |
| [1] | On MONDAY next will be opened, at MARGATE, in KENT, A NEW PEAL OF SIX BELLS cast by Mr. MEARS, of LONDON (the late LESTER, PACK and CHAPMAN) by the SOCIETY OF CANTERBURY RINGERSL when every Friend fond of that Art, the Favour of their Company will be particularly esteemed. (Kentish Gazette - Friday 09 December 1785) |
Gallery |
Photo: Christopher J Cooper, 2000 |
The 7th bell. Photo: Christopher J Cooper, 2000 |
Photo: Christopher J Cooper, 2000 |
An old photograph of the bells and ringers in 1900 Photo: Simon Friend's collection, Margate |
Elsewhere in the Parish |
 | Margate, Jubilee Tower Hour bell and 4 quarter chimes |
| Margate, Pier Formerly single bell, 3-0-0, washed away | |
 | Margate, The Centre Formerly 2 sets of hour bell and 4 quarter bells (3-2-6 and 3-1-20), now in storage |
| Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent | Page updated: 1 August 2020 |
