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Sheldwich
 

Sheldwich, St James


Photo: Richard Offen, 2011

  • 8 bells hung for full circle ringing
  • Tenor: 7-0-26 in B♭.
  • Grid Ref: TR011568
  • Complete ring cast at the same time
  • Rung from: Open Gallery
  • Frame: 1998 Whitechapel Bell Foundry
  • Denomination: Church of England
    Diocese (Anglican): Canterbury
    Archdeaconry (Anglican): Maidstone
  • Kent County Association of Change Ringers District: Canterbury
  • Building Listed Grade: II* Click for Heritage details.
  • Peals rung at the tower

Details of the Bells

Bell Weight
(most recent)
Diameter Note Date Founder Canons Retuned
® Treble 2-2-622" A 1998 Whitechapel Bell Foundry Flat Never
® 2 2-2-2422½" G♯ 1998 Whitechapel Bell Foundry Flat Never
® 3 2-3-2323⅝" F♯ 1998 Whitechapel Bell Foundry Flat Never
® 4 3-0-2324¾" E 1998 Whitechapel Bell Foundry Flat Never
® 5 3-2-1726⅝" D 1998 Whitechapel Bell Foundry Flat Never
® 6 4-1-1928" C♯ 1998 Whitechapel Bell Foundry Flat Never
® 7 5-2-1931" B 1998 Whitechapel Bell Foundry Flat Never
® Tenor 7-0-2634" A 1998 Whitechapel Bell Foundry Flat Never

®  - Hung for full circle ringing

Bellframes

Frame Bells Year Maker Material Truss(es) Local
Layout
1 All bells 1998 Whitechapel Bell Foundry Cast iron
8.3.A
8.3

Inscriptions

Ring of four prior to 1801

Bell DateFounderRetunedFate
Treble (of 4)MediaevalUnknownNeverRecast 1801
2 (of 4)MediaevalUnknownNeverRecast 1801
3 (of 4)1606Joseph HatchNeverRecast 1801
Tenor (of 4)1624John WilnarNeverRecast 1801

The new ring 1801 ring of six

Bell Weight
(most recent)*
DiameterDateFounderRetunedFate
Treble5-1-529¼"1801Thomas Mears IINeverRecast 1865
2nd5-3-1830½"1801Thomas Mears IINeverRecast 1867
3rd6-3-1832¾"1801Thomas Mears IINeverMaiden bell. Recast 1998.
4th7-2-834"1801Thomas Mears IINeverMaiden bell. Recast 1998.
5th8-3-1137½"1801Thomas Mears IINeverRecast 1998
Tenor12-3-1542"1801Thomas Mears IINeverMaiden bell. Recast 1998.

* Source of weight figures: Cast weights given from WBF records

Bells recast from the 1801 ring

Bell DiameterDateFounderRetunedFate
Treble (of 6)28.5"1865John Warner & SonsNeverTuned and trans to Alderton Wilts (1 of 6).
2nd (of 6)29⅞"1867John Warner & SonsNeverTuned, trans Gringley on the Hill 4-3-16 (2/6)

History

1606 The 3rd (of 4) was recast by Joseph Hatch.
1624 The tenor (of 4) was recast by John Wilnar.
1635 The 4 bells were rehung in a new frame.
1801 The ring of 4 bells was replaced with a ring of 6, by Thomas Mears, These were hung in a new frame.
1865 Treble (of 6) recast by John Warner.
1867 2nd (of 6) recast by John Warner.
1906 A failure in the tower (possibly during a wedding) rendered the bells unringable. (Local tradition says that the bells were rung while the Ellacombe chimes were still on.)
1984 Whitechapel reported that the 3rd, 4th and tenor were broken, and of the remaining 3, only one was "of fair tonal quality".
1997 The parish was advised that a grant from the Millenium Commission had been approved on 6 Dec. and the bells were removed from the tower on 29-30th Dec.
1998 The old bell frame removed from the tower on 24th Jan and sent to Adisham church on 16th Feb for £2,500. A new ring of 8 was cast at Whitechapel. The former treble and second were tuned and sent to Alderton, Wilts (treble of 6) and Gringley on the Hill, Notts (as 2nd of 6). The other bells were scrapped.The new bells were hung in a new frame from 27th April and dedicated by R't Rev'd David Say, former Bishop of Rochester and Assistant Bishop in the Canterbury Diocese on 11th July.
[1] On the bells: 1. No inscription 2. No inscription 3. "Joseph Hatch made me, 1606." 4. "IOHN WILNER MADE ME, 1624." The bell-frame is dated in 1635. (A Tour the the Isle of Thanet and Some other Parts of East Kent, Cozens, Zechariah, 1793)

Articles

  • "Return to Ringing", Evans, Paul (The Ringing World) 13 August 1999
  • Elsewhere in the Parish

    Sheldwich, Sheldwich Court
    Single bell


    Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent Page updated: 6 November 2020