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Wye
 

Wye, Ss Gregory & Martin


Photo: Dickon Love, 20th Apr 2002

  • 10 bells hung for full circle ringing
  • Tenor: 19-1-8 in D.
  • Grid Ref: TR054469
  • Rung from: Upstairs Ringing Room
  • Frame: 1913 John Warner & Sons
  • Denomination: Church of England
    Diocese (Anglican): Canterbury
    Archdeaconry (Anglican): Canterbury
  • Kent County Association of Change Ringers District: Ashford
  • Building Listed Grade: I Click for Heritage details.
  • Peals rung at the tower

  • Sound clip of the ring of 10 bells.(Dickon R Love, 20 Apr 2002)

Details of the Bells

Bell Weight
(most recent)

(As cast)

(Dispatched 1914)

(Received 1975)
Diameter Note Date Founder Canons Retuned
® Treble 4-3-2227³⁄₁₆" F♯ 1999 Whitechapel Bell Foundry Flat Never
® 2 5-1-928⁷⁄₁₆" E 1999 Whitechapel Bell Foundry Flat Never
® 3 5-2-96-3-155-3-830⅝" D 1774 Pack & Chapman, Whitechapel Removed 1914 John Warner & Sons, 1975 Whitechapel
® 4 5-2-175-3-1431½" C♯ 1896 John Warner & Sons Removed 1914 John Warner & Sons, 1975 Whitechapel
® 5 6-0-26-1-2032⅞" B 1896 John Warner & Sons Removed 1914 John Warner & Sons, 1975 Whitechapel
® 6 7-3-189-0-258-1-1835¾" A 1774 Pack & Chapman, Whitechapel Removed 1914 John Warner & Sons, 1975 Whitechapel
® 7 8-3-1410-1-49-0-2338¾" G 1774 Pack & Chapman, Whitechapel Removed 1914 John Warner & Sons, 1975 Whitechapel
® 8 11-0-1511-3-240⅜" F♯ 1914 John Warner & Sons Removed 1975 Whitechapel
® 9 14-0-446" E 1978 Whitechapel Bell Foundry Flat Never
® Tenor 19-1-823-0-1520-2-151" D 1774 Pack & Chapman, Whitechapel Removed 1914 John Warner & Sons, 1975 Whitechapel

®  - Hung for full circle ringing

Bellframes

Frame Bells Year Maker Material Truss(es) Local
Layout
1 All bells 1913 John Warner & Sons Cast iron

Inscriptions

From the 1774 ring of eight

Bell Weight
(most recent)

(Cast weight)
DiameterDateFounderRetunedFate
2nd (of 8)6-1-246-1-2431½"1774Pack & Chapman"tuned a little"Recast 1896
3rd (of 8)7-3-07-3-033½"1774Pack & Chapman"tuned 1/8"Recast 1896
6th (of 8)11-3-2111-3-2141¼"1774Pack & Chapman"Maiden bell"Recast 1914
7th (of 8)13-2-816-2-445½"1774Pack & ChapmanNeverRecast 1978

Original ring of eight

Bell DateFounderRetunedFate
Treble (of 8)1734Richard PhelpsNever
2nd (of 8)1734Richard PhelpsNever
3rd (of 8)1594Robert MotNever
4th (of 8)1594Robert MotNever
5th (of 8)1593Robert MotNever
6th (of 8)1593Robert MotNever
7th (of 8)1709Robert MotNever
Tenor (of 8)1593Robert MotNever

History

c 1070 Church put under the authority of St Martin's, Battle Abbey (hence one of the patron saints is St Martin).
1447 Wye College was founded by John Kempe as a residence for secular priests. The church was transferred to the college. It was larger than it is now, cruciform with a large central tower.
1552 Record of 5 bells. [1]
1572 On 15th July, lightning struck the wooden church steeple destroying it, part of the tower and the bells. In 1572-3, 4 bells were cast by Robert Doddes bearing the Kempe Arms. They were transported from "The Bull in Bishopsgate" by river to Faversham and then on wagons to Wye. The frame was made by a carpenter from Pluckley who worked for 38 weeks at a shilling a day.
1593 Back 4 bells recast by Robert Mot.
1594 Treble (of 5) recast by Robert Mot who casts a treble to augment the ring to 6.
1686 Tower suddenly collapsed during Matins demolishing almost the entire east end of the church including chancel and transepts. The 5th (of 6) was broken.
1701 -1706 A new south tower was built.
1709 Broken 5th recast by Richard Phelps who rehung the bells in a new timber frame.
1734 2 trebles added by Richard Phelps.
1758 Record of 8 bells in the tower. [2]
1774 The bells were recast by Pack & Chapman and hung by Robert Turner of London. One of the 1593 Mot bells was transferred to Crundale to join two other bells there. The new ring was opened on 14 December. [3]
1798 Record of 8 bells in the tower. [4]
1896 Bells rehung by John Warner, although the work wasn't very satisfactory and the bells were still not considered "pealable".
1913 Bells rehung by John Warner in a new cast iron frame for 10 bells.
1975 Bells retuned and rehung by Whitechapel.
1978 7th recast by Whitechapel.
1999 2 bells added by Whitechapel to make 10.
[1] Item fyve greate bells and a morowe masse bell. Payments noted : Item for ropes and reparac'ons of the Bellys ... xxvijs. Iiijd. (Edwardian Inventory, 1552)
[2] "This Church was formerly a very Large Building, consisting of 3 Isles, and 3 Chancells, with a Tower Steeple in the Center, supported by 4 Pillars; which (on ye 21st of March 1685/6 giving Way, The Steeple fell down, and, by its Fall, destroy’d all The Chancells. The Parish has since built a small, but very neat, Chancell; and a very strong, ‘tho low, Tower, on ye South side of the Chancell, with 8 very Musical Bells in it." The Bells are thus inscribed. 1. The Gift of John Sawbridge of Ollantigh. R. Phelps Londini fecit Me. 1734. 2. The Gift of The Town of Wye. R. Phelps, Londini, fecit Me. 1734. 3. Robertus Mot Me fecit. 1594. 4. Robertus Mot Me fecit. 1594. 5. Robertus Mot Me fecit. 1593. 6. Robertus Mot Me fecit. 1593. 7. R. Phelps Made Me 1709 (N.B. This Bell was new Cast, having been broke by ye Fall). 8. Robertus Mot Me fecit. 1593. The First Bell has the Arms & Crest of Sawbridge upon it. The 3d, 4th, 5th, 6th & 8th have all of them the Arms of Kempe with many Quarterings (Rev’d Bryan Faussett, 1758)
[3] ON WEDNESDAY the 14th of this Instant will be opened A New Peal of EIGHT BELLS at Wye in Kent. Cast by PACK and CHAPMAN, And Hung by ROBERT TURNER, of LONDON. Likewise there will be a good Dinner provided at the FLYING HORSE, to be on the Table at One o'Clock. (Kentish Gazette, Sat 10 Dec 1774)
[4] In the steeple are eight bells and a clock, which were completed in 1774. ('The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent. Vol 7', Edward Hasted)

Summary of the Casting History



Year Tenor 9th 8th 7th 6th 5th 4th 3rd 2nd Treble
1572/3

Robert Doddes

Robert Doddes

Robert Doddes

Robert Doddes

Robert Doddes

         
1593

Robert Mot

Robert Mot

Robert Mot

Robert Mot

         
1594

Robert Mot

Robert Mot

       
1709

Richard Phelps

       
1734

Richard Phelps

Richard Phelps

   
1774

Pack & Chapman

Pack & Chapman

Pack & Chapman

Pack & Chapman

Pack & Chapman

Pack & Chapman

Pack & Chapman

Pack & Chapman

   
1896

John Warner & Sons

John Warner & Sons

   
1914

John Warner & Sons

   
1978

Whitechapel

   
1999

Whitechapel

Whitechapel

Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent Page updated: 1 April 2016