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Tunstall
 

Tunstall, St John the Baptist


Details of the Bells

Bell Weight
(most recent)
Diameter Note Date Founder Canons Retuned
® Treble Durham 4-0-025" G 1995 John Taylor & Co., Loughborough Flat Never
® 2 Elizabeth 4-0-225½" F♯ 1995 John Taylor & Co., Loughborough Flat Never
® 3 David 4-1-026½" E 1995 John Taylor & Co., Loughborough Flat Never
® 4 Julie 4-1-2028" D 1995 John Taylor & Co., Loughborough Flat Never
® 5 Vernon 5-0-2030" C 1995 John Taylor & Co., Loughborough Flat Never
® 6 John 6-0-1031½" B 1995 John Taylor & Co., Loughborough Flat Never
® 7 Austen 7-1-634" A 1995 John Taylor & Co., Loughborough Flat Never
® Tenor Richard 10-1-838½" G 1995 John Taylor & Co., Loughborough Flat Never

®  - Hung for full circle ringing

Bellframes

Position
Frame Bells Year Maker Material Truss(es) Local
Layout
Lower tier 1 1,2,5,6,7,8 1975 Whitechapel Bell Foundry Steel
8.1.B.a
6.1
Upper tier 2 3,4 1975 Whitechapel Bell Foundry Steel

Inscriptions

The original ring of five

Bell Weight
(most recent)
DateFounderRetunedFate
14-3-221596Robert MotNeverRecast 1843
25-0-171600Robert MotNeverRecast 1843
35-2-171702Richard PhelpsNeverRecast 1843
47-3-71573Robert DoddesNeverRecast 1843
511-1-151630John WilnarNeverRecast 1843

The later ring of six which became eight

Bell Weight
(most recent)

(Received 1975)

(Dispatched 1975)

(Supplied 1923)
DiameterDateFounderRetunedFate
13-1-163-1-183-1-173-0-2624¼"1923Mears & StainbankNeverRecast 1995
23-1-203-2-03-1-103-2-1624 3/16"1923Mears & StainbankNeverRecast 1995
33-2-143-3-213-2-1026¾"1843Thomas Mears IINeverRecast 1995
44-0-64-2-264-0-828 1/16"1843Thomas Mears IINeverRecast 1995
54-1-164-3-184-1-1029⅞"1843Thomas Mears IINeverRecast 1995
65-3-46-0-195-3-231⅞"1843Thomas Mears IINeverRecast 1995
77-0-167-2-177-0-435"1843Thomas Mears IINeverRecast 1995
87-2-48-2-47-2-1336¾1843Thomas Mears IINeverRecast 1995

History

1573 4th (of 5) cast, founder unknown.
1596 Treble (of 5) cast by Robert Mot.
1600 2nd (of 5) cast by Robert Mot.
1630 Tenor (of 5) cast by John Wilnar.
1702 3rd (of 5) cast by Richard Phelps.
1843 The 5 bells were recast into a ring of 6 by Thomas Mears.
1850 The top part of the tower was pulled down and rebuilt with a high ridged roof.
1899 17th Nov. Tunstall Change Ringing Society founded.
1900 Bells rehung in a new wooden frame by Mears & Stainbank.
1923 2 trebles added to make 8 by Mears & Stainbank and hung in a new metal frame above the wooden one at the expense of Charles E. Homewood.
1975 Bells retuned and rehung in a new metal frame by Whitechapel.
1995 6th Oct. Bells recast with additional metal into a new peal of 8, and rehung with mostly new fittings by John Taylor.
1996 21st Jan. New ring dedicated by the R't Rev'd David Say.
1998 Gudgeon on the 5th broke and was replaced.

Peal Boards

Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1923
04 Sept 1923: 5088 Kent T B Major (1st peal on the augmented ring.)

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1912
12 Mar 1912: 5040 Minor (7m) (Church of England Men's Society. "Quit you like Men, be strong")

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1901
22 Dec 1900: 5040 Minor (7m) (1st peal on the bells.)
26 Dec 1900: 5040 Minor (7m)

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1901
05 Aug 1901: 10080 Minor (9m) (The longest length rung in the county.)

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Timber Bell/Restoration Detail Board dated approx. 1901

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1901
31 Dec 1901: 5040 Minor (7m) (1st peal on the bells by an entirely local band.)

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Timber Performance Board dated approx. 2001
22 Dec 2000: 5040 Minor (3m) (Centenary of the 1st peal at Tunstall.)

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1905
03 Oct 1905: 5040 Surprise Minor (7m) (1st peal of 7 Surprise Minor in Kent.)

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Timber Bell/Restoration Detail Board dated approx. 1913

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Timber Performance Board dated approx. 2001
17 Nov 1999: 5088 Yorkshire S Major (Centenary of the Tunstall Change Ringing Society.)

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Timber Performance Board dated approx. 2001
03 Sept 1995: 5088 Plain Bob Major (Last peal on the old bells.)
03 Aug 1996: 5184 Tunstall S Major (1st peal on the new bells.)

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1902
07 Dec 1901: 720 Cambridge S Minor (1st in the method on the bells.)

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1902
16 Nov 1901: 720 London S Minor (1st in the method on the bells.)

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Framed card Bell/Restoration Detail Board dated 1996

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Framed card Performance Board dated approx. 1901
02 Feb 1901: 5040 Minor (7m) (Half muffled for the death of Queen Victoria.)

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Framed card Bell/Restoration Detail Board dated 1996

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Framed card Performance Board dated approx. 1975
14 Dec 1974: 5056 Plain Bob Major (Last peal on the bells prior to rehanging.)
05 Jul 1975: 5056 Plain Bob Major (First peal on the bells following rehanging.)

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Framed card Bell/Restoration Detail Board dated 1996

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Framed card Bell/Restoration Detail Board dated 1996

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Framed card Bell/Restoration Detail Board dated 1975

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Elsewhere in the Parish

Tunstall, A local house tba
Single hour bell


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