c |
1450 |
-60 |
Bell cast by William Chamberlain. |
|
1683 |
|
Tenor (re)cast by John Hodson of St Mary Cray. |
|
1759 |
|
Record of 3 bells in the tower. [1] |
|
1784 |
|
Present 4th (re)cast by Robert Catlin of Holborn. |
|
1851 |
|
The 3 bells were rehung in stone gable end. |
|
1854 |
|
A bell was cast for the frigate "Earl of Eglinton". |
|
1859 |
|
The "Earl of Eglinton" bell was purchased by the churchwardens from the wreck of the frigate in St Margaret's Bay. It was housed in the local school. |
|
1881 |
|
Church doubled in length and timber turret built together with an oak bellframe. |
|
1887 |
|
Stahlschmidt records 3 bells in the tower. |
c |
1966 |
|
The ship's bell was retrieved from the school (which had closed) through the energies of the Revd G A Parlett, and is now mounted in a handsome wrought-iron stand made by the local blacksmith. It is sounded to give notice of the start of divine worship. |
|
1971 |
|
Of these bells, by 1971, the treble and tenor were cracked by the rusting and expansion of their cast-in crown staples. Three of the double canons of the treble had broken off, and one broken from the tenor was rivetted back on. The bells were hung from solid cast-iron headstocks, the ends of which were rounded to form gudgeons, with iron wedges between the stocks and the canons. The iron-work seemed to be from the previous fittings. An Ellacombe chiming apparatus was later fitted, but this too became derelict.The 3 bells were taken down, 2 of them were recast and 3 more added with more metal to make a chime of 6. |