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Buckland-in-Dover, St Andrew
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Details of the Bells |
| Bell | Weight (most recent) | Weight (Prior to retuning) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned |
| 6 | 2-3-27 | 24¾" | E | 1971 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Never | |
| 5 | 2-1-6 | 2-1-12 | 22⅜" | F♯ | 1450-60 | William Chamberlain | 1971 Whitechapel |
| 4 | 1-3-14 | 20¾" | G♯ | 1971 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Never | |
| 3 | 1-2-15 | 20" | A | 1971 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Never | |
| 2 | 1-0-19 | 17½" | B | 1971 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Never | |
| 1 | 0-3-6 | 15½" | C♯ | 1971 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Never |
Inscriptions |
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History |
| 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. |
| [1] | "The Steeple is a small wooden Spire, with 3 small Bells in it. 2 dated 1683, 1754." (Rev’d Bryan Faussett, 1759) |
Gallery |
Photo: David Cawley collection |
Photo: David Cawley collection |
A view of the small church with its 1851 stone 3-bell gable. This was replaced in 1881 when the church was also doubled in length. Photo: David Cawley collection |
| Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent | Page updated: 1 April 2016 |