Wilmington, St Michael
Photo: Dickon Love, 31st Oct 2010 |
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Details of the Bells |
Bell | Weight (most recent) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Canons | Retuned | ||
® | Treble | 4½ cwt approx. | 28½" | C♯ | 1618 | William Land II | Conventional | Never | |
® | 2 | 5 cwt approx. | 30" | B♯ | 1685 | Christopher Hodson, Whitechapel | Conventional | Never | |
® | Tenor | 6 cwt approx. | 32" | A♯ | 1893 | John Warner & Sons | Conventional | Never |
Bellframes |
Frame | Bells | Year | Maker | Material | Truss(es) | Local Layout | |||
1 | All bells | 1893 | John Warner & Sons | Timber | 3.1 |
Inscriptions |
How the bells are tuned |
Earlier bell |
Bell | Weight (most recent) | Diameter | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
3 (of 3) | 6 cwt approx. | 31.5" | 1636 | William Land II | Never | Recast 1893 |
History |
1552 | Record of 4 bells in the tower. [1] | ||
1618 | Present treble cast by William Land II. | ||
1636 | Tenor cast by William Land II (according to Stahlschmidt). | ||
1685 | Present middle bell cast by Christopher Hodson. | ||
1774 | Record of only 3 bells in the tower (according to Stahlschmidt). | ||
1797 | Record of 3 bells in the tower. [2] | ||
1893 | Tenor recast by Warner & Sons when it is assumed that they rehung the bells in the present timber frame. The old inscription was reproduced on the bell, but with the year 1656 rather than 1636: the bell is more likely to have been cast in 1636. | ||
1981 | New ropes were provided, according to a plaque in the church. It also looks as if the frame was strengthened and wheels/fittings patched up at some point since Warner's did their work. Investigations are taking place to pin down when this work was done. |
[1] | Item iiij bells suted of brasse in the Steple One procession bell and a saints bell of brasse presented to be stllen. (Edwardian Inventory, 1552) |
[2] | The church is dedicated to St. Michael, and consists of one isle and a chancel, having a spire steeple at the west end, which standing on the knoll of the hill, is an object for many miles round. There are three bells in it. ('The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent. Vol 2', Edward Hasted) |
Gallery |
Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent | Page updated: 1 April 2016 |