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Burham, Old Church of St Mary
 Photo: Richard C Offen, 2006
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Prior to 1881 |
| Bell | Weight (most recent) |
Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate |
| Treble (of 3) | 3¾ cwt approx. | 25⅛" | F | 1700 | Richard Phelps | Never | Transferred to New Church 1881, Preston 1983. |
| 2nd (of 3) | 4¾ cwt approx. | 28⅞" | E | 1734 | Richard Phelps | Never | Transferred to New Church 1881, Maidstone 1982. |
| Tenor (of 3) | 3½ cwt approx. | 25¼" | E♭ | c.1300 | Richard de Wimbis | Never | Transferred to New Church 1881, Stolen 1982 |
History |
| c | 1300 | Bell cast by William Revel. It was presumably originally D, but had since been very heavily skirted to raise its note. | |
| c | 1450 | In 15th Cent a 3 bell frame was constructed. | |
| 1632 | The old bells were taken down, the frame was reconstructed for ringing the bells., there was some casting activity and the bells were rehung. | ||
| 1700 | Smallest bell recast by Richard Phelps. | ||
| 1734 | The church accounts include entries for the casting, carriage and handling of a new bell, cast by Richard Phelps. The middle bell was tuned by skirting. | ||
| 1821 | Further work was carried out on the frame. | ||
| 1881 | A new parish church was built on a different site. The old church ceased to be a Parish Church and was used as a mortuary chapel (until between the wars). The bells, frame and fittings were transferred to the New Church. | ||
| 1956 | -7 | Church restored by the Friends of Friendless Churches. | |
| 1981 | The 3 bells that were transferred to the new church were returned to the old church for storage. The church was declared redundant and vested in The Churches Conservation Trust. | ||
| 1982 | The 1734 bell was transferred to St Michael and All Angels, Maidstone as a clock bell. In the summer the ancient tenor bell was stolen while it was awaiting rehanging. | ||
| 1983 | The 1700 bell was transferred to St Mildred, Preston-next-Wingham as a treble to augment the 5 bells to 6. |
Gallery |
The church was derelict when this photo was taken in 1945. The tower parapet was altered during the restoration of 1956. Photo: David Cawley collection |
The Bell Frame |
The bell frame consisted of mediaeval sills, centre-posts and straight braces and was designed for three bells hanging side by side. It bore the following on its east head: 1632 : F T . R D . T V The tenor pit had the following letters: I D and other obliterated. |
| Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent | Page updated: 1 April 2016 |