Canterbury, St Dunstan
Photo: Dickon R Love, 21 May 2023 |
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Details of the Bells |
Bell | Weight (most recent) | (As received 1936) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Canons | Retuned | ||
® | Treble | 4-0-9 | 4-0-27 | 27" | D♯ | 1777 | William Mears | Conventional | 1936 Mears & Stainbank | |
® | 2 | 3-3-27 | 4-0-3 | 28½" | C♯ | 1629 | Joseph Hatch, Ulcombe, Kent | Conventional | 1936 Mears & Stainbank | |
® | 3 | 5-1-6 | 5-1-12 | 30½" | B | 1777 | William Mears | Conventional | 1936 Mears & Stainbank | |
® | 4 | 7-0-16 | 34" | A♯ | 1605 | Joseph Hatch, Ulcombe, Kent | Conventional | Never | ||
® | 5 | 10-1-22 | 10-2-6 | 38½" | G♯ | c.1325 | William le Belyetere, Canterbury | Conventional | 1936 Mears & Stainbank | |
® | Tenor | 13-2-15 | 13-3-5 | 44" | F♯ | 1676 | Thomas Palmar II, Whitechapel | Conventional | 1936 Mears & Stainbank |
Bellframes |
Position |
Frame | Bells | Year | Maker | Material | Truss(es) | Local Layout | |||
Lower tier | 1 | 2,4,6 | 1936 | Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel | ||||||
Upper tier | 2 | 1,3,5 | 1936 | Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel |
Inscriptions |
Prior to 1777 |
Bell | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
2nd (of 5) | 1660 | Thomas Palmar II | Never |
History |
c | 1325 | Present 5th cast (probably tenor of 3). | |
1500 | Wackerell Bell recast by Richard Kerner. | ||
1605 | Middle bell recast by Joseph Hatch. | ||
1629 | New treble cast by Joseph Hatch. | ||
1660 | 2nd (of 4) recast by Thomas Palmar I. | ||
1676 | Ring augmented to 5 with a tenor by Thomas Palmar II (his only known bell). | ||
1758 | Record of 5 bells in the tower. [1] | ||
1777 | 2nd recast, and new treble cast by William Mears. | ||
1778 | The restored bells were opened by the Canterbury Youths on 5 Jan. [2] | ||
1935 | Bells removed from tower while concrete ring beam was fitted. | ||
1936 | Bells retuned and rehung in a 2 separate frames (1,3,5 above) by Mears & Stainbank. | ||
1969 | Clappers rebushed. | ||
1971 | Tenor refitted with new gudgeons and reinstated by the KCACR. | ||
1975 | 4th gudgeon repaired. Headstock reinstated by the Kent C.A. | ||
1981 | 5th rehung with new gudgeons. | ||
2003 | Tenor refitted with a pair of new gudgeons after one of them failed. The work was done by the KCACR. |
[1] | "The Tower stands at the West End of South Isle. In it hang 5 Bells, thus inscribed: 1. Joseph Hatch made Me, 1629. Autho. Ropar ric: Spencer Oeconomicis. 2. Thomas Palmar made Me, 1660. Tho. Simpson, Ch. Warden. 3. Joseph Hatch made Me, 1605. J.F.C.W. 4. Ave Maria Graciâ Plena; Dns. Tecum. 5. T.P.M. (Thos. Palmar) 1675. Henrey Lanman; John Flactno C.W." (Rev’d Bryan Faussett, 1759) |
[2] | On Monday January the 5th, 1778, a peal of six bells was opened at St. Dunstan;s church near this city, when the Canterbury youth rang a peal of 720 plain bob changes, without a [..] compleat, in 28 minutes, being the first time [..] has been rung in this county. (Kentish Gazette (Wednesday 14 January 1778)) |
Articles
Gallery |
The second bell, cast by Joseph Hatch in 1629. Photo: David Cawley collection. |
Some of the bell repairs in 2017. Photo: David L Cawley, 2017 |
Peal Boards |
Photo: Need to check, 19 August 2018 |
Photo: Richard A Smith, 19 August 2018 |
Photo: Richard A Smith, 19 August 2018 |
Photo: Richard A Smith, 19 August 2018 |
Photo: Richard A Smith, 19 August 2018 |
Photo: Richard A Smith, 19 August 2018 |
Photo: Richard A Smith, 19 August 2018 |
Photo: Richard A Smith, 19 August 2018 |
Photo: Richard A Smith, 19 August 2018 |
Photo: Richard A Smith, 19 August 2018 |
Photo: Richard A Smith, 19 August 2018 |
Photo: Richard A Smith, 19 August 2018 |
Photo: Richard A Smith, 19 August 2018 |
Elsewhere in the Parish |
Canterbury, St Edmund's School 2 bells hung dead (chapel and clock bells) |
Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent | Page updated: 22 May 2023 |