Chilham, St Mary
Photo: Richard Offen 2005 |
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Details of the Bells |
Bell | Weight (most recent) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Canons | Retuned | ||
® | Treble | 5-0-19 | 28" | E | 1883 | John Taylor & Co., Loughborough | Removed | 1912 John Warner & Sons | |
® | 2 | 6-0-18 | 29" | D♯ | 1883 | John Taylor & Co., Loughborough | Removed | 1912 John Warner & Sons | |
® | 3 | 6-3-5 | 31" | C♯ | 1883 | John Taylor & Co., Loughborough | Removed | 1912 John Warner & Sons | |
® | 4 | 7¼ cwt approx. | 34" | B | 1810 | Thomas Mears II | Removed | 1912 John Warner & Sons | |
® | 5 | 8½ cwt approx. | 35½" | A | 1912 | John Warner & Sons | Flat | Never | |
® | 6 | 10¼ cwt approx. | 39½" | G♯ | 1760 | Lester & Pack, Whitechapel | Removed | 1912 John Warner & Sons | |
® | 7 | 13½ cwt approx. | 43" | F♯ | 1760 | Lester & Pack, Whitechapel | Removed | 1912 John Warner & Sons | |
® | Tenor | 16-2-21 | 46¼" | E | 1887 | Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel | Removed |
Bellframes |
Frame | Bells | Year | Maker | Material | Truss(es) | Local Layout | |||
1 | All bells | 1912 | John Warner & Sons |
Inscriptions |
How the bells are tuned |
1760 Ring of Six |
Bell | Weight (most recent) | Diameter | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
Treble | 1760 | Lester & Pack | Never | Recast in 1883 | |||
2nd | 1760 | Lester & Pack | Never | Recast in 1810 | |||
3rd | 1760 | Lester & Pack | Never | Recast in 1912 | |||
4th | 10¼ cwt approx. | 39½" | 1760 | Lester & Pack | Never | Still in the tower | |
5th | 13½ cwt approx. | 43" | 1760 | Lester & Pack | Never | Still in the tower | |
Tenor | 17-2-0 | 47½" | 1760 | Lester & Pack | Never | Still in the tower |
Earlier Ring of Six |
Bell | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
Treble | 1709 | Richard Phelps | Never | Recast 1760 | |
2nd | 1594 | Robert Mot | Never | Recast 1760 | |
3rd | 1595 | Robert Mot | Never | Recast 1760 | |
4th | 1595 | Robert Mot | Never | Recast 1760 | |
5th | 1616 | Joseph Hatch | Never | Recast 1760 | |
Tenor | 1599 | Robert Mot | Never | Recast 1760 |
Tenor before 2018 replacement |
Bell | Weight (most recent) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
Tenor | 17-2-0 | 47½" | E | 1760 | Lester & Pack | 1912 John Warner & Sons | Replaced 2018 |
History |
1534 | Tower built. | ||
1552 | Record of 5 bells in the tower. [1] | ||
1594 | 2nd recast by Robert Mot. | ||
1595 | 3rd and 4th recast by Robert Mot. | ||
1599 | Tenor recast by Robert Mot. | ||
1616 | 5th recast by Joseph Hatch. | ||
1709 | Treble recast or added by Richard Phelps (a ring of 6). | ||
1759 | Record of 6 bells in the tower. [2] | ||
1760 | The 6 bells were recast into another ring of 6 by Lester & Pack. | ||
1798 | Record of 6 bells in the tower. [3] | ||
1810 | 2nd recast. | ||
1883 | Treble recast; 2 trebles added by John Taylor. | ||
1899 | Repairs effected. | ||
1912 | 5th recast, bells turned and rehung by John Warner. | ||
1930 | 1930s | Bells rehung by Mears & Stainbank. | |
1996 | Cracked tenor welded by Soundweld. | ||
2013 | Tenor found to be cracked again. | ||
2018 | The cracked tenor was replaced by a new bell from Child Okeford (the bells from this church were themselves replaced by those from Murston). The bell was acquired through the Keltek Trust and the hanging was done by Matthew Higby and the Kent County Association. |
[1] | Item in ye Stepull in there frames v bells and in the same Stepull on lytell bell. Item ij bells caulyd hand bells. (Edwardian Inventory, 1552) |
[2] | "The Inscriptions on ye Bells. 1. Richard Phelps made Me. 1709. The Gift of ye Revd. Mr John Nichols, Mr Robert Sprakeling, and Others. 2. Robertus Mot Me fecit. 1594. 3. Robertus Mot fecit Me. 1595. 4. Joseph Hatch made Me. 1616. 5. Robertus Mot Me fecit. 1595. This Bell is now Crack’d. 6. Robertus Mot Me fecit. 1599. Gabrielis." (Rev’d Bryan Faussett, 1759) |
[3] | The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, is a handsome building, consisting of a body and two isles, all covered with lead, and a high chancel, with two chaples, one of which is dedicated to St. Anne, on the south side; there was a chantry on the north side, now pulled down, with a transept, all covered with tile. It has a tower steeple at the west end, on one corner of which is a beacon turret, which till of late was covered with a small spire. There are six bells and a clock in it. The steeple was built about the year 1534, as appears by a legacy towards the building of it. ('The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent. Vol 7', Edward Hasted) |
Gallery |
The ringing room. Photo: Dickon Love, 2013 |
Photo: Dickon Love, 2013 |
Photo: Dickon Love, 2013 |
Photo: Dickon Love, 2013 |
Photo: Dickon Love, 2013 |
Photo: Dickon Love, 2013 |
Photo: Dickon Love, 2013 |
Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent | Page updated: 29 July 2018 |