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Stone by Dartford, St Mary
 Photo: Dickon Love
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Details of the Bells |
| Bell | Weight (most recent) | (As supplied to Homerton) | (As received by Whitechapel) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Canons | Retuned | ||
| ® | 1 | 3-2-10 | 4-0-3 | 4-0-0 | 25⁷⁄₁₆" | F♯ | 1890 | Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel | 2010 Whitechapel | ||
| ® | 2 | 4-0-7 | 4-2-14 | 4-1-26 | 26¹³⁄₁₆" | E | 1890 | Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel | 2010 Whitechapel | ||
| ® | 3 | 4-1-22 | 5-0-1 | 4-3-27 | 28⅝" | D | 1890 | Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel | 2010 Whitechapel | ||
| ® | 4 | 5-0-2 | 5-2-12 | 5-2-10 | 29⅞" | C♯ | 1890 | Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel | 2010 Whitechapel | ||
| ® | 5 | 6-1-12 | 6-3-9 | 6-3-8 | 32¹¹⁄₁₆" | B | 1890 | Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel | 2010 Whitechapel | ||
| ® | 6 | 8-0-1 | 35¹⁵⁄₁₆" | A | 2010 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Never | ||||
| ꓕ | Clock bell | 4-1-26 | 27¼" | G♭ | 1806 | Thomas Mears & Son | Never | ||||
| ҂ | Swing bell | 5-3-19 | 30¹⁵⁄₁₆" | D | 1806 | Thomas Mears & Son | Never |
Bellframes |
| Position |
Frame | Bells | Year | Maker | Material | Truss(es) | Local Layout | |||
| Single level | 1 | 1,2,3,4,5,6 | 2010 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Stone | |||||
| Single level unconnected | 2 | Clock, service bells |
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Inscriptions |
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How the bells are tuned |
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Earlier bells in the tower |
| Bell | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
| A bell | 1676 | John & Christopher Hodson | Never | Recast 1806 | |
| Another bell | 1691 | Unknown | Recast 1806 |
Original Homerton tenor |
| Bell | Weight (most recent) | (As supplied to Homerton) | (As received by Whitechapel) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
| Tenor (of 6) | 7-1-27 | 8-1-9 | 8-1-8 | 35⅞" | A | 1890 | Mears & Stainbank | Never | Recast 2010 |
History |
| 970 | Evidence of a Saxon church in existence. | ||
| c | 1350 | 14th Cent | The church was built under the direction of Westminster Abbey. |
| 1552 | Record of 3 bells and a sanctus bell ("Item iij bells in the steple suted of brasse a saints bell of brasse and two sacryng bells of brasse.") [1] | ||
| 1638 | 14th Jan. | Lightning from a serious storm caused the spire and nave roofs / aisles to be burned down. The 5 bells were melted in the heat. Queen Elizabeth had called these bells her "Nightingales" because of their sweet sound when rung. | |
| 1676 | A bell was cast by John & Christopher Hodson and hung in the newly restored tower. The frame cannot have been totally destroyed as some of the medieval timbers from the original frame survive today. | ||
| 1691 | A bell was given by Henry Draper. | ||
| c | 1750 | Hasted records five bells in the tower. It would appear he was mistaken as the five bells had been destroyed a hundred years earlier. | |
| 1806 | Both bells in the tower were recast by Thomas Mears & Son. | ||
| 2007 | An offer was put in for a set of bells from Newtown, Powys by the Keltek Trust, but a higher offer was made by Wrexham RC Cathedral. Keltek increased their offer, but to no avail, so another set of bells for Stone was sought | ||
| 2010 | The 6 bells earlier acquired from St Paul's, Homerton were tuned, but it was clear that the tenor was inferior to the rest with a large porous patch in the waist that was visible inside and out! It was therefore recast. | ||
| 2011 | The bells were hung in a new frame in the tower. The existing two were rehung, one stationary as a clock bell (the smaller) and the other for swing chiming. They were dedicated on the floor of the church on 16th Jan. |
| [1] | Item iij bells in the steple suted of brasse a saints bell of brasse and two sacryng bells of brasse. (Edwardian Inventory, 1552) |
Articles
Gallery |
Prior to the installation of the ring of six, the larger of the 2 bells. Photo: Dickon Love, 7 May 2005 |
And the smaller bell. Photo: Dickon Love, 7 May 2005 |
The two bells side by side, hung for swing chiming (although shown here clocked) in the reconstructed frame from medieval timbers along the east wall of the tower. Photo: Dickon Love, 7 May 2005 |
The new ring of six after they were installed. Photo: Frank Lewis 2010 |
Photo: Frank Lewis 2010 |
Photo: Frank Lewis 2010 |
Photo: Dickon Love, 2013 |
Photo: Dickon Love, 2013 |
Elsewhere in the Parish |
| Stone-by-Dartford, Stone House Hospital Single bell (possibly more) |
| Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent | Page updated: 1 April 2016 |
