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Elham, St Mary the Virgin
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Details of the Bells |
| Bell | Weight (most recent) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Canons | Retuned | ||
| ® | Treble | 3-2-16 | 26" | F♯ | 1970 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never | |
| ® | 2 | 4-1-11 | 27" | E♯ | 1970 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never | |
| ® | 3 | 4-3-27 | 28½" | D♯ | 1970 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never | |
| ® | 4 | 5-0-20 | 30" | C♯ | 1970 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never | |
| ® | 5 | 6-2-8 | 32½" | B | 1970 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never | |
| ® | 6 | 7-1-26 | 34" | A♯ | 1970 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never | |
| ® | 7 | 9-3-0 | 38" | G♯ | 1970 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never | |
| ® | Tenor | 13-2-15 | 42¼" | F♯ | 1970 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never |
Bellframes |
| Frame | Bells | Year | Maker | Material | Truss(es) | Local Layout | |||
| 1 | All bells | 1887 | John Warner & Sons | Timber | 8 |
Inscriptions |
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The 1763 Ring of 8 |
| Bell | Weight (most recent) | Diameter | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
| Treble (of 8) | 4-2-2 | 28" | 1763 | Lester & Pack | Never | Recast 1970 | |
| 2nd (of 8) | 4-2-18 | 29" | 1763 | Lester & Pack | Never | Recast 1970 | |
| 3rd (of 8) | 5-3-8 | 30" | 1763 | Lester & Pack | Never | Recast 1970 | |
| 4th (of 8) | 6-2-11 | 32½" | 1763 | Lester & Pack | Never | Recast 1970 | |
| 5th (of 8) | 7-0-11 | 34" | 1763 | Lester & Pack | Never | Recast 1970 | |
| 6th (of 8) | 7-3-24 | 36" | 1763 | Lester & Pack | Never | Recast 1970 | |
| 7th (of 8) | 10-2-0 | 1763 | Lester & Pack | Never | Recast 1809 | ||
| Tenor (of 8) | 15-2-11 | 45" | 1763 | Lester & Pack | Never | Recast 1970 |
1809 recast |
| Bell | Weight (most recent) | Diameter | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
| 7th (of 8) | 11-3-27 | 41" | 1809 | Thomas Mears I | Never | Recast 1970 |
Original 5 from Sandwich |
| Bell | Weight (most recent) | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
| Treble (of 5) | 8-1-22 | 1659 | John Wilnar | Never | Recast 1763 | |
| 2nd (of 5) | 8-2-13 | 1659 | John Wilnar | Never | Recast 1763 | |
| 3rd (of 5) | 12-0-9 | 1659 | John Wilnar | Never | Recast 1763 | |
| 4th (of 5) | 15-0-6 | 1659 | John Wilnar | Never | Recast 1763 | |
| Tenor (of 5) | 20-0-14 | 1659 | John Wilnar | Never | Recast 1763 |
History |
| 1552 | Record of 5 bells. [1] | ||
| 1639 | 5 bells cast by John Wilnar for St Mary's, Sandwich. | ||
| 1667 | Tower of St Mary's, Sandwich fell down. Some time afterwards, the bells were given to Elham. | ||
| 1758 | Record of 5 bells in the tower. [2] | ||
| 1763 | Bells recast into 8 by Lester & Pack. | ||
| 1799 | Record of 8 bells. [3] | ||
| 1809 | 7th recast by Thomas Mears and the bells were rehung. They were reopened on 20 May 1809. Bands from around the county were invited to come along and compete with a touch of 1000 Bob Major for a set of eight gloves. [4] | ||
| 1887 | Bells rehung in a new frame by Warner. Just before this happened, J C L Stahlschmidt visited and found the bells and frame in bad order. [5] | ||
| 1970 | Bells recast and rehung by Whitechapel in the old frame. | ||
| 1983 | Timber frame strengthened. |
| [1] | Item v great belles. (Edwardian Inventory, 1552) |
| [2] | This Church consists of a Tiled Chancell, and 3 Isles cover’d with Lead. On the South Side of the Chancell, are the Ruins of Another. In The Steeple, which is a Tower, Pointed with a Lofty Spire, hang 5 heavy Bells, all made by John Wlnar in ye Year 1659 (sic). [Real date was 1639] (Rev’d Bryan Faussett, 1758) |
| [3] | The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, is large and handsome, consisting of three isles, the middle one having an upper range of windows, and one chancel, having a tower steeple, with a spire shast on it, at the west end, in which are eight bells, a clock, and chimes. ('The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent. Vol 8', Edward Hasted) |
| [4] | TO CAMPANALOGISTS. ON SATURDAY, the 20th of this inst. May, EIGHT PAIRS of GLOVES will he RUNG for in Elham Church; to become the prize of that set of Ringers who shall compleat the best peal One Thousand BOB-MAJORS. N. B. The Bells have all been lately new hung, and every conveniency made at the new ringing-loft for the purpose of ringing changes. - A good Dinner will be provided at the Rose and Crown Inn; to be on table at one o'clock. (Kentish Gazette (Tuesday 16 May 1809)) |
| [5] | At present the frame is in bad order and the bells can only be chimed. I am sorry to see that the reprehensible practice of "clocking" has been introduced. The sooner it is discontinued the better for the bells. There is a local tradition as to No. 7 that it was sent here by mistake for Wye, and that the Wye people have got the Elham bell. ("Church Bells of Kent", J C L Stahlschmidt, 1887) |
Articles
Gallery |
Harry Parkes and David Cawley with the old eight bells after removal. Photo: David Cawley |
Loading the tenor bell. July 1970. Photo: David Cawley |
David Cawley, lowering the tenor bell. Photo: David Cawley |
The belfry prior to the restoration of 1970. Photo: David Cawley |
| Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent | Page updated: 1 April 2016 |