Ashford, St Mary the Virgin
Photo: Richard Offen, Apr 2005 |
♫ c. 1979() |
Details of the Bells |
Bell | Weight (most recent) | (Measured 1898) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Canons | Retuned | ||
® | Treble | 4-2-12 | 26" | G | 1970 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | 1965 Mears & Stainbank | ||
® | 2 | 4-3-26 | 28" | F | 1965 | Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel | Flat | Never | ||
® | 3 | 5-0-17 | 29¼" | E♭ | 1762 | Lester & Pack, Whitechapel | Removed | 1965 Mears & Stainbank | ||
® | 4 | 6-1-0 | 31⅛" | D | 1762 | Lester & Pack, Whitechapel | Removed | 1965 Mears & Stainbank | ||
® | 5 | 6-0-0 | 31¾" | C | 1620 | Joseph Hatch, Ulcombe, Kent | Removed | 1965 Mears & Stainbank | ||
® | 6 | 7-2-2 | 34½" | B♭ | 1651 | William Hatch | Removed | 1965 Mears & Stainbank | ||
® | 7 | 9-1-7 | 37½" | A♭ | 1633 | Joseph Hatch, Ulcombe, Kent | Removed | 1965 Mears & Stainbank | ||
® | 8 | 12-1-14 | 12-2-3 | 40¹⁵`" | G | 1898 | John Taylor & Co., Loughborough | Flat | 1965 Mears & Stainbank | |
® | 9 | 14-3-9 | 44½" | F | 1620 | Joseph Hatch, Ulcombe, Kent | Removed | 1965 Mears & Stainbank | ||
® | Tenor | 21-2-22 | 51¹⁄₁₆" | E♭ | 1796 | Thomas Mears I, Whitechapel | Removed | 1965 Mears & Stainbank | ||
ꓕ | Semitone | 6-2-12 | 32" | D♭ | 1885 | Gillett & Co, Croydon (811) | 1965 Mears & Stainbank |
Inscriptions |
Earlier bells |
Bell | Weight (most recent) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
Sharp 2nd | 4-0-15 | 27½" | F♯ | 1885 | Gillett & Johnston | Never | Cracked and recast 1965 | |
6th (of 8) | 11-3-23 | G | 1620 | Joseph Hatch | Never | Recast 1898 | ||
Tenor | E♭ | 1620 | Joseph Hatch | Never | Recast 1796 |
History |
1470 | Tower completed by Sir John Fogge. | ||
1552 | Record of 5 large bells and a smaller one in the tower. | ||
1620 | Treble bell added and 4th, 5th and tenor of ring of six recast by Joseph Hatch. | ||
1633 | Old 3rd of 6 recast by Joseph Hatch. | ||
1651 | Old 2nd of 6 recast by William Hatch. | ||
1762 | 2 treble added and bells rehung in a new frame. The ringing room was raised from the ground floor to an upstairs ringing chamber. | ||
1763 | 14th March | Bells rededicated. | |
c | 1765 | Record of 8 bells in the tower. [1] | |
1796 | Tenor recast by Thomas Mears. | ||
1878 | 6th reported to be cracked. | ||
1885 | Two additional carillon bells and machine added by Gillett & Co. | ||
1898 | 6th recast and bells rehung by John Taylor. | ||
1924 | Front 7 bells rehung by Gillett & Johnston with new ball bearings, gudgeons and clappers. Canons thought to have been removed from other bells at this time (though could have been 1885.) | ||
1925 | Tenor rehung by Gillett & Johnston. | ||
1965 | Smaller carillon bell recast, rehung dead with the other 8 in a new frame for 10 by Mears & Stainbank. All new fittings were used apart from the Taylor headstock on the 6th (of 8) reused. | ||
1970 | Treble added and dead bell rehung for ringing with new fittings to make 10. |
[1] | There are now 8 Bells - 2 Smaller having been added to the former Six, A.D. 1762. They were founded by Lester & Packe of London. In The Tower hang 6 Heavy Bells, thus Inscribed. 1. Josephus Hatch Me Fecit. 1620. 2. William Hatch made Me. 1651. 3. Josephus Hatch Me Fecit. 1633. 4. Joseph Hatch Me Fecit. 1620. 5. Petrus Parris, Josephus Hatch Me fecit. 1620. 6. John Asherst, C.W., Josephus Hatch Me Fecit. 1620. (V J Torr 1860s (from Rev’d Bryan Faussett, 1758)) |
Articles
Gallery |
Peal Boards |
Photo: Mark Chittenden-Pile, 29 May 2017 |
Photo: Mark Chittenden-Pile, 29 May 2017 |
Photo: Mark Chittenden-Pile, 29 May 2017 |
Photo: Mark Chittenden-Pile, 29 May 2017 |
Photo: Mark Chittenden-Pile, 29 May 2017 |
Photo: Mark Chittenden-Pile, 29 May 2017 |
Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent | Page updated: 1 April 2016 |