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Eltham
 

Eltham, St John the Baptist


Photo: Dickon Love, May 2004

  • 8 bells hung for full circle ringing
  • Tenor: 10-2-24 in G.
  • Grid Ref: TQ426745
  • Complete ring cast at the same time
  • Rung from: Upstairs Ringing Room
  • Frame: 1924 Gillett & Johnson
  • Denomination: Church of England
    Diocese (Anglican): Rochester
  • Kent County Association of Change Ringers District: Lewisham
  • Building Listed Grade: II Click for Heritage details.
  • Peals rung at the tower

Details of the Bells

Bell Weight
(most recent)
Diameter Note Date Founder Canons Retuned
® Treble 3-2-2124½" G 1924 Gillett & Johnston, Croydon (982) Never
® 2 3-3-1725⁷⁄₁₆" F♯ 1924 Gillett & Johnston, Croydon (969) Never
® 3 4-1-927" E 1924 Gillett & Johnston, Croydon (970) Never
® 4 4-3-728¾" D 1924 Gillett & Johnston, Croydon (971) Never
® 5 5-1-1430⁵⁄₁₆" C 1924 Gillett & Johnston, Croydon (972) Never
® 6 6-0-1031¹³⁄₁₆" B 1924 Gillett & Johnston, Croydon (973) Never
® 7 7-3-1435" A 1924 Gillett & Johnston, Croydon (974) Never
® Tenor 10-2-2439" G 1924 Gillett & Johnston, Croydon (975) Flat Never

®  - Hung for full circle ringing

Bellframes

Frame Bells Year Maker Material Truss(es) Local
Layout
1 All bells 1924 Gillett & Johnston, Croydon Metal

Inscriptions

How the bells are tuned

1794 Ring of Six

Bell DiameterDateFounderRetunedFate
Treble26⅞"1794Thomas Mears INeverRecast in 1924
2nd28⅝"1794Thomas Mears INeverRecast in 1924
3rd30⅛"1794Thomas Mears INeverRecast in 1924
4th32¼"1794Thomas Mears INeverRecast in 1924
5th34¼"1794Thomas Mears INeverRecast in 1924
Tenor37¼"1794Thomas Mears INeverRecast in 1924

Prior to 1794

Bell Weight
(most recent)
DateFounderFate
Treble (of 3)UnknownRecast in 1794
2nd (of 3)8-3-6UnknownRecast in 1794
Tenor (of 3)9-3-201618UnknownRecast in 1794

Earlier bell

Bell Weight
(most recent)
DateFounderFate
Tenor12½ cwt approx.1610UnknownRecast in 1618

History

1552 Record of 3 bells. [1]
1554 A bell was recast with an additional 1½ cwt of metal. Tenor rehung.
1556 -7 Tenor rehung by Mills, a carpenter from Bexley.
1571 2 more bells recast.
1583 A bell was recast (probably the treble).
1610 Old 9½ cwt tenor recast with an additional 3-0-7 of metal.
1618 Record of tenor weighing 9-3-20 and middle bell 8-3-6. Tenor was recast.
1794 6 bells cast by Thomas Mears.
1872 Tower rebuilt by A. W. Blomfield.
1898 Bells rehung by Samuel Goslin. (CJP from DLC says 1896)
1924 Bells recast into new ring of 8 by Gillett & Johnston in a new frame. Formerly rung from the ground floor, now rung from an upstairs ringing room.
[1] Item iij great bells in the steple and a saunt's bell of brasse. (Edwardian Inventory, 1552)

Gallery


The tenor bell.
Photo: Dickon Love, 15 May 2004

Elsewhere in the Parish

Eltham, Cemetery
Single bell
Eltham, Eltham Palace
Single bell hung dead


Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent Page updated: 1 April 2016