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Erith, St John the Baptist
 Photo: Dickon Love
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Details of the Bells |
| Bell | Weight (most recent)* | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Canons | Retuned | ||
| ® | Treble | 4-1-5 | 27¼" | G | 1882 | Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel | Never | ||
| ® | 2 | 5-0-0 | 28¼" | F♯ | 1882 | Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel | Never | ||
| ® | 3 | 7-1-19 | 30" | E | 1763 | Lester & Pack, Whitechapel | Never | ||
| ® | 4 | 6-1-19 | 32" | D | 1925 | Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel | Never | ||
| ® | 5 | 8-3-4 | 34½" | C | 1763 | Lester & Pack, Whitechapel | Never | ||
| ® | 6 | 9-3-12 | 37" | B | 1703 | Richard Phelps, Whitechapel | Never | ||
| ® | 7 | 12-2-12 | 41¼" | A | 1882 | Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel | Never | ||
| ® | Tenor | 16-3-22 | 44½" | G | 1763 | Lester & Pack, Whitechapel | Never |
Bellframes |
| Frame | Bells | Year | Maker | Material | Truss(es) | Local Layout | |||
| 1 | All bells | 1882 | Oak |
Inscriptions |
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The original ring of 6 |
| Bell | Weight (most recent) | Diameter | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
| Treble | 7 cwt approx. | 1703 | Richard Phelps | Never | Recast in 1763. | ||
| 2nd | 6-2-13 | 32" | 1703 | Richard Phelps | Never | Recast in 1925. | |
| 3rd | 9 cwt approx. | 1703 | Richard Phelps | Never | Recast in 1763. | ||
| 4th | 9-3-12 | 37" | 1703 | Richard Phelps | Never | Still in tower. | |
| 5th | 13 cwt approx. | 1703 | Richard Phelps | Never | Recast in 1882. | ||
| Tenor | 17 cwt approx. | 1703 | Richard Phelps | Never | Recast in 1763. |
History |
| 1552 | Record of 3 bells. [1] | ||
| 1703 | Ring of 6 cast by Richard Phelps. | ||
| 1763 | Treble, 3rd and 6th (of 6) recast by Lester & Pack. | ||
| 1877 | The church was damaged by fire after which it went through a complete restoration. The tower (14 feet square inside, and 40 feet high) was almost [2] | ||
| 1882 | 5th (of 6) recast and 2 trebles added to make 8 by Mears & Stainbank. The bells were rehung with new frame and fittings by G R Bands of Kennington. The bells were taken down in June 1881 and rehung in November 1882. [3] | ||
| 1925 | Bells quarter turned, fittings repaired and rehung with new bearings by Mears & Stainbank. |
| [1] | Item iij bells suted of brasse in the steple and one litle bell of brasse. (Edwardian Inventory, 1552) |
| [2] | The old church underwent a complete restoration in the year 1877. A north aisle (50 feet long and 21 feet broad) was then added, and a north chancel built; the old vestry was removed to give room for this. A new porch wns built at the south door; the tower (14 feet square inside, and 40 feet high) was almost entirely rebuilt, and a peal of eight bells was completed by the addition of two to the older six. (Monumental Inscriptions in Erith Parish Church, Archaeologia Cantiana Vol. 16 1886) |
| [3] | The bells were taken down in June 1881, and re-hung in November 1882. The fifth bell (now the seventh) was recast, and two smaller bells were added. The bells bear the following inscriptions : 1st and 2nd. Mears and Stainbank. Founders. London, 1882. 3rd and 8th. Lester and Pack, of London. Fecit. James Marsh, Churchwarden.1763. 4th. Mrs. Cornelia Bateman gave £100 towards these bells. 5th. James Marsh, Chh "Warden, 1763. Lester and Park, of London. 6th. E. Phelps. Fecit 1703. 7th. (Before recasting) B. P. Fecit 1703; (after recasting) Mears and Stainbank, Founders, 1882. Their weights without clappers are: treble, 4 cwt. 1 qr. 5 Ibs.; 2nd, 5 cwt. 0 qr. 0 lb.; 3rd, 3 cwt. 1 qr. 19 Ibs.; 4th, 6 cwt. 2 qrs. 13 Ibs.; 5th, 8 cwt. 3 qrs. 4 Ibs.; 6th, 9 cwt. 3 qrs. 12 Ibs.; 7th, 12 cwt. 2 qrs. 12 Ibs.; tenor, 16 cwt. 3 qrs. 22 Ibs. Total weight of metal, 69 cwt. 2 qrs. 3 Ibs. The smallest bell is 26½ inches in width across the mouth; the largest 44½ inches. [There is clearly a misprint in the weight of the 3rd,which is surely not 3-1-19, however the weights are all added up, to get to 69-2-3, the 3rd is obviously 7-1-19 (which makes it heavier than the 4th, but given the dates of them, this is not unreasonable).] (Monumental Inscriptions in Erith Parish Church, Archaeologia Cantiana Vol. 16 1886) |
Gallery |
When the original ring of 6 bells were cast in 1703, Mrs Cornelia Bateman gave £100, a benefaction which is recorded on the inscription on the recast 4th. A descendent of Mrs Bateman's family* got in touch with the Editor of this site to advise that she h Photo: Dickon Love, 31 Jul 2004 |
| Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent | Page updated: 1 April 2016 |