Great Chart, St Mary the Virgin
Photo: Dickon R Love, 1985 |
♫ Sound clip of the ring of bells.(Damian S Smith) |
Details of the Bells |
Bell | Weight (most recent) | (John Taylor casting book, 1876) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Canons | Retuned | ||
® | Treble | 4-1-4 | 26¾" | F | 1987 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never | ||
® | 2 | 4-3-13 | 27¾" | E | 1987 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never | ||
® | 3 | 5-2-1 | 5-3-26 | 30¼" | D | 1876 | John Taylor & Co., Loughborough | 1959 Mears & Stainbank | ||
® | 4 | 5-3-7 | 6-1-26 | 32¼" | C | 1875 | John Taylor & Co., Loughborough | 1959 Mears & Stainbank | ||
® | 5 | 8-0-4 | 8-1-21 | 35⅛" | B♭ | 1875 | John Taylor & Co., Loughborough | 1959 Mears & Stainbank | ||
® | 6 | 8-0-18 | 8-2-7 | 35¾" | A | 1875 | John Taylor & Co., Loughborough | 1959 Mears & Stainbank | ||
® | 7 | 10-3-9 | 11-3-11 | 40" | G | 1761 | Lester & Pack, Whitechapel | 1959 Mears & Stainbank | ||
® | Tenor | 13-0-16 | 43⅛" | F | 1805 | Thomas Mears & Son | 1959 Mears & Stainbank |
Bellframes |
Frame | Bells | Year | Maker | Material | Truss(es) | Local Layout | |||
1 | All bells | 1959 | Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel | 8 |
Inscriptions |
Ring of 5 recorded in 1758 |
Bell | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
Treble (of 5) | 1636 | John Wilnar | Never | Recast in 1761. | |
2nd (of 5) | 1610 | Joseph Hatch | Never | Recast in 1761. | |
3rd (of 5) | 1614 | Joseph Hatch | Never | Recast in 1761. | |
4th (of 5) | 1418-1440 | Richard Hill | Never | Recast in 1761. | |
Tenor (of 5) | 1606 | Joseph Hatch | Never | Recast in 1761. |
1761 recast bells |
Bell | Weight (most recent) | Diameter | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
Treble (of 5) | 7-1-1 | 32⅛" | 1761 | Lester & Pack | Never | Recast in 1876. Cast weight WBF given 1761. | |
2nd (of 5) | 7-3-3 | 34½" | 1761 | Lester & Pack | Never | Recast in 1876. Cast weight WBF given 1761. | |
3rd (of 5) | 8-3-16 | 36½" | 1761 | Lester & Pack | Never | Recast in 1876. Cast weight WBF given 1761. Maiden bell. | |
Tenor (of 5) | 13-3-25 | 43" | 1761 | Lester & Pack | Never | Recast in 1805. Cast weight WBF given 1761. Maiden bell. |
History |
1418 | -1440 | A bell was cast by Richard Hille. | |
1552 | Record of 4 bells. [1] | ||
1606 | Tenor (of 5) cast by Joseph Hatch. | ||
1610 | 2nd (of 5) cast by Joseph Hatch. | ||
1614 | 3rd (of 5) cast by Joseph Hatch) | ||
1636 | Treble (of 5) cast. | ||
1758 | Record of 5 bells in the tower. [2] | ||
1761 | 4th (of 5) recast by Lester & Pack. | ||
1805 | Tenor recast by Thomas Mears. | ||
1875 | The front 3 were recast by John Taylor. | ||
1876 | A new treble was added to make six by John Taylor. | ||
1959 | Bells retuned and rehung in a new frame for 8 by Mears & Stainbank. They were rededicated by the Bishop of Dover on 24 September. [3] | ||
1987 | 2 trebles added and hung by Whitechapel. The metal from an 1884 Gillett bell from St Peter's, Maidstone, a bell from St Mary, Ramsgate and a bell from Christ Church Dunkirk was included. | ||
2000 | A new upstairs (glazed) ringing gallery was constructed. |
[1] | Item iiij°'' greate bells and a saunce bell. Item ij handbells. (Edwardian Inventory, 1552) |
[2] | This Church consists of 3 Chancells, The Body and 2 Isles. The Tower stands at the West End, and has in it 5 Bells thus inscribed. 1. Nicholas Toke. S.G. H.S. W.-. 1636. 2. Joseph Hatch made Me. 1610. 3. Joseph Hatch made Me. W.M. C.W. 1614. 4. Sum Rosa pulsata Mundi Maria Vocata. 5. Joseph Hatch made Me. 1606. (Rev’d Bryan Faussett, 1758) |
[3] | Rung to celebrate the restoration of the bells, rededicated by the Bishop of Dover on Sept. 24 Gaudeamus igitur (Peal Board) |
Peal Boards |
Photo: Christopher J Cooper, 15 May 2019 |
Photo: Christopher J Cooper, 15 May 2019 |
Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent | Page updated: 1 April 2016 |