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TUNSTALL, St John the Baptist

 
8 bells
Tenor: 10-1-3 in G
Ground Floor
Grid Ref TQ896619
Rochester District
Retuned: Never retuned since casting
Frame: 1975 Whitechapel
Peals
¯ The bells between retuning in 1975 and recasting in 1995.
(Dickon Love, from the last peal on the bells, 1995)
¯ The clock chime on the old bells.
(Dickon Love, 1995)
¯ The new bells.
(Tim Dean, Dec 2003)
The Editor was Steeplekeeper here for several years in the 1990s

DETAILS OF THE BELLS
Bell Weight Diameter Cast Founder
1 4-0-0 25" 1995 John Taylor & Co.
2 4-0-2 25½" 1995 John Taylor & Co.
3 4-1-0 26½" 1995 John Taylor & Co.
4 4-1-20 28" 1995 John Taylor & Co.
5 5-0-20 30" 1995 John Taylor & Co.
6 6-0-10 31½" 1995 John Taylor & Co.
7 7-1-6 34" 1995 John Taylor & Co.
8 10-1-8 38½" 1995 John Taylor & Co.

INSCRIPTIONS
1.

Durham

[vines]

GIVEN BY
RAYMOND, DONNA,
RICHARD & ROBERT HUTCHINGS
OCTOBER 1995.

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C. E. H.
1923

RECAST
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2.

Elizabeth

[vines]

IN LOVING MEMORY OF
ELIZABETH MARTIN LUMLEY WEBB
1906 - 1986
FROM HER CHILDREN.

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C. E. H.
1923

RECAST
19

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3.

David

[vines]

THE GIFT OF
STUART COX - TOWER CAPTAIN
IN MEMORY OF HIS PARENTS
DAVID & GWENDOLEN OF LEICESTER

RECAST
19

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4.

Julie

[vines]

GIVEN IN EVER LOVING MEMORY BY
THE FAMILY & FRIENDS OF
JULIE MARY WERTS
1944 - 1995.

RECAST
19

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5.

Vernon

[vines]

GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD
FOR HE IS GOOD.

RECAST
19

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6.

John

[vines]

THEIR SOUND HAS GONE OUT
INTO ALL THE LANDS.
REV. DAVID MATTHIAE, M.A - RECTOR
1995.

RECAST
19

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7.

Austen

[vines]

TRUE CONCORD OF WELL TUNED SOUNDS
GIVEN BY FRIENDS OF
AUSTEN BENSTED SILLARS
7 JUNE 1926 - 22 FEBRUARY 1995
AND OF
FRANK PANTON & PAULINE DEAN
MARRIED 18 FEBRUARY 1995.

RECAST
19

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8.

Richard

[vines]

IN LOVING MEMORY OF
RICHARD HENRY LUMLEY WEBB
1904 - 1979
FROM HIS CHILDREN.

RECAST
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EARLIER DETAILS BELLS

Bell

Weight
(Received 1975)

Weight
(Dispatched 1975 by Whitechapel)

Weight
(1995 received by Taylor's)

Diameter

Note

Founded

Treble

3-1-18

3-1-17

 3-1-16

24¼"

Ab

 1923 Mears & Stainbank

2.

3-2-0

3-1-10

 3-1-20

243/16"

G

 1923 Mears & Stainbank

3.

3-3-21

3-2-10

 3-2-14

26¾"

F

 1843 Thomas Mears II

4.

4-2-26

4-0-8

 4-0-6

281/16"

Eb

 1843 Thomas Mears II

5.

4-3-18

4-1-10

 4-1-16

29⅞"

Db

 1843 Thomas Mears II

6.

6-0-19

5-3-2

 5-3-4

31⅞"

C

 1843 Thomas Mears II

7.

7-2-17

7-0-4

 7-0-16

35"

Bb

 1843 Thomas Mears II

Tenor

8-2-4

7-2-13

 7-2-4

36¾"

Ab

 1843 Thomas Mears II
The treble and second were supplied at 3-0-26 and 3-2-16 respectively.
1.  

C. E. H.
1923

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2.  

C. E. H.
1923

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3.
Benedicite omnia opera Domini Domino   mdcccxliii  
 
4.
Laudate Dominum in cymbalis bene sonantibus mdcccxliii
 
5.
Laudate Dominum in cymbalis iubilationis mdcccxliii
 
6.
Omnis spiritus laudet Dominum mdcccxliii
 
7. THOMAS MEARS FOUNDER LONDON 1843
SANCT · SANCT · SANCT · DNUS DEUS SABAOTH
8. THOMAS MEARS FOUNDER LONDON 1843

MORTUI RESURGENT IN NOMINE DEI AMEN
WILL.M HOWLEY ARCHEP. CANTUAR
GEORGIO BRIDGES MOORE RECT
GEORGIO BAKER PAROCH.VS
A. D. MDCCCXLIII
Bell Weight Cast Founder
1 4-3-22 1596 Robert Mot
2 5-0-17 1600 Robert Mot
3 5-2-17 1702 Richard Phelps
4 7-3-7 1573 Robert Mot
5 11-1-15 1630 John Wilnar

The 4th, cast by Robert Mot, the first manager of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London,
was one of his earliest known bells known anywhere in the Kingdom.
1.
Robertvs mot me fecit 1596 Fig40.jpg (1460 bytes)
 
2.
Robertvs mot me fecit 1600 Fig40.jpg (1460 bytes)
 
3. R. PHELPS FECIT 1702
 
4.
Prayse ye the Lord 1573 wpe56.jpg (1396 bytes)
 
5. JOHN WILNAR MADE ME 1630
 
 

HISTORY
1573

4th (of 5) cast, founder unknown.
1596

Treble (of 5) cast by Robert Mot.
1600

2nd (of 5) cast by Robert Mot.
1630

Tenor (of 5) cast by John Wilnar.
1702

3rd (of 5) cast by Richard Phelps.
1843

The 5 bells were recast into a ring of 6 by Thomas Mears.
1850

The top part of the tower was pulled down and rebuilt with a high ridged roof.
1899 Tunstall Change Ringing Society founded.
1900

Bells rehung in a new metal frame by Mears & Stainbank.
1923

2 trebles added to make 8 by Mears & Stainbank and hung in a new metal frame above the older one at the expense of Charles E. Homewood.
1975

Bells retuned and rehung in a new metal frame by Whitechapel.
1995

6th Oct.

Bells recast with additional metal into a new peal of 8, and rehung with mostly new fittings by John Taylor.
1996

21st Jan.

New ring dedicated by the R't Rev'd David Say.
1998

Gudgeon on the 5th broke and was replaced.