WROTHAM, St George |
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|
DETAILS OF THE BELLS |
Bell Weight Diameter Cast Founder 1
4-3-9
275/8"
1911
Gillett & Johnston
2
4-2-26
28"
1911
Gillett & Johnston
3
5-1-6
301/16"
1911
Gillett & Johnston
4
7-0-8
33"
1911
Gillett & Johnston
5
8-2-5
36"
1911
Gillett & Johnston
6
9-3-12
38"
1911
Gillett & Johnston
7
13-3-12
427/16"
1911
Gillett & Johnston
8
20-0-10
481/8"
1911
Gillett & Johnston
INSCRIPTIONS |
| 1. | GILLETT & JOHNSTON CROYDON |
| ALTHOUGH I
AM BOTH LIGHT & SMALL I WILL BE HEARD ABOVE YOU ALL RECAST BY THE CHILDREN OF THE PARISH 1911. |
|
| 2. | GILLETT & JOHNSTON CROYDON |
| AT PROPER TIMES OUR
VOICES WE WILL RAISE IN SOUNDING TO OUR BENEFACTORS PRAISE RECAST, 1911. |
|
| 3. | GILLETT & JOHNSTON CROYDON |
| PEACE AND GOOD
NEIGHBOURHOOD RECAST BY SIDNEY AND LAURA TERRY. 1911. |
|
| 4. | GILLETT & JOHNSTON CROYDON |
| OUR VOICES SHALL WITH
JOYFUL SOUND MAKE HILLS AND VALLEYS ECHO ROUND RECAST BY THE REVD ARTHUR. B. COTTON 1911. |
|
| 5. | GILLETT & JOHNSTON CROYDON |
| YE RINGERS ALL THAT PRIZE
YOUR HEALTH AND HAPPINESS BE SOLBER, MERRY, WISE, AND YOU’LL THE SAME POSSESS RECAST BY SIR. P. H. WATERLOW, BART, 1911. |
|
| 6. | GILLETT & JOHNSTON CROYDON |
| TO HONOUR BOTH OF GOD
AND KING OUR VOICES SHALL INCONSORT SING RECAST BY C. W. AND E. CRAGG. IN THE CORONATION YEAR OF KING GEORGE V 1911. |
|
| 7. | GILLETT & JOHNSTON CROYDON |
| IN WEDLOCK BANDS ALL YE
WHO JOIN WITH HANDS YOUR HEARTS UNITE SO SHALL OUR TUNEFUL TONGUES COMBINE TO LAUD THE NUPTIAL RITE RECAST BY BOROUGH GREEN PARISHIONERS. 1911. |
|
| 8. | GILLETT & JOHNSTON CROYDON |
| THE REVD
DR JOHN POTTER RECTOR RICHARD FOLLJAMES AND WM WELCH. CH. WARDENS 1754 RECAST BY W. H. T. ASHTON - G WATKIN, RECTOR. 1911. |
FORMER BELLS |
| Bell | Supplied Weight | Scrapping Weight | Diameter | Pitch | Cast | Founder | Fate |
1 |
6-3-15 | 5-3-0 |
29½" |
D |
1754 |
Lester & Pack | Recast 1911 |
2 |
6-1-24 | 30" | C sharp | 1754 |
Lester & Pack |
Recast 1896 |
|
2 |
5-2-0 |
C sharp |
1896 |
John Warner & Sons |
Recast 1911 | ||
3 |
7-3-0 | 31" | B |
1754 |
Lester & Pack | Recast 1896 | |
3 |
6-0-21 |
B |
1896 |
John Warner & Sons | Recast 1911 | ||
4 |
9-0-25 | 7-0-0 |
33" |
A |
1754 | Lester & Pack | Recast 1911 |
5 |
10-1-4 | 8-1-8 |
36" |
G |
1754 | Lester & Pack | Recast 1911 |
6 |
11-3-21 | 38½" | F sharp | 1754 |
Lester & Pack | Recast 1904 | |
6 |
10-2-16 |
F sharp |
1904 |
John Warner & Sons | Recast 1911 | ||
7 |
16-2-4 | 13-2-0 |
43" |
E |
1754 | Lester & Pack | Recast 1911 |
8 |
23-0-15 | 19-3-25 |
48½" |
D |
1754 | Lester & Pack |
Recast 1911 |
The old tenor was tuned to 20-2-10 by Warner in 1904. Another version of the diameters of the 1754 bells is: 30½", 31½", 33½", 36½", 39", 41¼", 45½", 51". Yet to establish which was nearer the truth. The Lester & Pack octave
were inscribed as follows (according to Stahlschmidt). |
| 1. | ALTHOUGH I AM BOTH LIGHT AND SMALL : I WILL BE HEARD. ABOVE YOU ALL. T : LESTER & T : PACK FECIT |
| 1754 | |
| 2. | AT PROPER TIMES OUR VOICES WE WILL RAISE : IN SOUNDING TO OUR BENEFACTORS PRAISE |
| T : LESTER & T : PACK FECIT 1754 | |
| 3. | PEACE AND GOOD NEIGHBOURHOOD : THOMAS LESTER & THOS PACK FECIT 1754 |
| 4. | OUR VOICES SHALL WITH JOYFULL SOUND MAKE HILLS AND VALLEYS ECHO ROUND LESTER & PACK FECIT 1754 |
| 5. | YE RINGERS ALL THAT PRIZE YOUR HEALTH AND HAPPINESS. THOMAS LESTER & THOS PACK FECIT 1754 |
| BE SOBER MERRY WISE : AND YOU'LL THE SAME POSSESS. | |
| 6. | TO HONOUR BOTH OF GOD AND KING OUR VOICES SHALL IN CONSORT RING THOMAS LESTER & THOs PACK FECIT 1754 |
| 7. | IN WEDLOCK BANDS
ALL YE WHO JOIN. WITH HANDS YOUR HEARTS UNITE. SO SHALL OUR TUNEFUL TONGUES (same line) COMBINE. TO LAUD THE NUPTIAL RITE |
| THOMAS LESTER & THOMAS PACK OF LONDON FECIT 1754 | |
| 8. | THE REVD. DOCTOR JOHN POTTER RECTOR RICHD. FULLJAMES & WM WELCH CH. WARDENS 1754 |
| THOMAS LESTER & THOMAS PACK OF LONDON FECIT | |
| The arrangements of these inscriptions on these bells is assumed. In particular the arrangement suggested on the 5th is not (I think) known anywhere else. Where a letter is raised with an underlining, there is in fact a dot beneath the letter. |
HISTORY |
c.964
Earliest church was built.
1404
4 marks bequeathed by Richard Melchebourne (Vicar of Wrotham 1397 - 98) for the purchase of bells.
1754
The 6 bells in the tower were recast into a ring of 8 by Lester & Pack.
1896
2nd and 3rd recast by John Warner & Sons.
1904
6th recast by John Warner & Sons who retuned the remainder.
1911
Ring recast and rehung in a new frame by Gillett & Johnston. (Order recorded 16th Feb).
1976
Bells overhauled by Gillett & Johnston.
