ST DIONIS, BACKCHURCH, Lime Street |
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DETAILS OF THE BELLS |
| Bell | Weight | Diameter |
Note | Cast | Founder |
1 |
5 cwt approx. | 25¾" | G sharp | 1732 |
Richard Phelps |
2 |
5½ cwt approx. | 27" | F sharp | 1726 |
Richard Phelps |
3 |
5¾ cwt approx. | 28¾" | E | 1726 |
Richard Phelps |
4 |
6 cwt approx. | 31" | D sharp | 1750 |
Thomas Lester |
5 |
7 cwt approx. | 32¾" | C sharp | 1726 |
Richard Phelps |
6 |
8 cwt approx. | 34½" | B | 1726 |
Richard Phelps |
7 |
9½ cwt approx. | 39" | A | 1726 |
Richard Phelps |
8 |
11 cwt approx. | 39¾" | G sharp | 1750 |
Thomas Lester |
9 |
14 cwt approx. | 43¼" | F sharp | 1726 |
Richard Phelps |
10 |
19½ cwt approx. | 48¼" | E | 1726 | Richard Phelps |
INSCRIPTIONS |
| 1. | R: PHELPS FECIT J732. | |||
| 2. | R: PHELPS FECIT J726. | |||
| 3. | R: PHELPS FECIT J726. | |||
| 4. | T. LESTER FECIT. HENRY BURT & DANIEL TAYLOR CHVRCH WARDENS. 1750 | |||
| 5. | R: PHELPS FECIT J726. | |||
| 6. | R: PHELPS FECIT J726. | |||
| 7. | R: PHELPS FECIT J726. | |||
| 8. | THOMAS LESTER FECIT. HENRY BURT (border) 1750 (border) | |||
| 9. | R: PHELPS FECIT J726. | |||
| 10. |
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HISTORY |
1552 |
Record of 5 bells and a sanctus bell. |
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1632 |
Record of bells being rehung in the tower. |
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1666 |
Church destroyed in the Great Fire. |
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1674 |
The body of the church was rebuilt. £50 5s. 10d was paid to James Bartlett for a ring of 6, hung by Mr Allen (who was paid £10). |
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1684 |
Tower completed (although it seems that old tower was still standing while this was being built). The bells are likely to have been transferred from one tower to the other at this time. |
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1726 |
28th Aug |
The bells were found to be out of order, so the vestry decided to exchange the existing bells for a new set. 8 bells were originally decided on with a new frame, but in the end there appears to have been money for a ring of 10 bells. |
1727 |
The new ring of 10 bells was purchased for £479.8s from Richard Phelps. They were hung in a new anticlockwise oak frame. A chiming machine was installed to play on all 10 bells at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o'clock every day. The clock struck quarters on the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th bells with the hour on the tenor, repeated on the saints bell. |
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1732 |
Treble recast as it was broken. |
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1750 |
4th and 8th were recast as they were cracked. |
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1876 |
28th Apr |
It was agreed to sell the church under the City Union of Benefices Act and unite the parish and benefice with the neighbouring parish of All Hallows, Grasschurch, Lombard Street. This was one of the first churches to be targetted by the act. The bells were given to All Hallows, Lombard Street. The money raised went to restoring All Hallows and build a new church of St Dionis, Parsons Green, Fulham. |
1879 |
The church was finally demolished and the bells were hung in All Hallows, Lombard Street where the story continues. |
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Trollope sketch, 1939
An earlier sketch. |
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