ST HELEN, BISHOPSGATE

DETAILS OF THE BELLS

INSCRIPTIONS

HISTORY

1552

Not mentioned in the Inventory.

17th Cent.

A small turret was erected.

1630

Tenor recast (accounts include an entry "Paid the Bell Founder for changing our great bell and new metell added" £7.6.0.)

1669

Record of a bell being hung (source: Sperling).

1696

3rd Jun.

Vestry minutes record agreement with Thomas Armstrong to take down the bells, wheels and ropes in the Bellfry and deliver them safe and sound into the church, thereafter to have a lease of the said belfry for 61 years. It appears that 4 bells used to hang in a belfry over the gate.

1696

18th Jun.

Resolution that 3 of the 4 bells delivered to the church by Mr Armstrong shall be sold towards the repair of the church and the best of the four to be kept for the use of the parish.

1699

25th Apr.

Resolution that the belfry and church be repaired and a bell hung up to give notice of burials.

1708

Record of 2 bells in the tower.

1714

Paterson notes "but two small bells".

1737

7th Jan.

Resolution regarding ringing the bell for burials.

1780

15th Jun.

The Vestry thanked John Smith Esq. For having presented the parish with three new bells and the hanging thereof in the steeple. The bells were cast in 1779/80 by Pack & Chapman.

1874

St Martin, Outwich was pulled down and the parish united with that of St Helen.

1891

The turret was repaired.

1893

30th Jun.

Church reopened.

PHOTOGRAPHS

The 2nd.

The frame for 2 bells was modified slightly to take all three bells in it. The treble was brought down from its own frame in the cupola at the top of the spire to join the other two in this belfry.