St Katharine Cree

ST KATHARINE CREE, Leadenhall St

	6 ringing bells + disused clock bell
	Tenor: 9-3-18 in G
	Anticlockwise
	Retuned: 5 and 6 in 2009, remainder untuned
	Frame: 1754 Robert Catlin

Ground floor

DETAILS OF THE BELLS

Bell	Weight	Diameter	Cast	Note*	Founder
Treble	4-2-14	27˝"	1754	E	Thomas Lester
2	5-2-1	29"	1754	D	Thomas Lester
3	5-2-8	30ž"	1754	C	Thomas Lester
4	6-3-14	32"	1754	B	Thomas Lester
5	8-0-7	35˝"	1754	A	Thomas Lester
Tenor	9-3-18	39"	1842	G	Thomas Mears II
Clock	3 cwt approx.	24¹³/16"	1754		Thomas Lester
The tenor was supplied at 10-1-23. The 5th was measured at 8-0-17 post welding but pre-tuning.

THE GIFT OF NATHANIEL BENTLEY OF THIS PARISH 1754. T. LESTER & T. PACK FECIT

THO^S LESTER & THO^S PACK FECIT J754

THOMAS MEARS FOUNDER LONDON. 1842

MR R: B. WHITESIDE
MR GEORGE BRIDGER

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CHURCHWARDENS

THO^S LESTER & THO^S PACK FECIT J754

There are borders on 2, 3, 4 & 5. All are different. The clock bell has the same border as the 5th.
Single canons have been broken off bells 1-5. The clock bell used to have a wheel but is not rung.

Bell	Weight	Diameter	Cast	Founder
6 (of 6)	11-0-21		1754	Thomas Lester

1504		Tower built.
1552		Record of 6 bells and a sanctus ("belles hangynge in the Steple greate and smalle Syxe" and a sacring bell).
1629		Church rebuilt (except for the lower part which dates from 1584). The new church was 15ft above the old church as shown by a pillar of the old church still standing at the west end adjoining the tower.
1666		Church survived the Great Fire.
1708		Record of 5 bells.
1714		Record of 5 bells.
1722		Stow reported that Sir Thomas Audley offered bells from Holy Trinity Priory in exchange for having the church rebuilt nearer the street, but the parishioners refused the offer.
1733		The Rambling ringers (of the College Youths) rang some Grandsire Doubles on the five bells but "the bells were in sutch bad repair that they had mutch ado to make em answer".
1754		The bells were recast into a new ring of six by Lester & Pack.
1754	4th May	Robert Catlin was paid Ł5.18.0.
1754	14th Nov.	Churchwardens accounts give "Thomas Lester Founder for Recasting the 5 Bells and 2 New ones Ł110.18.0"
1754	22nd Nov.	Churchwardens accounts give "Doughsell for Ringers at hanging the Bells Ł1.15.10."
1755	1st May	Churchwardens accounts give "Mr. Jennings his Expences at tuning ye Bells 6s.6d
1842		Tenor recast by Thomas Mears II. (Whitechapel Daybook 7th Nov: To: A bell C 10-1-23 Ł73-3-9, Rehanging etc. Ł13-0-0, total Ł86-3-9; By Old bell C11-0-21 Ł52-4-2, net total Ł33-19-7; Providing and fixing a new set of supporting ironwork, new Chiming hammer, Clock hammer with springs & supports, cleaning & refitting the bell, Ł8-8-0.)
1911		The bells were rehung by Mears & Stainbank. (Whitechapel Daybook 8th Sept: To lifting out the six bells, turning them, and adapting headstocks to suit the cannons, fitting new supporting ironwork, new ends to the old clappers, new leathers and bolts, and replacing the bells in their old bearings for chiming, including bell hangers time and journeys, use of tackle also adjusting the rollers and cleaning the Bells with wire brushes, Ł29- -.")
1962		Church restored.
2007		Wheels put on the front 5 allowing them to rung with care. The tenor was given a wheel shortly afterwards and the ringing room moved to the ground floor. An appeal was launched to retune the tenor and rehang all the bells in a new frame.
2009		Bells removed from the tower. The 5th was found to be cracked, so was welded with a bit of additional metal to increase its pitch. This and the tenor were then tuned and all 6 bells hung in a new frame in the tower and dedicated on 18th Dec,


An old engraving.	In 2007 when Michael Royalton-Kisch and Dickon Love inspected the belfry, they made the following observations the ultimately led to their restoration in 2009. Here the 2nd is shown. Grooves in the frame below permit the bell to swing. The tower is very small and the bells are packed in tightly.

The treble.	More grooves in the frame to allow the bell to clear.	Michael Royalton-Kisch rings up the treble on the headstock.

The view from above. Clockwise, the bells are 5th, 4th, 2nd and 3rd.	The disused clock bell in the cupola at the top of the tower.	The 5th bell.

The ceiling of the former (upstairs) ringing room.	Coat hooks in the former ringing room.


The 6 bells on the floor of the church. (Photo Neil Thomas)	On 25th March 2009, HM The Queen and Prince Philip visited the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. They are pictured here with the assembled Cree frame. (Photos Neil Thomas)

The rolled steel segments for the new canon-retaining headstocks.	The 4th upturned having its crown drilled.	Pieces of the disassembled framesides.

The 5th.	At Whitechapel, the 5th was found to be cracked. The crack can be seen here in the crown, accentuated by oil that flowed through it during drilling. (Photo DrL 9th Mar 2009)	All except the 4th standing on the foundry floor. The tenor is at the rear right. The bell rear left is not a Cree bell.

The bells were blessed on the floor of the nave on 22nd July, 2009.


Curiously each of the bells has a different design in its inscription band border, shown here.

Michael Royalton-Kisch (Tower Captain) and his mother at the Dedication.	Framesides: old ones on their way out, new ones on their way in.