The Church Bells of the City of London

ST PETER, CORNHILL
Photo DrL 9th July 2002
2 bells
Tenor: 10¾ cwt approx.
Formerly a ring of 5 prior to the Great Fire.

DETAILS OF THE BELLS

Bell

Weight

Diameter

Note

Cast

 Founder

1 (disused)

 2½ cwt approx. 21" A

1772

 Pack & Chapman

2

 10¾ cwt approx. 38¾" G 1772 Pack & Chapman

INSCRIPTIONS
1. PACK & CHAPMAN OF LONDON FECIT 1772

2. PACK & CHAPMAN OF LONDON FECIT 1772

HISTORY

1552

Record of 5 bells ("in the steple five belles and the sainctes bell").

1587

30th Apr.

The vestry resolved that Robert Mott was to be given the great bell (it being broken) to exchange for " a perfett good bell, and of good sounde, to agree with the reste", to hang it up and to guarantee it for a year and a day.

1587

25th Jun.

The vestry resolved to ask Robert Mott to take away the great bell that he hung "for that it was disliked of all the parish generally" and they decreed with him that "yf he had a good and prefect treble, they would have one of him reasonable."

1587

4th Jul.

Mott was paid for casting the great bell and for overplus of metal.

1604

8th Apr.

The vestry urged Mott's bell be accepted "because thought tuneable enough" and because "the steeple being old and crazie would surely without damage admit the great bell". The old bell was given as 20-14-17 and the new 17-2-22.

1620

21st Mar.

"The old clock ordered to the top of the steeple because the one on which the clock now striketh is found fault with, being so low that few of the parish can hear it."

1623

27th Jul.

Vestry records say that "the steeple ordered to be covered and the bells hung up".

1629

26th Jul.

The 2nd (of 5) was recast ("the second bell to be new cast and made tuneable like the rest").

1662

12th Nov.

The vestry ordered that a saints bell "to be hanged in the steeple over the other bells".

1666

Destroyed in the Great Fire.

1673

2nd Apr.

The vestry held at the Tabernacle (this being the temporary church) ordered a bell for it weighing about 1½ cwt and workmen to make a wheel and frame. This remained the only bell for about 100 years.

1677-87

Church rebuilt with a brick tower of unusual and almost Italian style, of four stages with a timber dome, lantern and spire, crowned with a vane in the form of a key.

1708

Record of 1 bell.

1772

Present 2 bells cast. The smaller was hung immediately underneath the wooden spirelet at the top of the small dome above the tower.

1824

Record of 2 bells.

1889

3rd Nov.

Church reopened.

 

PHOTOGRAPHS

Photo DrL 9th July 2002

This is an interesting picture of the two Cornhill towers, taken while the
building behindSt Peter's had been demolished and prior to rebuilding.