12 Ringing Bells + Service Bell (hung dead) Tenor: 28-2-16 in C sharp Frame: 1984 Whitechapel (former frame 1739 Robert Catlin preserved) Retuned: 1984 Whitechapel Grid Ref.: TQ318814 Upstairs Ringing Room PEALS

Bell	Weight	Diameter	Note	Cast	Founder
Treble	6-0-16	26"	G sharp	1984	Whitechapel
2	6-2-0	27"	F sharp	1984	Whitechapel
3	6-2-10	30¾"	E sharp	1807	Thomas Mears II
4	5-2-26	29¾"	D sharp	1739	Samuel Knight
5	6-2-7	32"	C sharp	1739	Samuel Knight
6	7-0-12	33"	B sharp	1984	Whitechapel
7	8-1-6	35⅞"	A sharp	1739	Samuel Knight
8	10-2-25	40⅜"	G sharp	1830	Thomas Mears II
9	12-1-22	42"	F sharp	1804	Thomas Mears I
10	13-3-15	43¾"	E sharp	1739	Samuel Knight
11	17-3-6	47⅞"	D sharp	1739	Samuel Knight
Tenor	28-2-16	56¾"	C sharp	1830	Thomas Mears II
Sanctus				1698	William Eldridge Snr

1.
	GIVEN BY PAST-MASTERS OF THE ANCIENT SOCIETY OF COLLEGE YOUTHS (decorative border) 19 84 WHITECHAPEL
2.
	GIVEN IN LOVING MEMORY OF WILLIAM AND WINIFRED WRIGHT OF WALTHAMSTOW BY THEIR SONS PETER, DAVID AND COLIN (decorative border) 19 84 WHITECHAPEL
3.	(Whitechapel border) THOMAS MEARS & SON OF LONDON FECIT 1807 (Whitechapel border)
4.	1739
5.	S v K v 1739
6.	S K 1739
	RECAST BY THE ARCHERS OF EUROPE IN MEMORY OF SIR ROGER ASCHAM 1515 - 1568 TUTOR TO ELIZABETH I AND FOUNDING FATHER OF MODERN ARCHERY WHO IS BURIED WITHIN THIS CHURCH (decorative border) 19 84 WHITECHAPEL
7.	S v K v 1739
8.	T. MEARS OF LONDON FECIT 1830.
9.	(Whitechapel border) THOMAS MEARS OF LONDON FECIT 1804 (Whitechapel border)
10.	1739
11.	SAMUEL KNIGHT CAST US ALL & ROBERT CATLIN MADE THE FRAME & HUNG : US ALL 1739 ¡ ¡ ¡   `
12.	T. MEARS OF LONDON FECIT : JOSEPH HEARN THOS HENRY FENTON AND CHARLES THOS DUPREE CHURCH WARDENS RECAST 1830.
S.	W à E ME FECIT 1698

HISTORY

1539		On surrender of the Priory of St Bartholomew to the Crown, 6 of the 11 bells of the Priory were sold to St Sepulchre's. (The remaining 5 are still at St Bartholomew the Great.) All 11 were probably cast by Thomas Bullisdon about 1510.
1552		Record of 6 bells.
1666		All bells melted in the Great Fire. Enough metal to cast 3 bells was salvaged.
1667	Easter	John Hodson of Bishopsgate (described in the Vestry Minutes as a carpenter) cast 6 bells and made the frame for them.
1671		Clock & chimes made by Mr Wyse, "The iron Barrell to be for eight bells". The churchwardens accounts show frequent amounts paid out at about this time for work on the bells, including new clappers and ropes, etc. Some of the bells appear to have been faulty.
1677		2 new small bells cast, apparently by Mr Darby making 8. He could have been Michael Darbie of Southwark or John Darbie of Ipswich.
1690		The College Youths rang the first ever touches of Grandsire Triples on the bells and completed the first ever peal of 5040 changes (Plain Bob Triples).
1695		Tenor cracked and recast.
1698		2 new bells cast by William Eldridge Senior of Chertsey making the peal up to 10.
1739		All the bells except the treble were recast (the treble remains the present Sanctus bell) by Samuel Knight. The frame was made by Robert Catlin.
1741	7th April	Society of Eastern Scholars (founded 1733) rang the first ever peal of Treble Bob Royal. This peal was afterwards found to be false.
	30th May	The College Youths rang a true peal of Treble Bob Royal.
1783		Newgate prison acquired its own bell and the great tenor was no longer rung from 6-10 a.m. on execution mornings (though some authorities think it was rung up to the time public executions ceased in 1868).
1804		7th recast by Thomas Mears II.
1807		Treble recast by Thomas Mears II.
1829		Tenor fell while ringing the Lord Mayor processed past the church on Lord Mayor’s Day. This bell weighed 29-2-0.
1830		Tenor and 6th recast by Thomas Mears II. The tenor weighed 31-0-4.
1886		One of the bells was rehung (unknown which) and the 3rd, 4th and 5th were quarter turned by John Warner & Sons.
1905		Bells rehung.
1986		Bells tuned and rehung in a new frame together with 2 new bells to make 12.

GALLERY

Treble bell donated by the Ancient Society of College Youths.	2nd donated by William & Colin Wright.	The Samuel Knight 11th with interesting markings of coins, leaves, fleur de lys and flower.
The top tier (with the 3rd and 6th).	Another view of the belfry.	Eleanor Kippin standing on the 8th.
A view of the 2 tiers.	On the storey above the bells, the old timber frame (that formerly housed the original ring of 10) is preserved.	Another view of the old frame.
Mark Humphreys standing next to the Service Bell, hung dead in its own frame above the old timber frame. This bell was formerly the treble of the ring of 10 before it was replaced by a new bell in 1739.	A photo taken in the 1960s of the bells in the old frame.	Another 1960s photo of the Sanctus bell.
Here is a genuine Victorian Urinal that was used by the ringers, located behind a door into the nave roof.