The Church Bells of the City of London

ST SEPULCHRE-WITHOUT-NEWGATE

Photo DrL Aug 2002
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

DETAILS OF THE BELLS

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

 30 3/4"

E sharp

1807

 Thomas Mears II

4

5-2-26

 29 3/4"

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 35 7/8" A sharp 1739 Samuel Knight
8 10-2-25 40 3/8" G sharp 1830 Thomas Mears II
9 12-1-22 42" F sharp 1804 Thomas Mears I
10 13-3-15 43 3/4" E sharp 1739 Samuel Knight
11 17-3-6 47 7/8" D sharp 1739 Samuel Knight
Tenor 28-2-16 56 3/4" C sharp 1830 Thomas Mears II
Sanctus 1698 William Eldridge Snr

INSCRIPTIONS
1.       
GIVEN BY PAST-MASTERS
OF
THE ANCIENT SOCIETY OF COLLEGE YOUTHS
(decorative border)
19

wc1981.jpg (2438 bytes)

84
WHITECHAPEL
2.    
GIVEN IN LOVING MEMORY
OF
WILLIAM AND WINIFRED WRIGHT
OF
WALTHAMSTOW
BY THEIR SONS
WILLIAM AND COLIN
(decorative border)
19

wc1981.jpg (2438 bytes)

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

wc1981.jpg (2438 bytes)

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 ¡ ¡ ¡  sk_leaf.jpg (5438 bytes)sk_leaf.jpg (5438 bytes)sk_leaf.jpg (5438 bytes)fleur.jpg (998 bytes) `
12. T. MEARS OF LONDON FECIT : JOSEPH HEARN THOS HENRY FENTON AND CHARLES THOS DUPREE CHURCH WARDENS RECAST 1830.
Service Bell. 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.

PHOTOGRAPHS
Photo DrL 29th March 2003 Photo DrL 29th March 2003
Treble bell donated by the Ancient Society of College Youths. 2nd donated by William & Colin Wright.
Photo DrL 29th March 2003
The Samuel Knight 11th with interesting markings of coins, leaves, fleur de lys and flower.
Photo DrL 29th March 2003
The top tier (with the 3rd and 6th).
Photo DrL 29th March 2003
Another view of the belfry.
Photo DrL 29th March 2003 Photo DrL 29th March 2003
Eleanor Kippin standing on the 8th. A view of the 2 tiers.
Photo DrL 29th March 2003

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.

Photo DrL 29th March 2003
Photo DrL 29th March 2003
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.
Photo DLC A photo taken in the 1960s of the bells in the old frame.
Another 1960s photo of the Sanctus bell.

Photo DLC
Photo DrL 2002

Here is a genuine Victorian Urinal that was used by the ringers, located behind a door into the nave roof.