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St James Garlickhythe (The Royal Jubilee Bells), Garlick Hill
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Details of the Bells |
Bell | Weight (most recent) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned | ||
® | Treble | Henry | 3-0-21 | 23⅝" | G♯ | 2012 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Never |
® | 2 | William | 3-1-8 | 24¼" | Fx | 2012 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Never |
® | 3 | Edward | 3-2-2 | 25⅜" | E♯ | 2012 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Never |
® | 4 | Andrew | 4-0-11 | 27¼" | D♯ | 2012 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Never |
® | 5 | Anne | 4-2-11 | 29¼" | C♯ | 2012 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Never |
® | 6 | Charles | 5-1-22 | 30¼" | B♯ | 2012 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Never |
® | 7 | Philip | 7-0-12 | 33¼" | A♯ | 2012 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Never |
® | Tenor | Elizabeth | 9-1-25 | 37" | G♯ | 2012 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Never |
ꓕ | Quarter 1 | 1-1-25 | 19¼" | A | 1686 | Philip Wightman, Clerkenwell | 1988 Whitechapel | |
ꓕ | Quarter 2 | 2-0-17 | 22" | G♭ | 1682 | James Bartlett, Whitechapel | 1988 Whitechapel | |
҂ | Hour | 6-1-14 | 31¾" | D♭ | 1700 | Philip Wightman, Clerkenwell | 1988 Whitechapel |
Inscriptions |
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How the bells are tuned |
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Prior to 1666 |
Bell | Weight | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
Treble (of 4) | Unknown | Destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 | ||||||
2nd (of 4) | Unknown | Destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 | ||||||
3rd (of 4) | Unknown | Destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 | ||||||
Tenor (of 4) | Unknown | Destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 |
History |
1552 | No record in the 1552 Inventory. | ||
1624 | The ancient parish church was extensively repaired and enlarged. | ||
1650 | An attempt was made to sell the 4 bells in the tower. This was unsuccessful and they appear to have remained until the Great Fire. | ||
1666 | Church and bells destroyed in the Great Fire. | ||
1676 | Foundation for new church, designed by Wren, was laid. | ||
1682 | Church opened for worship, being completely finished the following year with a west tower rising to 125 ft. One of the bells was cast, the bellfounder's bill being £13.13.0. | ||
1686 | Bell cast by William & Philip Wightman for St Michael Queenhithe. (This was the old treble.) | ||
1700 | Bell cast by Philip Wightman. | ||
1708 | Paterson records no bells in the tower. This is clearly a mistake. | ||
1854 | Major restoration of tower and spire. | ||
1875 | St Michael, Queenhithe was demolished, and its bell given to St James'. | ||
1988 | Bells cleaned and retuned by Whitechapel, crown staples removed and stress relieving centre holes drilled. The 2 trebles were rehung dead with the clock striking on the 2nd. The tenor was rehung for swinging with a lever. | ||
2012 | A new ring of 8 bells was cast at Whitechapel. They were originally hung for change ringing in a purpose built tower in a warehouse in Edenbridge. The tower and bells were then transferred to a boat called "Ursula Katherine". This boat led the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant on 3rd June and were rung to a quarter peal and various other touches. The bells were then transferred to St James', dedicated on 17th June. |
Pictures of the church |
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Pictures of the upper belfry |
Pictures from before the 2012 installation |
The moulds being made at Whitechapel |
Casting of the bells |
Finishing off the bells in the foundry |
Prince Charles inspects the Royal Jubilee Bells |
Love's Guide to the Church Bells of the City of London | Page updated: 13 October 2019 |