Untitled Document
St James Garlickhythe (The Royal Jubilee Bells)
 

St James Garlickhythe (The Royal Jubilee Bells), Garlick Hill

Photo: Dickon Love, July 2011

  • 8 bells hung for full circle ringing, 2 bells hung dead and service bell hung for swing chiming but chimed with a fixed electronic hammer
  • Tenor: 9-1-25 in G♯.
  • Grid Ref: TQ323808
  • Rung from: Upstairs Ringing Room
  • Frame: 2012 Whitechapel Bell Foundry, metal frame. Service bell in its own timber frame. Quarters hung dead from other timbers.
  • Diocese: London
  • Building Listed Grade: I. Click for Heritage details.
  • Peals rung at the tower

Details of the Bells
Bell Weight
(most recent)		Diameter Note Date FounderRetuned
® Treble Henry 3-0-2123⅝" G♯ 2012 Whitechapel Bell FoundryNever
® 2 William 3-1-824¼" Fx 2012 Whitechapel Bell FoundryNever
® 3 Edward 3-2-225⅜" E♯ 2012 Whitechapel Bell FoundryNever
® 4 Andrew 4-0-1127¼" D♯ 2012 Whitechapel Bell FoundryNever
® 5 Anne 4-2-1129¼" C♯ 2012 Whitechapel Bell FoundryNever
® 6 Charles 5-1-2230¼" B♯ 2012 Whitechapel Bell FoundryNever
® 7 Philip 7-0-1233¼" A♯ 2012 Whitechapel Bell FoundryNever
® Tenor Elizabeth 9-1-2537" G♯ 2012 Whitechapel Bell FoundryNever
ꓕ Quarter 1 1-1-2519¼" A 1686 Philip Wightman, Clerkenwell1988 Whitechapel
ꓕ Quarter 2 2-0-1722" G♭ 1682 James Bartlett, Whitechapel1988 Whitechapel
҂ Hour 6-1-1431¾" D♭ 1700 Philip Wightman, Clerkenwell1988 Whitechapel

®  - Hung for full circle ringing
҂  - Hung for swing chiming
ꓕ - Hung dead

Inscriptions

How the bells are tuned

Prior to 1666
Bell Weight Diameter Note Date Founder Retuned Fate
Treble (of 4)UnknownDestroyed in the Great Fire of 1666
2nd (of 4)UnknownDestroyed in the Great Fire of 1666
3rd (of 4)UnknownDestroyed in the Great Fire of 1666
Tenor (of 4)UnknownDestroyed 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.

Articles

  • "New Diamond Jubilee Bells for the City of London", Love, Dickon R (Ringing World) 16 December 2011
  • "Royal Jubilee Bells for the Diamond Jubilee River Pageant", Love, Dickon R (The Ringing World) 24 January 2012
  • "Nationwide ringing for the Diamond Jubilee - 3pm on Sunday 3rd June", Love, Dickon R (The Ringing World) 27 April 2012
  • "Ding Dong its the Jubilee Bells", Robinson, Phil (Mail on Sunday) 27 May 2012
  • "Royal visit to Whitechapel heralds a summer of bells", Hughes, Kathryn (The Ringing World) 1 June 2012
  • "These bells float!", Donahue, Hilary (The Ringing World) 1 June 2012
  • "First peal on the Royal Jubilee Bells", Love, Dickon R (The Ringing World) 1 June 2012
  • "The Royal Jubilee Bells herald Her Majesty on the River Thames", Love, Dickon R (The Ringing World) 27 July 2012
  • "The view from the bridge", Love, Dickon R (The Ringing World) 27 July 2012
  • "John Barrowman learns to handle a bell", Love, Dickon R (The Ringing World) 27 July 2012
  • "A Jubilee river of sound", Love, Dickon R (The Ringing World) 27 July 2012
  • "The Royal Jubilee Bells go to St James Garlickhythe", Love, Dickon R (The Ringing World) 27 July 2012
  • "River Pageant Bells", Stephenson, Judy (Friends of City Churches Newsletter) 1 August 2012
  • "The dedication of the Royal Jubilee Bells at St James Garlickhythe", Stoughton, Patricia (Church Buildings & Heritage Review) 1 September 2012
  • "First peal in tower at Garlickhythe", Love, Dickon R (The Ringing World) 14 December 2012
  • "A year of bells", Stoughton, Patricia (Best of British) 1 June 2013
    		•

    Pictures of the church


    Photo:

    Pictures of the upper belfry

    The quarter chimes hanging in their frame.
    Photo: Dickon R Love, 16 Dec 2009
    The clock bell (the original service bell).
    Photo: Dickon R Love, 16 Dec 2009
    The clock bell (the original service bell).
    Photo: Dickon R Love, 16 Dec 2009

    The clock bell (the original service bell).
    Photo: Dickon R Love, 16 Dec 2009
    The quarter chimes hanging in their frame.
    Photo: Dickon R Love, 16 Dec 2009
    The clock bell (the original service bell).
    Photo: Dickon R Love, 16 Dec 2009

    Pictures from before the 2012 installation

    Old service bell wheel stored in the 3rd stage of the tower.
    Photo: Dickon R Love, 16 Dec 2009
    The coffin of "Jimmy Garlick" that used to be stored in what is now the intermediate chamber of the tower. Jimmy is a mummy whose embalmed body was discovered in the vaults in 1855. The body is now interred in a sarcophagus in the only remaining part of the church crypt, and so is no longer open for public viewing.
    Photo: Dickon R Love, 16 Dec 2009
    Board on the ground floor recording the restoration work of 1854.
    Photo: Dickon R Love, 16 Dec 2009

    The moulds being made at Whitechapel

    Casting of the bells

    Finishing off the bells in the foundry

    Prince Charles inspects the Royal Jubilee Bells
    Recent Peals
    The most recent performances, according to BellBoard.
    2020-03-025152 Spliced Surprise Major (23m)
    2020-02-295088 Cambridge Surprise Major
    2020-02-205152 Spliced Surprise Major (23m)
    2020-02-165152 Spliced Surprise Major (23m)
    2020-02-105184 Spliced Surprise Major (6m)
    2020-01-265152 Spliced Surprise Major (23m)
    2020-01-195152 Spliced Surprise Major (23m)
    2019-12-315120 Bristol Surprise Major
    2019-12-085152 Spliced Surprise Major (23m)
    2019-12-055152 Spliced Surprise Major (4m)
    2019-11-255088 Rook and Gaskill Surprise Major
    2019-11-245088 Turramurra Surprise Major
    2019-11-1710240 Spliced Surprise Major (40m)
    2019-11-095088 Yorkshire Surprise Major
    2019-11-015056 Spliced Surprise Major (8m)
    2019-10-205040 Spliced Major (23m)
    2019-09-215152 Spliced Surprise Major (23m)
    2019-09-095122 Castle Baynard Surprise Major
    2019-08-275024 Adelaide Surprise Major
    2019-08-185056 Spliced Surprise Major (10)
    2019-08-115152 Spliced Surprise Major (23 Methods)
    2019-07-095024 Spliced Surprise Major (4m)
    2019-07-085152 Carrickfergus Surprise Major
    2019-06-165120 Spliced Surprise Major (20 Methods)
    2019-06-095152 Spliced Surprise Major (23 Methods)
    Recent Quarter Peals
    The most recent performances, according to BellBoard.
    2020-01-251260 Stedman Triples
    2019-12-211250 Yorkshire Surprise Major
    2019-12-051280 Spliced Surprise Major (3m)
    2019-11-211280 Double Darlaston Bob Major
    2019-10-241260 Plain Bob Doubles
    2019-10-061260 Plain Bob Triples
    2019-06-271260 Plain Bob Doubles
    2019-06-201260 Plain Bob Minor
    2019-06-061260 Doubles (2m)
    2019-05-041288 Grandsire Triples
    2019-04-251260 Plain Bob Doubles
    2019-04-111260 Plain Bob Doubles
    2019-01-071312 Double Norwich Court Bob Major
    2018-12-071344 Spliced Treble Dodging Major (3m)
    2018-11-202880 Treble Dodging Minor (6m)
    2018-11-131280 Bristol Surprise Major
    2018-08-041280 Bristol Surprise Major
    2018-06-211260 Grandsire Doubles
    2018-06-081314 Spliced Surprise Major (6m)
    2018-05-031260 Plain Bob Doubles
    2018-04-291280 Cambridge Surprise Major
    2018-04-281344 Cornwall Surprise Major
    2018-04-221440 Spliced Surprise Major
    2018-04-071260 Grandsire Triples
    2018-04-071260 Plain Bob Triples
    Full list of peals on Bellboard here
    		 Full list of quarters on Bellboard here

    Love's Guide to the Church Bells of the City of London Page updated: 13 October 2019