The Bells of the City of London
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Love's
Guide to The Bells of the City of London |
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St Botolph-without-Aldgate, Aldgate
 Photo: Dickon Love, 25 May, 2011
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Details of the Bells |
| Bell | Weight (most recent) | Weight (Whitechapel Peals Book 1743) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned | ||
| ® | Treble | 6-1-14 | 6-3-14 | 31¾" | D | 1744 | Thomas Lester, Whiechapel | 1966 Mears & Stainbank | |
| ® | 2 | 7-0-0 | 7-2-14 | 32¼" | C♯ | 1744 | Thomas Lester, Whiechapel | 1966 Mears & Stainbank | |
| ® | 3 | 8-0-22 | 9-0-24 | 35⅛" | B | 1744 | Thomas Lester, Whiechapel | 1966 Mears & Stainbank | |
| ® | 4 | 10-1-0 | 11-0-19 | 38⅜" | A | 1744 | Thomas Lester, Whiechapel | 1966 Mears & Stainbank | |
| ® | 5 | 13-1-4 | 14-2-15 | 42⅛" | G | 1764 | Lester & Pack, Whitechapel | 1966 Mears & Stainbank | |
| ® | 6 | 13-2-4 | 15-0-23 | 44" | F♯ | 1966 | Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel | Never | |
| ® | 7 | 19-0-9 | 20-1-16 | 48½" | E | 1764 | Lester & Pack, Whitechapel | 1966 Mears & Stainbank | |
| ® | Tenor | 25-0-7 | 28-0-26 | 54¼" | D | 1764 | Lester & Pack, Whitechapel | 1966 Mears & Stainbank |
Bellframes |
| Frame | Bells | Year | Maker | Material | Truss(es) | Local Layout | |||
| 1 | All bells | 1966 | Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel |
Inscriptions |
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How the bells are tuned |
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The 1744 Thomas Lester octave |
| Bell | Weight* | Weight (Current weight) |
Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
| Treble (of 8) | 6-3-14 | 6-1-14 | 31⅜" | 1744 | Thomas Lester | 1966 Mears & Stainbank | Current Treble | ||
| 2nd (of 8) | 7-2-14 | 7-0-0 | 32½" | 1744 | Thomas Lester | 1966 Mears & Stainbank | Current 2nd | ||
| 3rd (of8) | 9-0-24 | 8-0-22 | 35½" | 1744 | Thomas Lester | 1966 Mears & Stainbank | Current 3rd | ||
| 4th (of 8) | 11-0-19 | 10-1-0 | 38½" | 1744 | Thomas Lester | 1966 Mears & Stainbank | Current 4th | ||
| 5th (of 8) | 14-2-15 | 41½" | 1744 | Thomas Lester | Never | Recast 1764 | |||
| 6th (of 8) | 15-0-23 | 43½" | 1744 | Thomas Lester | Never | Recast 1764 | |||
| 7th (of 8) | 20-1-16 | 47¾" | 1744 | Thomas Lester | Never | Recast 1764 | |||
| Tenor (of 8) | 28-0-26 | 53¾" | 1744 | Thomas Lester | Never | Recast 1764 |
Prior to 1744 |
| Bell | Weight | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
| Treble (of 6) | 1588 | Robert Mot | Never | Recast 1744 | ||||
| 2nd (of 6) | 9½ cwt approx. | 1589 | Robert Mot | Never | Recast 1744 | |||
| 3rd (of 6) | Unknown | Never | Recast 1744 | |||||
| 4th (of 6) | Unknown | Never | Recast 1744 | |||||
| 5th (of 6) | Unknown | Never | Recast 1744 | |||||
| Tenor (of 6) | Unknown | Never | Recast 1744 |
History |
| 1418 | A new aisle (dedicated to St Katharine), a new chapel (dedicated to St Mary) and a tower were added to the church, all donated by Robert Burford, who was a bellfounder and wealthy man in the parish. He quite possibly provided bells at the same time. [1] | ||
| 1548 | Church property was sold to raise money to buy a row of church houses. There was so much opposition to the sale of the bells that the houses could not be bought. | ||
| 1551 | Vestry approval was given to the sale of church plate and bells to purchase certain houses at the end of the churchyard. A later minute records that "some would not consent to the sale of the bells" and so there was not enough money for the purchase. | ||
| 1552 | Record of 5 bells, a sacring bell and a clock bell. [2] | ||
| 1553 | The bells were rung for the accession of Queen Mary. The year after they rang for her wedding to Philip of Spain. There were probably five in number at the time. | ||
| 1554 | Princess (later Queen) Elizabeth was released from the Tower of London to a less severe prison in Essex. She is known to have heard the bells on her release. Four years later, on her accession, the bells rang again. Remembering her release and the ringing that accompanied it, she presented the church a set of silken bell ropes. | ||
| 1574 | The tenor rang for the burial of Thomas Kempe, bellfounder. | ||
| 1587 | The bells rang for the beheading of Mary Queen of Scots. | ||
| 1588 | On 20 Jun the treble bell was "changed by Mr.Mott" (Robert Mot at Whitechapel). | ||
| 1589 | On 30 July the second had become cracked, so it was recast by Robert Mot at Whitechapel. The new bell was hung by William Underell, sexton, for 12s. | ||
| 1592 | Tenor clapper repaired. | ||
| 1666 | The church escaped the Great Fire. | ||
| 1740 | The church had become very dilapidated. George Dance the surveyor was called in and he advised that it would be better and cheaper to rebuild the church rather than repair it. | ||
| 1741 | The old church was pulled down. | ||
| 1744 | The new church and tower was consecrated after £5,536 2s. 8d. had been spent on it. A ring of 8 was cast by Thomas Lester and hung in a new frame. | ||
| 1764 | The back four bells were cast by Lester & Pack. A clock bell was also cast. | ||
| 1836 | On 26 Feb "The Times" printed an article (following the fire at Spitalfields): "A fine bold peal of eight bells; tenor 28 cwt. In same key. Sexton the steeple-keeper, who appoints a deputy in the person of the gravedigger. These bells would, with the addition of two small ones, make a beautiful peal of ten; they are not rung by competent persons." | ||
| 1890 | John Warner & Co. provided new wheels, a new headstock for the treble and quarter turned the 5th, 7th and tenor bells. | ||
| 1958 | The 7th fell out of its pit and was damaged. After this, the bells were only chimed, although the tenor was rung up on rare occasions. | ||
| 1965 | The church was severly damaged by fire, and as part of the work of restoration, the bells were retuned and rehung in a new frame. The 6th had to be recast. |
| [1] | We may gather some Knowledge what this Church of St. Botolph was about 300 Years ago, and how enlarged, from an ancient Will, bearing Date Sept. 5. 1418. in the Registrary of the Bishops of London, viz. That there then was an Ile added to it, called the new Ile of St. Katharines, and a new Chapel, dedicated to St. Mary, made equal and like to the said St. Katharines Ile; and also a new Steeple. The Donor was Robert Burford, a Bell Founder, a wealthy Man, as it seems of this Parish, and charitably disposed; who by Will gave 40l. towards the building the new Ile of St. Katharines, and towards the making and raising of St. Mary's Chapel to the same Height and Form of the new Ile of St. Katharines 40 Mark; and towards the building of a new Steeple 40l. more. And left it to his Executors, to see the whole Covering of the new Ile of the Chapel of St. Katharines in the said Church to be compleatly finished, in the Carpentary, at his proper Cost and Charges. All which appear by the Words of the Will. Rob. Burford Civis & Campanarius condidit Testamentum, sepeliend. in Capell. be. Mariæ in Eccels. S. Bothi. extra Aldgate, juxta tumulum patris, &c. Lego Ecclesiæ x Marc. Item, Lego ad construction. novæ Insule sancte Catharine in dict. Eccles. xl l. Item, Lego ad opus Capelle be. Mariæ, ad eandem Capell. faciend. & exaltand. consimili forma adinstar nove Insule prædict. xl. Marc. Item, Lego ad constrution. novi Campanil. xl. l. Item Volo quod totum tectum nov. Insule Capell. sancte Catharine in dict. Eccles. ut in Carpentaria ad custus meos per Executores meos perficiatur. Probat. 3io Calendar. Octobr. 1418. (A Survey of the Cities of London and Westminster, John Strype 1720) |
| [2] | Item v Belles datyde [blank]. Item a sacring Bell. Item A Clocke Bell (Edwardian Inventory, 1552) |
Articles
Old engravings |
The church as it appeared in 1739. Photo: |
Photographs from the restoration of 1966 |
The tenor in 1966. Photo: DLC collection |
The bells in the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in 1966. Photo: DLC collection |
| Love's Guide to the Church Bells of the City of London | Page updated: 19 July 2020 |