Untitled Document
      Love's Guide to

 The Bells of the City of London
St Vedast Foster Lane
 

St Vedast Foster Lane, Foster Lane

Photo: Dickon Love, 7 May 2006

Details of the Bells
Bell Weight
(most recent)		Diameter Note Date FounderRetuned
® Treble 5-2-1630" D 1960 Mears & Stainbank, WhitechapelNever
® 2 6-1-832" C 1960 Mears & Stainbank, WhitechapelNever
® 3 7-0-2334" B♭ 1960 Mears & Stainbank, WhitechapelNever
® 4 8-3-636" A 1960 Mears & Stainbank, WhitechapelNever
® 5 11-2-1740" G 1960 Mears & Stainbank, WhitechapelNever
® Tenor 16-2-1245" F 1960 Mears & Stainbank, WhitechapelNever

®  - Hung for full circle ringing

Bellframes
Frame Bells Year Maker Material Truss(es) Local
Layout
1 All bells 1960 Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel Timber

Ring of 6 destroyed in May 1941
Bell Weight Diameter Note Date Founder Retuned Fate
Disused3½ cwt approx.26½"E♭1704Samuel Newton & John PeeleNeverFrom St Matthew, Friday St. Destroyed 1941.
Clock2 cwt approx.20¼"1706John WaylettNeverDestroyed 1941
Treble5-2-1230½"C1672John DarbieNeverDestroyed 1941
26-3-233"B♭1671John DarbieNeverDestroyed 1941
37-3-835"A♭1671John DarbieNeverDestroyed 1941
48-3-836½"G1771William MearsNeverDestroyed 1941
512-3-1441½"F1671John DarbieNeverDestroyed 1941
Tenor15-2-2446½"E♭1726Richard PhelpsNeverDestroyed 1941

History
1552 Record of 5 bells and a sanctus.
1671 In 1671/2 a ring of 6 bells was cast for the tower by John Darbie.
1697 The church was rebuilt.
1704 A bell was cast for the church of St Matthew, Friday St. This eventually made its way to St Vedast.
1706 A clock bell was cast, the gift of Peter Pickering.
1708 Record of 6 bells in the tower.
1726 The tenor was recast.
1797 The 4th was recast.
c 1843 St Vedast appears in a printed list which suggests that the bells were recently rehung by Charles Oliver Junr. [2]
c 1880 A commentator found "the whole ring in a disgraceful state, one of the worst belfries in the City". A clock bell was noted in the open part of the steeple and a disused bell (from St Matthew, Friday St) hung in the SW corner of the frame. [1]
1882 The bells were put into order by G.R. Banks of Kennington Lane.
1885 The church was reopened after restoration on 14 Aug.
1887 St Matthew's, Friday St was pulled down and the parish was united with St Vedast. The bell was transferred to St Vedast and was hung dead in the frame.
1941 The church was bombed and the bells were damaged. They all remained in the tower, badly cracked, and taken for recasting.
1960 A new ring of 6 bells was cast and hung in a new frame in the tower.
[1] (Walters manuscript.)
[2] C. Oliver, Jun. has hung and re-Hung since leaving Mr.Mears employ [c.1840] the following peals ... St.Michael’s (sic), Foster Lane, London 6 17 cwt [date not known] (Printed list of Charles Oliver jun, c.1843 (BL Add.Ms.19369 f.224))

Articles

  • "St Vedast, Foster Lane", Cook, William T (The Ringing World) 21 April 1972
    		•
    Recent Peals
    The most recent performances, according to BellBoard.
    2022-02-205040 Spliced Treble Bob Minor (29m)
    2020-02-085040 Spliced Surprise Minor (20m)
    2019-02-095040 Spliced Surprise Minor
    2018-02-105040 Surprise Minor (7 Methods)
    2017-12-095040 Doubles (4m)
    2017-04-225040 Surprise Minor
    2017-02-045040 Doubles and Minor
    2016-12-175040 Surprise Minor (7m)
    2016-04-235040 Doubles and Minor
    2015-11-285040 Spliced Surprise Minor (41m)
    2015-09-125040 Doubles and Minor
    2015-06-065040 Doubles and Minor
    2015-04-115040 Minor (7m)
    2014-12-135040 Doubles and Minor
    2014-06-215040 Spliced Minor (1 Method, 6 Blocks)
    2014-04-265040 Doubles and Minor
    2014-03-025040 S Minor (7m)
    2013-12-075040 Surprise Minor (7 methods)
    2013-10-055040 Surprise Minor (8m)
    2013-08-105040 Surprise Minor (7m)
    2013-03-095040 Surprise Minor (7m)
    2013-01-195040 Doubles and Minor
    2012-09-095040 Surprise Minor (7m)
    2012-08-055040 Surprise Minor
    2012-01-285040 Stedman Doubles
    Recent Quarter Peals
    The most recent performances, according to BellBoard.
    2023-05-281260 Doubles (2m)
    2023-05-121260 Grandsire Doubles
    2023-03-261260 Plain Bob Doubles
    2023-03-181272 Cambridge Surprise Minor
    2023-02-101260 Plain Bob Doubles
    2022-11-121260 Plain Bob Doubles
    2022-11-121260 Grandsire Doubles
    2022-10-291260 Plain Bob Minor
    2022-09-111320 Plain Bob Doubles
    2021-11-131260 Plain Bob Doubles
    2021-11-131260 Plain Bob Doubles
    2021-07-311260 Plain Bob Doubles
    2020-02-141260 St Nicholas Bob Doubles
    2020-01-261260 St Simon's Bob Doubles
    2020-01-101272 Hull Surprise Minor
    2019-12-301260 Old Bob Doubles
    2019-12-221274 Cambridge Surprise Minor
    2019-12-131274 Cambridge Surprise Minor
    2019-11-241260 Stedman Doubles
    2019-11-231272 Durham Surprise Minor
    2019-11-091260 Plain Bob Minor
    2019-11-091308 Plain Bob Minor
    2019-09-291260 Plain Bob Doubles
    2019-09-131260 St Simon's Bob Doubles
    2019-08-251260 St Simon's Bob Doubles
    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