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 Vedast Foster Lane, Foster Lane
 Photo: Dickon Love, 7 May 2006
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Details of the Bells |
| Bell | Weight (most recent) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned | ||
| ® | Treble | 5-2-16 | 30" | D | 1960 | Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel | Never | |
| ® | 2 | 6-1-8 | 32" | C | 1960 | Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel | Never | |
| ® | 3 | 7-0-23 | 34" | B♭ | 1960 | Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel | Never | |
| ® | 4 | 8-3-6 | 36" | A | 1960 | Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel | Never | |
| ® | 5 | 11-2-17 | 40" | G | 1960 | Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel | Never | |
| ® | Tenor | 16-2-12 | 45" | F | 1960 | Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel | Never |
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 | |
| Disused | 3½ cwt approx. | 26½" | E♭ | 1704 | Samuel Newton & John Peele | Never | From St Matthew, Friday St. Destroyed 1941. | |
| Clock | 2 cwt approx. | 20¼" | 1706 | John Waylett | Never | Destroyed 1941 | ||
| Treble | 5-2-12 | 30½" | C | 1672 | John Darbie | Never | Destroyed 1941 | |
| 2 | 6-3-2 | 33" | B♭ | 1671 | John Darbie | Never | Destroyed 1941 | |
| 3 | 7-3-8 | 35" | A♭ | 1671 | John Darbie | Never | Destroyed 1941 | |
| 4 | 8-3-8 | 36½" | G | 1771 | William Mears | Never | Destroyed 1941 | |
| 5 | 12-3-14 | 41½" | F | 1671 | John Darbie | Never | Destroyed 1941 | |
| Tenor | 15-2-24 | 46½" | E♭ | 1726 | Richard Phelps | Never | Destroyed 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
| Love's Guide to the Church Bells of the City of London | Page updated: 13 October 2019 |