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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All Hallows Lombard St, Lombard St
 Photo: ASCY archive
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Prior to 1938 |
| Bell | Weight | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
| Treble | 5 cwt approx. | 25½" | G♯ | 1732 | Richard Phelps | Tuned after removal 1951 | Removed 1938, transferred to Twickenham 1951 | |
| 2 | 5½ cwt approx. | 27" | F♯ | 1726 | Richard Phelps | Tuned after removal 1951 | Removed 1938, transferred to Twickenham 1951 | |
| 3 | 5¾ cwt approx. | 28½" | E | 1726 | Richard Phelps | Tuned after removal 1951 | Removed 1938, transferred to Twickenham 1951 | |
| 4 | 6 cwt approx. | 31" | D♯ | 1750 | Thomas Lester | Tuned after removal 1951 | Removed 1938, transferred to Twickenham 1951 | |
| 5 | 7 cwt approx. | 32½" | C♯ | 1726 | Richard Phelps | Tuned after removal 1951 | Removed 1938, transferred to Twickenham 1951 | |
| 6 | 8 cwt approx. | 34½" | B | 1726 | Richard Phelps | Was left uncut | Removed 1938, transferred to Twickenham 1951 | |
| 7 | 9½ cwt approx. | 39" | A | 1726 | Richard Phelps | Tuned after removal 1951 | Removed 1938, transferred to Twickenham 1951 | |
| 8 | 11 cwt approx. | 39½" | G♯ | 1750 | Thomas Lester | Never | Removed 1938 and recast | |
| 9 | 14 cwt approx. | 43¼" | F♯ | 1726 | Richard Phelps | Tuned after removal 1951 | Removed 1938, transferred to Twickenham 1951 | |
| Tenor | 19½ cwt approx. | 48¼" | E | 1726 | Richard Phelps | Never | Removed 1938 and recast |
The bells after the Great Fire |
| Bell | Weight | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
| One bell | 7-1-25 | 34⅞" | 1723 | Richard Phelps | Never | Transferred to St Paul, Southwark, then St John, Herne Bay, before falling apart. | ||
| The other bell | ? | ? | ? | Unknown | Never | Transferred to St Paul, Southwark and disappeared after the War. |
History |
| 1516 | The building of the church commenced. | ||
| 1544 | Tower completed. Much of the stone came from the lately dissolved priory of St John of Jerusalem near Smithfield, as well as the frame in which the priory bells had hung. Mr Warner, a draper of the parish, bought the priory bells intending to give them to All Hallows, but he died before the transaction could be completed. His son and heir refused to carry out the intention, so the tower was only equipped with one bell. [1] | ||
| 1552 | Record of 2 bells, one probably being a sanctus bell. The inventory also refers to the sale of 3 broken bells. | ||
| 1666 | Church damaged in the Great Fire. | ||
| 1686 | Building of the church began, by Wren at a cost of £8,058 15s. 6d. Two bells (a large one and a small one) were placed in the tower. | ||
| 1694 | Church completed. This was the last of Wren's City Churches to be completed. | ||
| 1726 | A ring of 10 bells was cast by Richard Phelps for St Dionis, Backchurch. | ||
| 1732 | The treble of the St Dionis ring recast as it was broken. | ||
| 1750 | The 4th and 8th of the St Dionis ring were recast as they were cracked. | ||
| 1824 | Record of 2 bells. | ||
| 1879 | The ten bells from St Dionis, Backchurch were hung in All Hallows. The Order in Council provided that the two bells from All Hallows should go to the new church of St Dionis, Parsons Green, Fulham., but the churchwardens disregarded the order and disposed of them to St Paul's, Southwark. The churchwardens at Parsons Green were not happy with this, but were pacified with a bell from St Michael, Bassishaw (which came via St Etheldreda's, Fulham). | ||
| 1900 | One of the bells given to St Paul's, Southwark was sold to St John's, Herne Bay, Kent for a very generous £20 where it was hung by Samuel Goslin. | ||
| 1938 | The east wall of the church was found to be unsafe. Despite the many petitions, the church was pulled down. The tower was dismantled and rebuilt on a new site in Twickenham where also most of the fittings were transferred. Other churches were built out of the proceeds of the sale of All Hallows, the first being All Hallows, North Greenford (consecrated 1941). The old bells were initially offered to the new Cathedral of Guildford, but they were passed over in favour of a new ring. The site was used as the head office for Barclay's Bank. | ||
| 1951 | The bells were tuned (except the 6th), the 8th and tenor recast and the bells hung in their familiar tower at Twickenham. | ||
| 1957 | The church of St Paul's, Southwark, which was badly damaged in the War, was pulled down and the remaining All Hallows bell was lost. | ||
| 1973 | The bell in the church of St John's, Herne Bay, which had been declared redundant, was rescued by the Kent County Association. It was however of such poor repair, it fell apart before it reached the ground. | ||
| 1988 | The 2 trebles from All Hallows Twickenham were replaced with new bells. The old bells were given to St John the Baptist, Windsor - this is therefore their 4th home! However the bells have simply remained in storage at the church and are unhung (as at 2017). |
| [1] | his Church was lately new builded. John Warner, Armourer, and then Grocer, Sheriff, 1494. builded the South Ile; his Son Robert Warner, Esq; finished it, in the year 1516. The Pewterers were Benefactors towards the North Ile, &c. The Steeple or Bell-tower thereof was finished in the year 1544. about the thirty sixth of Henry VIII. The fair Stone Porch of this Church was brought from the late dissolved Priory of S. John of Jerusalem by Smithfield. So was the Frame for their Bells. But the Bells being bought, were never brought thither, by reason that one old Warner, Draper, of that Parish deceasing, his Son young Mark Warner would not perform what his Father had begun and appointed; so that fair Steeple hath but one Bell, as Friers were wont to use. (A Survey of the Cities of London and Westminster, John Strype, 1720) |
Articles
Gallery |
Photograph of the church prior to demolition. Photo: DLC collection. |
Old drawing of the church. Photo: |
Old engraving. Photo: |
Peal Boards |
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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 |