Hawton
All Saints

Bells

In 2018-19 the tower was restored and a new fabricated steel frame for 10 bells was installed. The bells were augmented to eight at the same time.

The treble bell was retired from the ring and now hangs as a service bell, and the back three bells are now used as bells 5, 6, & 7. A tenor bell from Bishopwearmouth, Co. Durham, was donated by the Keltek Trust and two bells formerly at Cheltenham parish church became the treble and 4th of the new eight. John Taylor & Co. of Loughborough cast two new bells (2 and 3) to complete the ring and also conserved the old bells.

The bells were re-dedicated by the Bishop of Sherwood, the Right Rev Tony Porter, on 2 November 2019.

The bells (in 2020) are:

 

Inscription

Dated

Founder

Size

Weight

Notes

1

+ A.D.G. JAC. B. ET E. H. WILTERBOTHAM. AD MCMXI. DEDT. + “CHRISTE AUDINOS”
Waist:  Mears et Stainbank, Londini, Fecerunt.

1911

Mears & Stainbank

26.4”

4.0.6

Originally part of a ring of 12 at Cheltenham Parish Church.

2

[Decoration] 20 (T) 18 [Decoration]
IN MEMORY OF
HARRY HARRINGTON
1932 – 2018

ALSO WITH GRATEFUL
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO MANY
GENEROUS DONORS
AND THE COMMITMENT OF
THE TOWER AND BELLS PROJECT

2018

John Taylor & Co

26.5”

4.1.0

 

3

[Decoration] 20 (T) 17 [Decoration]
THE LAWRENCE BELL
IN MEMORY OF
CLIFFORD AND PEGGY LAWRENCE
WHO LIVED IN THIS VILLAGE
AND WORSHIPPED HERE
FOR OVER 60 YEARS

2018

John Taylor & Co

28”

4.2.6

 

4

MEARS & STAINBANK, FOUNDERS, LONDON, RECAST 1883,

Waist:   G.M. KITE }  
    } CHURCHWARDENS
  R. GRIFFITH, }  
  J. BELCHER,   CONDUCTOR.
    F. WHITE,   BELL HANGER

1883

Mears & Stainbank

31.1”

5.2.26

Originally part of a ring of 12 at Cheltenham Parish Church.

5

Celorum xte placeat tibi rex sonus iste

c1482

Richard Mellours

33”

6.0.20

The old 2nd bell.

6

GLORY BEE TO GOD ON HIGH 1655

1655

George I Oldfield

34.125”

6.2.0

The old 3rd bell.

7

JESUS BE OUR SPEED 1624

1624

George I Oldfield

39”

10.2.1

The old 4th bell

8

J : TAYLOR & CO BELLFOUNDERS LOUGHBOROUGH 1882

Waist: M. SCOTT MONCRIEFF   VICAR
    W. B. FERGUSON }  
    } CHURCHWARDENS
  T. G.  HUTTON, }  
   A. D. 1882.

1882

John Taylor & Co

43.5”

14.0.2

From a closed church in
Bishopwearmouth, Co. Durham.

Service

GOD SAVE HIS CHVRCH 1655

1655

George I Oldfield

30.0”

4.3.16

The old treble bell

The service and 6th bells are by George I Oldfield during the Commonwealth period and the 7th bell is also by him using the B type capital letters. The 5th bell is by Richard Mellours and would appear to be contemporary with the tower erected in 1482 by Sir Richard Molyneux. The word-spacer is unusual and would appear to be an early example of such usage.

Prior to 2018 the bells were:

  Inscription Size Weight
1

GOD SAVE HIS CHVRCH 1655

32"

c6cwt
2

Celorum xte placeat tibi rex sonus iste

32¼"

c6½cwt
3

GLORY BEE TO GOD ON HIGH 1655

34½"

c7¼cwt
4 G

JESUS BE OUR SPEED 1624

39¼"

c10cwt
The bells and bellframe
before 2018		 3D scan of the old
bell frame		 South side of the main truss
after the old bellframe had
been dismantled

The old bellframe was of timber, mainly Elphick ‘V’ form (Pickford 6.B) with modifications to some trusses to create Elphick ‘W’ form (Pickford 6.D) trusses; the whole is likely to have been of 17th century date, and the fittings appear to have been by Whites of Appleton, Oxfordshire who did a number of jobs in the area early in the 20th century. The frame was apparently originally constructed with four bays although the pit on the south side had straight Elphick ‘X’ form (Pickford 6.I) trusses which were, nonetheless, much the same dimensions as those in the rest of the frame and used the same jointing forms. The poor state of the frame meant that the bells had not been rung for many years.