Langford St Bartholomew

Bells

Bell and bell frame Bell

Dawson’s (1995) entry for St Bartholomew describes a single bell of 1895 (with a diameter of 33.5” and weighing 7.0.15 cwt) hung in an old wooden frame with cast iron headstocks and plain bearings. The frame probably dates from the mid/late C17th to the early C18th. It held two bells until 1895.

The old treble bell (according to the Morris Manuscripts at the Leicester Record Office) was inscribed:

ihc  [Fleur-de-lis] ihc [Fleur-de-lis]

It was probably a bell by one of the Heathcote family of Chesterfield.

The 1895 bell was made in the foundry of Taylors of Leicester and has a coarse black letter inscription, presumably a copy of what was on one of the originals, that reads:

VOX GABRIELIS PERSONET HEC CELIS DOLCISSIMA

A quotation by John Taylor, Bell Founders of Leicester, dated 11 December 1895, includes the following items:

  • Estimate for two new bells for Langford Church weighing 5¼ Cwt and 10 Cwt at a charge of £4 10s per Cwt – warranted cost of pure copper and tin = £68 12s 6d.
  • Fittings consisting of Oak wheels, iron headstiocks bored abd fitted with steel gudgeons. Best hard garaunteed bearings in iron pedestals, ropes with flax cords and worsted sallup(?). rollers(?) stays, sliders, wrought iron clappers and the necessary smithwork fitted complete to bells ready for fixing - £18.0.0
  • Very strong and massive cast iron H shaped framework of improved construction -  standing upon and bolted to heavy steel girders similar to illustration of page 29 of  their catalogue.
  • Fixing the whole of the above complete in the tower, including refixing the present bell – leaving the bells in first class ringing order: £10.0.0 
  • Carriage of bells and materials from Newark Station £4.0.0
  • Quotes were also given for the manufacture, carriage and fitting of just the larger (£59 15s) and just the smaller (£6 17s 6d) of the two new bells.

There is a wooden roof to the bell room with a small hatch but no ladders, there are two levels between the vestry on the ground floor and the bell chamber which are empty apart from access ladders.

It is recorded that there were three bells in 1740 and two in 1817.