Winkburn St John of Jerusalem

Bells

The west tower contains three bells:

  Inscription Size Weight
1

IHS BE MY SPED

 24.25" c.3 cwt
2

Jesus bee our speed 1633

 27" c. 4 cwt
3

GOD SAVE THE CHVRCH 1633

29.5" c. 5 cwt

There is no frame here. The second bell is suspended between two beams that rest on the headstocks of the two un-hung bells that sit on the floor. The treble, which is cracked, is the work of Henry I Oldfield and the two tenors are by George I Oldfield.

It is reported that Winkburn lent a bell to Southwell Minster during the time that the Minster was without bells after the 1711 fire. Chapter records at Southwell record that, following the installation of the newly cast bells there, one William Abbot was paid the sum of 4s. for ‘carrying Winkburn bell home’. But all was not well as, following the arrival of the bell back at Winkburn, Mr Burnell wrote a letter to the Chapter asking that his parish might be considered for expenses which they had on account of damage done to the bell which had been lent to the Minster. The outcome of Mr Burnell’s enquiry is not known.

Documentary sources record that in 1552: ‘iij belles ij hand belles a lytul sacryng bell’. In 1740 and in 1770 there were 3 bells (Dawson, 1995).