Donnington, St George
Bell |
Weight |
Diameter |
Nominal |
Note |
Founder |
Cast |
Canon |
Hanging |
1 |
3-0-26 cwt |
24.63" |
1359.5 Hz |
E+54 |
John Saunders & Successor |
c1560 |
Hung Dead |
|
2 |
3-2-13 cwt |
26.25" |
1209 Hz |
D+50 |
Anthony Wakefield |
1598 |
Hung Dead |
|
3 |
5-0-3 cwt |
30.00" |
1076 Hz |
C+48 |
1858 |
Hung Dead |
About the Bells
3 Bells, 5-0-3 in C
Donnington has a chime of 3 bells, hung in a SW facing tower.
The tower dates back to the 16th C, and is built in three stages. At ground level, the original wooden staircase, constructed with triangular beams takes you to the intermediate chamber. This is followed by a small metal ladder to the belfry.
The earliest mention of bells dates back to around 1560 when John Saunders and his Successor cast a bell at the Reading foundry.
It has a simple inscription reading:
s a n c t e g r e g o r i o n
written in Saunders' letter moulds.
Donnington has a chime of 3 bells, hung in a SW facing tower.
The tower dates back to the 16th C, and is built in three stages. At ground level, the original wooden staircase, constructed with triangular beams takes you to the intermediate chamber. This is followed by a small metal ladder to the belfry.
The earliest mention of bells dates back to around 1560 when John Saunders and his Successor cast a bell at the Reading foundry.
It has a simple inscription reading:
s a n c t e g r e g o r i o n
written in Saunders' letter moulds.
It was cast with a conventional canon, and measures 24.63" in diameter.
The first r in gregorion was inscribed higher up and obliterated the moulding wires, and the a in sancte was inscribed upside down.
At the nearby church in Tortington, another bell very similar to this is hung, inscribed:
S thomas treherne
In this case, the first two letters of treherne obliterate the upper moulding wires.
Both of these bells have 3:3:3:3 wire configurations.
Like that on most early bells, the inscription has been spaced out around the inscription band, hence the compiled photo above.
Around 30 years later, Anthony Wakefield added a bell in 1594 or 1598. The last figure on the date is quite confusing, but my previous 2 predecessors have assigned it to 1598. If it is an 8, then it's on its side.
It bears his typical inscription reading:
PRAIS THE LORD 1594/8
with his initials in reverse on the waist.
All except the last figure on the date and his initials are inscribed used sheet wax that was stuck on the mould. The others appear to have been scratched into the cope once the moulds were separated.
overall, it is a fairly unclean casting, but sounds good.
Throughout the 17th C, we understand that the condition of the tower was quite poor. In 1602, the roof of the tower appears to have had a leak, and the windows were broken. By 1636, the windows hadn't been replaced, and the floor was decayed. In the 1687 Diocesan Survey, it just states that the tower wants repairing.
1602: "the steeple speere is not well covered & the windowe holes of the steeple stand allwayes open to all weather very hurtful to the timber worke of the belfry."
1636: "the belfrie wantes paving and the windowes glased; to see the decaies of the steple sufficiently roped"
1687: "the tower wants repairing"
That all appears to have changed by 1724, as the survey states that the church is in good order except the floor.
A third bell was added at an unknown date by an unknown founder as there were 3 bells by this time.
1724: "Bells 3"
John Warner & Sons recast the tenor in 1858 after it became cracked. It was cast with sharp conventional canons, and measures 30.00" in diameter.
Around the inscription band, it has a Latin inscription reading:
+ Sancta Trinitas Unus Deum miserere nobis.
Interestingly, the initial letters of Trinitas and Deus are crowned. This is unusual to find on a bell of this date.
On the waist, Fig. JWA,1 is inscribed above the word PATENT.
At the bottom of the waist,
CAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS LONDON 1858.
is inscribed.
The bells were originally hung in a wooden S frame with brace ties. They formed a ring of 3 approximately in the key of C#, tuned to the old standard of A=452Hz.
The first r in gregorion was inscribed higher up and obliterated the moulding wires, and the a in sancte was inscribed upside down.
At the nearby church in Tortington, another bell very similar to this is hung, inscribed:
S thomas treherne
In this case, the first two letters of treherne obliterate the upper moulding wires.
Both of these bells have 3:3:3:3 wire configurations.
Like that on most early bells, the inscription has been spaced out around the inscription band, hence the compiled photo above.
Around 30 years later, Anthony Wakefield added a bell in 1594 or 1598. The last figure on the date is quite confusing, but my previous 2 predecessors have assigned it to 1598. If it is an 8, then it's on its side.
It bears his typical inscription reading:
PRAIS THE LORD 1594/8
with his initials in reverse on the waist.
All except the last figure on the date and his initials are inscribed used sheet wax that was stuck on the mould. The others appear to have been scratched into the cope once the moulds were separated.
overall, it is a fairly unclean casting, but sounds good.
Throughout the 17th C, we understand that the condition of the tower was quite poor. In 1602, the roof of the tower appears to have had a leak, and the windows were broken. By 1636, the windows hadn't been replaced, and the floor was decayed. In the 1687 Diocesan Survey, it just states that the tower wants repairing.
1602: "the steeple speere is not well covered & the windowe holes of the steeple stand allwayes open to all weather very hurtful to the timber worke of the belfry."
1636: "the belfrie wantes paving and the windowes glased; to see the decaies of the steple sufficiently roped"
1687: "the tower wants repairing"
That all appears to have changed by 1724, as the survey states that the church is in good order except the floor.
A third bell was added at an unknown date by an unknown founder as there were 3 bells by this time.
1724: "Bells 3"
John Warner & Sons recast the tenor in 1858 after it became cracked. It was cast with sharp conventional canons, and measures 30.00" in diameter.
Around the inscription band, it has a Latin inscription reading:
+ Sancta Trinitas Unus Deum miserere nobis.
Interestingly, the initial letters of Trinitas and Deus are crowned. This is unusual to find on a bell of this date.
On the waist, Fig. JWA,1 is inscribed above the word PATENT.
At the bottom of the waist,
CAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS LONDON 1858.
is inscribed.
The bells were originally hung in a wooden S frame with brace ties. They formed a ring of 3 approximately in the key of C#, tuned to the old standard of A=452Hz.
The bells prior to tuning:
| donningtonbeforetuning.wav |
George Elphick fortunately drew a sketch of the old wheels before they were taken away in 1948.
In 1948, Gillett & Johnston of Croydon rehung them in a steel frame for stationary chiming. The bells are now rung from the ground floor by a baton clavier. The two 16th C trebles had their nominals flattened while the tenor remains untouched (as shown in the graph below).
They now form a true diatonic 3 in the key of C.
They now form a true diatonic 3 in the key of C.
Prior to tuning, the bells weighed:
1. 3 - 1 - 4 cwt
2. 3 - 2 - 23 cwt
3. 5 - 0 - 8 cwt
The tenor's crown staple weighed 5lbs.
On inspection, the wooden pad for the 2nd was rotten. Apart from that, 3 bells in good condition.
Visited: 28/10/2023 with great thanks to Alan Martin.
1. 3 - 1 - 4 cwt
2. 3 - 2 - 23 cwt
3. 5 - 0 - 8 cwt
The tenor's crown staple weighed 5lbs.
On inspection, the wooden pad for the 2nd was rotten. Apart from that, 3 bells in good condition.
Visited: 28/10/2023 with great thanks to Alan Martin.
Recordings of the bells:
How the bells are tuned in relation to their nominal, using Simpson's theory.
Key [measured in cents]:
-99 ~ -90 -89 ~ -80 -79 ~ -70 -69 ~ -60 -59 ~ -50 -49 ~ -40 -39 ~ -30 -29 ~ -20 -19 ~ -10 -9 ~ -0
0 ~ 9 10 ~ 19 20 ~ 29 30 ~ 39 40 ~ 49 50 ~ 59 60 ~ 69 70 ~ 79 80 ~ 89 90 ~ 99+
-99 ~ -90 -89 ~ -80 -79 ~ -70 -69 ~ -60 -59 ~ -50 -49 ~ -40 -39 ~ -30 -29 ~ -20 -19 ~ -10 -9 ~ -0
0 ~ 9 10 ~ 19 20 ~ 29 30 ~ 39 40 ~ 49 50 ~ 59 60 ~ 69 70 ~ 79 80 ~ 89 90 ~ 99+
Bell 1
Hum - 375Hz - F#+23
Prime - 695Hz - F-8
Tierce - 843.5Hz - Ab+27 (major 3rd)
Quint - 1122.5Hz - Db+21
Nominal - 1359.5Hz - F-46
Prime - 695Hz - F-8
Tierce - 843.5Hz - Ab+27 (major 3rd)
Quint - 1122.5Hz - Db+21
Nominal - 1359.5Hz - F-46
| donningtontreble.wav |
Bell 2
Hum - 322.5Hz - E-37
Prime - 587Hz - D+0
Tierce - 729.5Hz - F# -24 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 935Hz - Bb+5
Nominal - 1209Hz - D+50
Prime - 587Hz - D+0
Tierce - 729.5Hz - F# -24 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 935Hz - Bb+5
Nominal - 1209Hz - D+50
| donningtonsecond.wav |
Bell 3
Hum - 287Hz - D-39
Prime - 505.5Hz - B+40
Tierce - 638.5Hz - Eb+45 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 823.5Hz - Ab-14
Nominal - 1076Hz - C+48
Prime - 505.5Hz - B+40
Tierce - 638.5Hz - Eb+45 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 823.5Hz - Ab-14
Nominal - 1076Hz - C+48
| donningtontenor.wav |
Old 1
| donningtonoldone.mp3 |
Old 2
| donningtonoldtwo.mp3 |
Inscriptions:
*Underlined text is inscriptions within the inscription band*
1 |
s ɐ n c t e g r e g o r i o n |
2 |
PRAIS THE LORD 159⋈ W A |
3 |
+ Sancta Trinitas Unus Deus milerere nobis . ♚ PATENT CAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS LONDON 1858. |
Latin Translation:
1: Sancte Gregorion - Saint George
3: Sancta Trinitas Unus Deus miserere nobis - Holy Trinity, one god, have mercy on us.
♚ = Fig. JWA,1
1: Sancte Gregorion - Saint George
3: Sancta Trinitas Unus Deus miserere nobis - Holy Trinity, one god, have mercy on us.
♚ = Fig. JWA,1
Photographs:
Sources:
.Sussex Bells & Belfries by George P. Elphick
.The Church Bells of Sussex by Amhurst D. Tyssen.
.Guide to the church of St. George Donnington by Francis W. Steer
.Chichester Diocesan Surveys 1686 & 1724 by Wyn K. Ford
.Church Surveys of Chichester Archdeaconry 1602, 1610 & 1636 by Joan Barham & Andrew Foster
.Gillett & Johnston tuning book Vol*15
.Sussex Bells & Belfries by George P. Elphick
.The Church Bells of Sussex by Amhurst D. Tyssen.
.Guide to the church of St. George Donnington by Francis W. Steer
.Chichester Diocesan Surveys 1686 & 1724 by Wyn K. Ford
.Church Surveys of Chichester Archdeaconry 1602, 1610 & 1636 by Joan Barham & Andrew Foster
.Gillett & Johnston tuning book Vol*15
