Funtington, St Mary
Bell |
Weight |
Diameter |
Nominal |
Note |
Founder |
Date |
Canon |
Hanging |
1 |
3-0-22 cwt |
24.19" |
1537.5 Hz |
G |
Whitechapel Bell Foundry |
2007 |
Full Circle |
|
2 |
3-1-15 cwt |
25.38" |
1374.5 Hz |
F |
Whitechapel Bell Foundry |
2007 |
Full Circle |
|
3 |
4-0-17 cwt |
27.06" |
1227 Hz |
Eb |
1949 |
Full Circle |
||
4 |
4-0-25 cwt |
28.19" |
1151 Hz |
D |
1894 |
Removed |
Full Circle |
|
5 |
4-3-8 cwt |
30.00" |
1027.5 Hz |
C |
1894 |
Removed |
Full Circle |
|
6 |
5-3-21 cwt |
33.06" |
918 Hz |
Bb |
1894 |
Removed |
Full Circle |
About the Bells
6 Bells, 5-3-21 cwt in A#
Funtington has a peal of 6 bells hung in a west-facing tower.
The tower dates back to the 15th century, and judging by the Sharpe painting, it originally had a clock, or sundial, on the south wall.
Funtington has a peal of 6 bells hung in a west-facing tower.
The tower dates back to the 15th century, and judging by the Sharpe painting, it originally had a clock, or sundial, on the south wall.
In 1602, the commission report states that the tower walls were decayed.
"the steeple walles decayed & the Church like to goe to ruen for want of coverage"
The earliest reference to bells dates back to 1632, although there must have been bells here before that.
In 1632, a bell was cast by John Higden, inscribed:
ES HC TC IC IH WW 1632
The initials WW (found on many of his other bells) suggests that William Wakefield was working alongside him.
Another bell at Portchester, Hampshire bears a similar inscription:
RV IH WW 1632
In 1712, Samuel Knight cast another bell. It bore a simple inscription including the names of the two churchwardens, reading:
IOHN FRY THOMAS MILARD CW SK 1712
There was definitely another bell that was sadly lost by 1864, for the 1724 Diocesan Survey gives:
"3 Bells"
They may have been a 4th at some point, evident by the ancient frame (which we shall discuss later).
The Higden and Knight bells were quite small as the Whitechapel day book shows they collectively weighed 5-0-3cwt.
In 1894, Mears & Stainbank recast these and added a third weighing 4-3-27, 5-2-9, and 6-2-12cwt, named Amor, Vita, and Mors respectively. Their names are inscribed on the waist.
On the treble
MEARS & STAINBANK, FOUNDERS, LONDON. 1894
is inscribed around the inscription band, whereas the back two have
MEARS & STAINBANK, WHITECHAPEL FOUNDRY, LONDON, 1894.
They were cast with conventional canons, and strapped to wooden headstocks. They were hung for chiming, and were installed with an Ellacombe apparatus.
"Funtington, Sussex: Whitechapel daybook 5 May 1894 - three bells (4-3-27, 5-2-9 and 6-2-12 in B flat), supplied with elm stocks and chiming clappers. Old bells 5-0-3 gross"
In 2007, local ringers Mr and Mrs Wilkinson came up with the idea to provide the church with a peal of bells, after driving past it to ring at Westbourne.
At the same time, Hannington's Ltd department store were closing down, and they bought all three of their clock bells. The hour bell was used in the Funtington project, and the quarter bells were sold to Mr D. Pickett for a potential project at Welsh Frankton.
The 3 bells by Mears & Stainbank were tuned; the Hannington's bell was added; two extra trebles were cast, and a new cast iron frame was added. The contractors were the Whitechapel Bell Foundry who also cast a bell for Stoughton, St Mary that year.
The bells now form a sweet peal of 6, tuned to the key of Bb. The third from Hannington's was cast by Gillett & Johnston in 1949, and is a recast of an earlier bell by Mears.
A grant of £2,000 was given towards improving the original bells by the BRF, which involved tuning and removing their canons.
Fortunately the old frame was preserved. It is fairly unique in design, for the long heads curve up towards the head of the larger pit. It is made entirely of oak, and appears to have originally been a short headed frame. It is made up of R trusses, and arranged in the 4.3 layout. The Ellacombe hammers from 1894 still remain. The braces are connected with a brace tie, and the far east brace shows where a former strut existed. The larger pit is made up of O trusses with a jack brace going from brace to head.
A small wooden ladder on the south wall takes you up to its level.
"the steeple walles decayed & the Church like to goe to ruen for want of coverage"
The earliest reference to bells dates back to 1632, although there must have been bells here before that.
In 1632, a bell was cast by John Higden, inscribed:
ES HC TC IC IH WW 1632
The initials WW (found on many of his other bells) suggests that William Wakefield was working alongside him.
Another bell at Portchester, Hampshire bears a similar inscription:
RV IH WW 1632
In 1712, Samuel Knight cast another bell. It bore a simple inscription including the names of the two churchwardens, reading:
IOHN FRY THOMAS MILARD CW SK 1712
There was definitely another bell that was sadly lost by 1864, for the 1724 Diocesan Survey gives:
"3 Bells"
They may have been a 4th at some point, evident by the ancient frame (which we shall discuss later).
The Higden and Knight bells were quite small as the Whitechapel day book shows they collectively weighed 5-0-3cwt.
In 1894, Mears & Stainbank recast these and added a third weighing 4-3-27, 5-2-9, and 6-2-12cwt, named Amor, Vita, and Mors respectively. Their names are inscribed on the waist.
On the treble
MEARS & STAINBANK, FOUNDERS, LONDON. 1894
is inscribed around the inscription band, whereas the back two have
MEARS & STAINBANK, WHITECHAPEL FOUNDRY, LONDON, 1894.
They were cast with conventional canons, and strapped to wooden headstocks. They were hung for chiming, and were installed with an Ellacombe apparatus.
"Funtington, Sussex: Whitechapel daybook 5 May 1894 - three bells (4-3-27, 5-2-9 and 6-2-12 in B flat), supplied with elm stocks and chiming clappers. Old bells 5-0-3 gross"
In 2007, local ringers Mr and Mrs Wilkinson came up with the idea to provide the church with a peal of bells, after driving past it to ring at Westbourne.
At the same time, Hannington's Ltd department store were closing down, and they bought all three of their clock bells. The hour bell was used in the Funtington project, and the quarter bells were sold to Mr D. Pickett for a potential project at Welsh Frankton.
The 3 bells by Mears & Stainbank were tuned; the Hannington's bell was added; two extra trebles were cast, and a new cast iron frame was added. The contractors were the Whitechapel Bell Foundry who also cast a bell for Stoughton, St Mary that year.
The bells now form a sweet peal of 6, tuned to the key of Bb. The third from Hannington's was cast by Gillett & Johnston in 1949, and is a recast of an earlier bell by Mears.
A grant of £2,000 was given towards improving the original bells by the BRF, which involved tuning and removing their canons.
Fortunately the old frame was preserved. It is fairly unique in design, for the long heads curve up towards the head of the larger pit. It is made entirely of oak, and appears to have originally been a short headed frame. It is made up of R trusses, and arranged in the 4.3 layout. The Ellacombe hammers from 1894 still remain. The braces are connected with a brace tie, and the far east brace shows where a former strut existed. The larger pit is made up of O trusses with a jack brace going from brace to head.
A small wooden ladder on the south wall takes you up to its level.
FUNTINGTON,St Mary
by George P Elphick
by George P Elphick
The present frame is a standard Z.1 side frame arranged in the 6.1 layout.
The bells are rung from the ground floor, and are in fantastic condition. The belfry is accessed by a spiral staircase.
Visited: 25/11/2023
The bells are rung from the ground floor, and are in fantastic condition. The belfry is accessed by a spiral staircase.
Visited: 25/11/2023
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 - 384Hz - G-35
Prime - 768.5Hz - G-34
Tierce - 919Hz - Bb-24 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 1158Hz - D-24
Nominal - 1537.5Hz - G-33
Prime - 768.5Hz - G-34
Tierce - 919Hz - Bb-24 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 1158Hz - D-24
Nominal - 1537.5Hz - G-33
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Bell 2
Hum - 343Hz - F-30
Prime - 687Hz - F-28
Tierce - 821.5Hz - Ab-18 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 1031.5Hz - C-24
Nominal - 1374.5Hz - F-27
Prime - 687Hz - F-28
Tierce - 821.5Hz - Ab-18 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 1031.5Hz - C-24
Nominal - 1374.5Hz - F-27
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Bell 3
Hum - 306Hz - Eb-28
Prime - 611Hz - Eb-31
Tierce - 736Hz - F# -8 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 911Hz - Bb-39
Nominal - 1227Hz - Eb-24
Prime - 611Hz - Eb-31
Tierce - 736Hz - F# -8 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 911Hz - Bb-39
Nominal - 1227Hz - Eb-24
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Bell 4
Hum - 303.5Hz - Eb-42
Prime - 575Hz - D-36
Tierce - 703.5Hz - F+12 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 873.5Hz - A-12
Nominal - 1151Hz - D-34
Prime - 575Hz - D-36
Tierce - 703.5Hz - F+12 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 873.5Hz - A-12
Nominal - 1151Hz - D-34
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Bell 5
Hum - 276.5Hz - Db-3
Prime - 515Hz - C-27
Tierce - 629Hz - Eb+19 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 790.5Hz - G+14
Nominal - 1027.5Hz - C-31
Prime - 515Hz - C-27
Tierce - 629Hz - Eb+19 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 790.5Hz - G+14
Nominal - 1027.5Hz - C-31
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Bell 6
Hum - 230.5Hz - Bb-18
Prime - 461Hz - Bb-18
Tierce - 553.5Hz - Db-2 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 678Hz - E+49
Nominal - 918Hz - Bb-26
Prime - 461Hz - Bb-18
Tierce - 553.5Hz - Db-2 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 678Hz - E+49
Nominal - 918Hz - Bb-26
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Inscriptions:
*Underlined text is inscriptions within the inscription band*
*Text in blue is on the opposite side*
*The word HANNINGTON is engraved*
*Text in blue is on the opposite side*
*The word HANNINGTON is engraved*
2007 - Present
1 |
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ REMEMBERING ESME AND LESLIE WILKINSON PMW HJC JCW 1 20 ◉ 07 WHITECHAPEL |
2 |
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ IN THANKSGIVING FOR FORTY MARRIED YEARS JOHN AND EVIS HOLLIMAN FOR OUR PARENTS DAN AND FREDA WHITEHURST FOR ANNABEL 1971 - 1990 ALL THE WORLD AND MORE 2 20 ◉ 07 WHITECHAPEL |
3 |
MEARS & CO., LONDON, 1865. 19 ⛉ 49 RECAST BY GILLETT & JOHNSTON CROYDON 3 HANNINGTON |
4 |
MEARS & STAINBANK, FOUNDERS, LONDON. 1894. AMOR |
5 |
MEARS & STAINBANK, WHITECHAPEL FOUNDRY, LONDON. 1894. VITA |
6 |
MEARS & STAINBANK, WHITECHAPEL FOUNDRY, LONDON. 1894. MORS |
1894 - 2007
1 |
MEARS & STAINBANK, FOUNDERS, LONDON. 1894. AMOR |
2 |
MEARS & STAINBANK, WHITECHAPEL FOUNDRY, LONDON. 1894. VITA |
3 |
MEARS & STAINBANK, WHITECHAPEL FOUNDRY, LONDON. 1894. MORS |
Prior to 1894
1 |
ES HC TC IC IH WW. 1632. |
2 |
IOHN FRY THOMAS MILARD CW SK 1712 |
Latin Translations:
3: AMOR - Love
4: VITA - Life
5: MORS - Death
⛉ = Fig. CFJ,6 (Bell 3)
◉ = Fig. WBF,1 (Bells 1,2)
@ = Fig. WBF,3 (Bells 1,2)
3: AMOR - Love
4: VITA - Life
5: MORS - Death
⛉ = Fig. CFJ,6 (Bell 3)
◉ = Fig. WBF,1 (Bells 1,2)
@ = Fig. WBF,3 (Bells 1,2)
Photographs:
The old frame
Sources:
.Hampshire Church Bells by W.E.Colchester
.The Church Bells of Sussex by Amhurst D. Tyssen
.Sussex Bells & Belfries by George P. Elphick
.Sussex Bell Frames by George P. Elphick
.Hampshire Church Bells by W.E.Colchester
.The Church Bells of Sussex by Amhurst D. Tyssen
.Sussex Bells & Belfries by George P. Elphick
.Sussex Bell Frames by George P. Elphick
