Graffham, St Giles
Bell |
Weight |
Diameter |
Nominal |
Note |
Founder |
Date |
Canon |
Hanging |
1 |
3-3-14 cwt |
26.50" |
1384.5 Hz |
F |
1893 |
Full Circle |
||
2 |
3-3-22 cwt |
27.50" |
1240 Hz |
Eb |
1893 |
Full Circle |
||
3 |
4-1-16 cwt |
29.00" |
1107.5 Hz |
Db |
1893 |
Full Circle |
||
4 |
5-0-22 cwt |
30.50" |
1037.5 Hz |
C |
1893 |
Full Circle |
||
5 |
6-0-6 cwt |
33.00" |
923.5 Hz |
Bb |
1893 |
Full Circle |
||
6 |
7-3-3 cwt |
36.50" |
820.5 Hz |
Ab |
1893 |
Full Circle |
About the Bells
6 Bells, 7-3-3 cwt in Ab
Just under half a mile east from St Mary's Westham is Pevensey St Nicholas, which houses a peal of 6 bells in a north facing tower.
The tower was built in the 13th century, and was originally much shorter, with a broach spire.
Just under half a mile east from St Mary's Westham is Pevensey St Nicholas, which houses a peal of 6 bells in a north facing tower.
The tower was built in the 13th century, and was originally much shorter, with a broach spire.
The earliest record we have dates back to around 1380, when a bell cast by William Burford was installed.
It has a basic inscription, reading:
SIT NOMEN DOMINI BENEDICUM
It had an initial cross, and a fleur de lis between each word.
It was cast with a conventional canon and strapped to a wooden headstock.
According to Tyssen, it measured 38.25" in diameter.
Next we come to 1633 where Roger Tapsel either cast or recast a bell inscribed
ROGER TAPSEL MADE ME TW DF 1633
In the churchwardens presentments for 1675, we have:
1675 “Our church out of repaire, one bell broken, noe carpett for the communion table.”
this suggests there were at least 3 bells, for the Tapsell and Burford bells survived. William Hull was the contractor who recast the broken bell the following year. His bells, as shown elsewhere, have lengthy inscriptions that usually take up more than one inscription band.
There is no mention of the bells nor tower in the 1686 Diocesan Survey. Although, a positive review on the church is given in the 1724 one.
It says:
"The church is in very good repair; only some shingles are wanting. The steeple good . . . 3 bells in good order."
George Elphick predicts the old frame for 4 bells was made towards the end of 17th century. It's arranged in the 4.1 layout with W trusses. Up until 1893, the bell in the treble pit was missing. It is unknown what happened to this bell, if it ever had one, but it was either sold off, scraped, or stolen.
There doesn't appear to be anything mentioned until 1893, when the bells and tower had a major overhaul. The ancient tenor by William Burford became cracked, and the churchwardens decided to have the whole peal recast, and metal added to form a peal of 6. The contractors for the work were John Warner & Sons Ltd.
During the restoration, the roof of the tower was removed, and the bells and oak bell frame were lifted out and stored in the church yard. The tower was raised by another story, and the frame and bells were installed from above. Once they were in, the roof was put back on.
The bells were cast with Doncaster canons and similar inscriptions.
Their inscription is identical around the inscription band. Reading:
CAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS LTD LONDON 1893x
Bells 1,3,5 have
SIT NOMEN DOMINI BENEDICTUMx
on the waist, whereas bells 2 and 4 have
TE DEUM LAUDAMUSx
The tenor has the longest inscription including the churchwardens' and rector's names, with a short description of the work carried out.
The frame was modified to accommodate two extra trebles. A pair of Z trusses were added on the west side of the frame to create a 6.1 layout. The bells were hung on plain bearings which were replaced with ball bearings in the 1960s by John Taylor & Co. An Ellacombe was also installed by Warners that has red, white, and green ropes.
The bells were dedicated on Thursday 27th April.
The first peal on the bells was rung on July 4th 1903 by members of the Sussex County Association of Change Ringers. Since then, only 10 peals have been rung.
On April 19th, 1905, Stephen Henry Boniface who was a churchwarden for 38 years passed away, and in his memory, a clock with Cambridge chimes was installed in 1908. The clock was made by Smiths of Derby who continue to maintain the clock. As there are 6 bells, the clock chimes on bells 1,2,3,6, and strikes the hour on the tenor.
Between 1961 - 1962, the spire was re-shingled and restored by William Keith Martin.
The clock was converted to automatic winding 13 years later, in memory of siblings Annie and Leonard Boniface.
It was around this time that the bells were rehung on ball bearings.
In 2008 considerable work was carried out on the outer surfaces of the building, particularly the south and east elevations and the tower, with the aim of checking the ingress of water carried by the prevailing south-west winds. The clock had its dials restored and the hands and numerals re-gilded. The total cost for the work was £237,000 which came from donations, grants, and fund raising events.
It is planned for Nicholson Engineering to carry out an overhaul in 2024, rehanging the bells on new fittings, and possibly retuning them. They carried out an inspection on February 9th 2022 and have produced a few estimates.
More information on this will be added later.
The bells are rung from the ground floor by red, white and blue sallied ropes of fair condition. A fine Victorian spiral staircase in the NW corner takes you up to the belfry.
Visited: 03/09/2023 with thanks to Ian Clake.
It has a basic inscription, reading:
SIT NOMEN DOMINI BENEDICUM
It had an initial cross, and a fleur de lis between each word.
It was cast with a conventional canon and strapped to a wooden headstock.
According to Tyssen, it measured 38.25" in diameter.
Next we come to 1633 where Roger Tapsel either cast or recast a bell inscribed
ROGER TAPSEL MADE ME TW DF 1633
In the churchwardens presentments for 1675, we have:
1675 “Our church out of repaire, one bell broken, noe carpett for the communion table.”
this suggests there were at least 3 bells, for the Tapsell and Burford bells survived. William Hull was the contractor who recast the broken bell the following year. His bells, as shown elsewhere, have lengthy inscriptions that usually take up more than one inscription band.
There is no mention of the bells nor tower in the 1686 Diocesan Survey. Although, a positive review on the church is given in the 1724 one.
It says:
"The church is in very good repair; only some shingles are wanting. The steeple good . . . 3 bells in good order."
George Elphick predicts the old frame for 4 bells was made towards the end of 17th century. It's arranged in the 4.1 layout with W trusses. Up until 1893, the bell in the treble pit was missing. It is unknown what happened to this bell, if it ever had one, but it was either sold off, scraped, or stolen.
There doesn't appear to be anything mentioned until 1893, when the bells and tower had a major overhaul. The ancient tenor by William Burford became cracked, and the churchwardens decided to have the whole peal recast, and metal added to form a peal of 6. The contractors for the work were John Warner & Sons Ltd.
During the restoration, the roof of the tower was removed, and the bells and oak bell frame were lifted out and stored in the church yard. The tower was raised by another story, and the frame and bells were installed from above. Once they were in, the roof was put back on.
The bells were cast with Doncaster canons and similar inscriptions.
Their inscription is identical around the inscription band. Reading:
CAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS LTD LONDON 1893x
Bells 1,3,5 have
SIT NOMEN DOMINI BENEDICTUMx
on the waist, whereas bells 2 and 4 have
TE DEUM LAUDAMUSx
The tenor has the longest inscription including the churchwardens' and rector's names, with a short description of the work carried out.
The frame was modified to accommodate two extra trebles. A pair of Z trusses were added on the west side of the frame to create a 6.1 layout. The bells were hung on plain bearings which were replaced with ball bearings in the 1960s by John Taylor & Co. An Ellacombe was also installed by Warners that has red, white, and green ropes.
The bells were dedicated on Thursday 27th April.
The first peal on the bells was rung on July 4th 1903 by members of the Sussex County Association of Change Ringers. Since then, only 10 peals have been rung.
On April 19th, 1905, Stephen Henry Boniface who was a churchwarden for 38 years passed away, and in his memory, a clock with Cambridge chimes was installed in 1908. The clock was made by Smiths of Derby who continue to maintain the clock. As there are 6 bells, the clock chimes on bells 1,2,3,6, and strikes the hour on the tenor.
Between 1961 - 1962, the spire was re-shingled and restored by William Keith Martin.
The clock was converted to automatic winding 13 years later, in memory of siblings Annie and Leonard Boniface.
It was around this time that the bells were rehung on ball bearings.
In 2008 considerable work was carried out on the outer surfaces of the building, particularly the south and east elevations and the tower, with the aim of checking the ingress of water carried by the prevailing south-west winds. The clock had its dials restored and the hands and numerals re-gilded. The total cost for the work was £237,000 which came from donations, grants, and fund raising events.
It is planned for Nicholson Engineering to carry out an overhaul in 2024, rehanging the bells on new fittings, and possibly retuning them. They carried out an inspection on February 9th 2022 and have produced a few estimates.
More information on this will be added later.
The bells are rung from the ground floor by red, white and blue sallied ropes of fair condition. A fine Victorian spiral staircase in the NW corner takes you up to the belfry.
Visited: 03/09/2023 with thanks to Ian Clake.
Proportions of the bells
As shown below, Warners cast the bells to type C proportions, meaning that the trebles were cast proportionately taller but with crowns the same width.
🟣Treble
🟢Second
🔵Fourth
🔴Tenor
🟢Second
🔵Fourth
🔴Tenor
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 - 375.5Hz - F#+26
Prime - 593Hz - D+17
Tierce - 822Hz - Ab-17
Quint - 1073Hz - C+43
Nominal - 1384.5Hz - F-14
Prime - 593Hz - D+17
Tierce - 822Hz - Ab-17
Quint - 1073Hz - C+43
Nominal - 1384.5Hz - F-14
| pevenseyone.mp3 |
Bell 2
Hum - 343.5Hz - F-28
Prime - 544Hz - Db-32
Tierce - 738Hz - F# -4
Quint - 987.5Hz - B+0
Nominal - 1240Hz - Eb-5
Prime - 544Hz - Db-32
Tierce - 738Hz - F# -4
Quint - 987.5Hz - B+0
Nominal - 1240Hz - Eb-5
| pevenseytwo.mp3 |
Bell 3
Hum - 307.5Hz - Eb-19
Prime - 520Hz - C-10
Tierce - 665.5Hz - E+16
Quint - 893.5Hz - A+26
Nominal - 1107.5Hz - Db-1
Prime - 520Hz - C-10
Tierce - 665.5Hz - E+16
Quint - 893.5Hz - A+26
Nominal - 1107.5Hz - Db-1
| pevenseythree.mp3 |
Bell 4
Hum - 274Hz - Db-19
Prime - 506.5Hz - B+44
Tierce - 625Hz - Eb+8
Quint - 813.5Hz - Ab-35
Nominal - 1037.5Hz - C-14
Prime - 506.5Hz - B+44
Tierce - 625Hz - Eb+8
Quint - 813.5Hz - Ab-35
Nominal - 1037.5Hz - C-14
| pevenseyfour.mp3 |
Bell 5
Hum - 259Hz - C-16
Prime - 446Hz - A+23
Tierce - 556.5Hz - Db+7
Quint - 748.5Hz - F#+20
Nominal - 923.5Hz - Bb-15
Prime - 446Hz - A+23
Tierce - 556.5Hz - Db+7
Quint - 748.5Hz - F#+20
Nominal - 923.5Hz - Bb-15
| pevenseyfive.mp3 |
Bell 6
Hum - 219Hz - A-7
Prime - 408.5Hz - Ab-28
Tierce - 494Hz - B+0
Quint - 639.5Hz - Eb+47
Nominal - 820.5Hz - Ab-20
Prime - 408.5Hz - Ab-28
Tierce - 494Hz - B+0
Quint - 639.5Hz - Eb+47
Nominal - 820.5Hz - Ab-20
| pevenseysix.mp3 |
Inscriptions:
*Underlined text is inscriptions within the inscription band*
1893 - Present
1 |
CAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS Lᵀᴰ LONDON 1893x SIT NOMEN DOMINI BENEDICTUMx |
2 |
CAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS Lᵀᴰ LONDON 1893x TE DEUM LAUDAMUSx |
3 |
MEARS & STAINBANK, FOUNDERS. LONDON. THE GIFT OF FREDERICK LOWTEN SPINKS. 1897. |
4 |
MEARS & STAINBANK, FOUNDERS. LONDON. RECAST IN 1897 AT THE EXPENSE OF FREDERICK LOWTEN SPINKS. |
5 |
CAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS Lᵀᴰ LONDON 1893x SIT NOMEN DOMINI BENEDICTUMx |
6 |
CAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS Lᵀᴰ LONDON 1893x TE DEUM LAUDAMUS THREE OF US OF ANCIENT DATE, RECAST 1893 WITH ADDED METAL MADE THESE SIX ROBERT SUTTON _ VICAR. S. H. BONIFACE } E. BANKS } CH WNSx |
Sanctus |
ROGER◆TAPSIL◆THOMAS ◆ WAKFIELD ◆ 1621 ◆ IF ◆ IE |
Prior to 1893
1 |
ROGER TAPSEL MADE ME TW DF 1633 |
2 |
WILLIAM HVLL MADE 1676 EDWARD MILLWARD BAILIFFE SAMVEL LYNE CVRATE EDWARD MARTEN THOMAS AVGAR C W |
3 |
+ SIT ⚜ NOMEN ⚜ DOMINI ⚜ BENEDICTVM |
Latin Translations:
1,3,5; Old 3: SIT NOMEN DOMINI BENEDICTUM - Blessed be the name of the Lord.
2,4,6: TE DEUM LAUDAMUS - God, we praise you.
+ = Fig. WBU,1
⚜ = Fig. WBU,2
1,3,5; Old 3: SIT NOMEN DOMINI BENEDICTUM - Blessed be the name of the Lord.
2,4,6: TE DEUM LAUDAMUS - God, we praise you.
+ = Fig. WBU,1
⚜ = Fig. WBU,2
Photographs:
Sources:
.https://sussexparishchurches.org/church/pevensey-st-nicholas/
.Church Information board
.Chichester Diocesan Surveys of 1686 and 1724 by Wyn K. Ford
.Note on Sussex Churches by Harrison
.The Church Bells of Sussex by Amhurst D. Tyssen
.Sussex Bells & Belfries by George P. Elphick
.Church Bell 5th May 1893
.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Nicolas_Church,_Pevensey
.https://sussexparishchurches.org/church/pevensey-st-nicholas/
.Church Information board
.Chichester Diocesan Surveys of 1686 and 1724 by Wyn K. Ford
.Note on Sussex Churches by Harrison
.The Church Bells of Sussex by Amhurst D. Tyssen
.Sussex Bells & Belfries by George P. Elphick
.Church Bell 5th May 1893
.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Nicolas_Church,_Pevensey
