Hardham, St Botolph
About the Bells
2 Bells, in A#
Hardham has 2 bells, hung for swing chime in a small central bellcote. The church dates back to the 11th C, and contains one of, if not the oldest active bell in the country.
In the 1805 drawing, the belfry was slightly west of the present day one, and was shorter. Around 1866, the tower was replaced and the bells were rehung.
Hardham has 2 bells, hung for swing chime in a small central bellcote. The church dates back to the 11th C, and contains one of, if not the oldest active bell in the country.
In the 1805 drawing, the belfry was slightly west of the present day one, and was shorter. Around 1866, the tower was replaced and the bells were rehung.
Let's begin by discussing the treble, being that it’s the earliest reference regarding the bells. For the most part, I will be citing George Elphick’s Sussex Bells & Belfries.
It was cast around 1050 and measures 16” in diameter. It bears no inscription, making a bell of this date near impossible to assign a founder to. Although, we do know that there was a Sussex founder named Aedric around this time.
Examining its profile, we can see that it was cast with a long, but evenly thick waist. The lip curves up, suggesting that it was moulded on a lathe.
The canons were moulded from rolled wax, as shown by their cylindrical profile. In fact, this is the only bell in Sussex to be entirely moulded from wax. It has a domical crown, and a spiral pattern inside where the smoothing cloth shaped the inner mould.
The surface of the outside is uneven which suggests the mould was patted into position. The upper part of the bell has been smoothed with a file - A very unusual feature of these bells.
The clapper is “club-like”, and has a leather bawdrick connecting it to the crown staple.
Hardham's treble along with Coombes, Findon, Hunston, Lynchmere, Southease, Up Waltham, Warminghurst and Wiggonholt are the oldest bells in the county, and it’s interesting to note that they’re all by water.
It was cast around 1050 and measures 16” in diameter. It bears no inscription, making a bell of this date near impossible to assign a founder to. Although, we do know that there was a Sussex founder named Aedric around this time.
Examining its profile, we can see that it was cast with a long, but evenly thick waist. The lip curves up, suggesting that it was moulded on a lathe.
The canons were moulded from rolled wax, as shown by their cylindrical profile. In fact, this is the only bell in Sussex to be entirely moulded from wax. It has a domical crown, and a spiral pattern inside where the smoothing cloth shaped the inner mould.
The surface of the outside is uneven which suggests the mould was patted into position. The upper part of the bell has been smoothed with a file - A very unusual feature of these bells.
The clapper is “club-like”, and has a leather bawdrick connecting it to the crown staple.
Hardham's treble along with Coombes, Findon, Hunston, Lynchmere, Southease, Up Waltham, Warminghurst and Wiggonholt are the oldest bells in the county, and it’s interesting to note that they’re all by water.
The treble
The method used to mould the treble.
Hardham: 1
Hardham: a,d
We next hear about the bells in the 1636 Diocesan Survey. It states that the church needed new bell ropes and a frame. A ladder was also needed:
"They want Bell Ropes. One of the bells wantes a frame & by reason thereof it cannot be runge at all. There wantes a ladder to goe up to the bells."
In the same year, Bryan II Eldridge cast a bell incribed:
GLORIA DEO IN EXCELSIS TB / TP 1636 B * E
* - Fig. BEL,1.
It is an inch larger than the treble and is tuned to the key of A#. I assume it still has its conventional canon.
There was no doubt 2 bells present prior to this
In the 1724 survey it was reported that one of the bells was missing a clapper:
"2 bells, one without a clapper."
Either a new clapper was made to match the remaining one, or the old one was reused as Elphick states they're the same shape.
An inspection was carried out by Rik Clay in 1995, who goes into great detail on their condition and fittings.
The bells are strapped to timber headstocks. They have let in gudgeons which are hung on the tower walls and a centre beam engraved:
WK 1927
The bells are chimed by levers which had wires connected to them. The treble's original crown staple broke off flush with the crown, and is likely the one that broke in 1724. A false staple has been fitted, and adapted to support the bell as 2 canon loops are missing.
The tenor also has a broken crown staple. As a result, a center hole was drilled, tapped, and now supports a threaded eye for the clapper to hang on.
"They want Bell Ropes. One of the bells wantes a frame & by reason thereof it cannot be runge at all. There wantes a ladder to goe up to the bells."
In the same year, Bryan II Eldridge cast a bell incribed:
GLORIA DEO IN EXCELSIS TB / TP 1636 B * E
* - Fig. BEL,1.
It is an inch larger than the treble and is tuned to the key of A#. I assume it still has its conventional canon.
There was no doubt 2 bells present prior to this
In the 1724 survey it was reported that one of the bells was missing a clapper:
"2 bells, one without a clapper."
Either a new clapper was made to match the remaining one, or the old one was reused as Elphick states they're the same shape.
An inspection was carried out by Rik Clay in 1995, who goes into great detail on their condition and fittings.
The bells are strapped to timber headstocks. They have let in gudgeons which are hung on the tower walls and a centre beam engraved:
WK 1927
The bells are chimed by levers which had wires connected to them. The treble's original crown staple broke off flush with the crown, and is likely the one that broke in 1724. A false staple has been fitted, and adapted to support the bell as 2 canon loops are missing.
The tenor also has a broken crown staple. As a result, a center hole was drilled, tapped, and now supports a threaded eye for the clapper to hang on.
Recordings of the bells:
How the bells are tuned in relation to their nominals.
-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+
0 ~ 9 10 ~ 19 20 ~ 29 30 ~ 39 40 ~ 49 50 ~ 59 60 ~ 69 70 ~ 79 80 ~ 89 90 ~ 99+
Bell 1
Hum - 496Hz - B+7
Prime - 915Hz - Bb-31
Tierce - 1407Hz - F+12 (very flat minor 3rd)
Quint - 2165Hz - Db-40
Nominal - 2452Hz - Eb-25
Prime - 915Hz - Bb-31
Tierce - 1407Hz - F+12 (very flat minor 3rd)
Quint - 2165Hz - Db-40
Nominal - 2452Hz - Eb-25
| hardham1.mp3 |
Bell 2
Hum - 474Hz - Bb+29
Prime - 821Hz - Ab-19
Tierce - 1090.5Hz - Db-28 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 1251Hz - Eb+9
Nominal - 1818Hz - A# -44
Prime - 821Hz - Ab-19
Tierce - 1090.5Hz - Db-28 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 1251Hz - Eb+9
Nominal - 1818Hz - A# -44
| hardham2.mp3 |
Inscriptions:
1 |
(Uninscribed) |
2 |
GLORIA DEO IN EXCELSIS TB TP 1636 B ⚚ E |
Latin Translation:
2: GLORIA DEO IN EXCELSIS - Glory to God in the highest.
2: GLORIA DEO IN EXCELSIS - Glory to God in the highest.
⚚ = Fig. BEL,1 (Bell 2)
*Click on images to enlarge them*
*Click on images to enlarge them*
Photographs:
Sources:
.Sussex Bells & Belfries by George P. Elphick
.Church Surveys of Chichester Archdeaconry 1602, 1610 & 1636 by Joan Barham & Andrew Foster
.Chichester Diocesan Surveys 1686 & 1724
.https://sussexparishchurches.org/church/hardham-st-botolph/
.Sussex Bells & Belfries by George P. Elphick
.Church Surveys of Chichester Archdeaconry 1602, 1610 & 1636 by Joan Barham & Andrew Foster
.Chichester Diocesan Surveys 1686 & 1724
.https://sussexparishchurches.org/church/hardham-st-botolph/
