Hunston, St Leodegar
About the Bell
2 Bell, in Bb (Approx tuning 1,3 of 4)
Hunston has a chime of two bells, now retired from their west facing bellcote.
There is record of a church on this site as early as 1105, though the list of rectors goes back to about 1150.
In 1885, the church was rebuild by Arthur Blomfield, replacing the double A frame with the present triple one.
Hunston has a chime of two bells, now retired from their west facing bellcote.
There is record of a church on this site as early as 1105, though the list of rectors goes back to about 1150.
In 1885, the church was rebuild by Arthur Blomfield, replacing the double A frame with the present triple one.
One of the first, if not the first bell to be hung at Hunston is the current treble. The bell is uninscribed, and therefore requires the use of its other features to identify it.
Firstly, it has a flat fillet at the lip, which places it in the hands of an early London founder.
Firstly, it has a flat fillet at the lip, which places it in the hands of an early London founder.
This bell has the same ornamental, piece moulded canons as the bell at Upwaltham and Thorley, Isle of Wight. On the outside of each canon is a V-shaped groove. The canon on the Hunston bell is slightly smaller than at Upwaltham, showing that the founder had more that one set of wooden models. Like Upwaltham, it sits on top of a flat head mould.
Upwaltham's soundbow is a later, and more traditional design, having a continuous curve, whereas Hunston's is more like that at Thorley, though a little sharper. Hunston has a pair of wires at the top of the waist, and three at the bottom. Further down, there is a flat fillet, giving it the configuration 1.1.3.[.
The middle wire at the bottom of the waist is heavier than the others, which is worthy of noting.
The bell model was made using loam, along with the cope and core. The marks on the inside of the bell clearly show a strickle was used to form it, and brush marks on the outside of the bell show where the first layer of the cope was brushed on.
Unfortunately, the permeability of the mould was quite poor, as it's a porous casting.
Owing to the facts mentioned above, we can attribute this bell to the London founder Walter Le Potter, who was found on the Hustings Court rolls from 1260 - 1279, and served as sheriff in 1273. This bell was likely cast before Upwaltham and Thorley, c1270 maybe earlier.
Upwaltham's soundbow is a later, and more traditional design, having a continuous curve, whereas Hunston's is more like that at Thorley, though a little sharper. Hunston has a pair of wires at the top of the waist, and three at the bottom. Further down, there is a flat fillet, giving it the configuration 1.1.3.[.
The middle wire at the bottom of the waist is heavier than the others, which is worthy of noting.
The bell model was made using loam, along with the cope and core. The marks on the inside of the bell clearly show a strickle was used to form it, and brush marks on the outside of the bell show where the first layer of the cope was brushed on.
Unfortunately, the permeability of the mould was quite poor, as it's a porous casting.
Owing to the facts mentioned above, we can attribute this bell to the London founder Walter Le Potter, who was found on the Hustings Court rolls from 1260 - 1279, and served as sheriff in 1273. This bell was likely cast before Upwaltham and Thorley, c1270 maybe earlier.
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The shoulder circumference; shoulder to lip length, and soundbow thickness where measured:
🔴Upwaltham 🔵Hunston treble |
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A will dated 1523 provides us with the earliest reference to bells or ringing. The use of the world "belles" tells us that the church had more that one by this time, one of which being William Le Potter's.
1523, Jan. 3"Item the churchwardeyns yerely, for the tyme beyng, shalhave vjd bitwene them for the rynging of the belles and the ordering of the ornamentes of the churche"
The 1602 church survey show the church had an A frame, probably for two bells. It gives:
"there is no steple at all the bells hange in frames of stone"
Our assumption could be backed up by the 1724 survey, which simply gives "There are two bells", and the drawing by Nibb from c1850.
In Tyssen's book, he shows the old tenor bore the inscription
GW CW
Since there is no makers name nor date, we can only guess. George Elphick suggests that the bell was cast by a founder like John Higden, who scratched the churchwardens initials and his own around the inscription band at Fishbourne when the cope was moulded.
If it was him, we can date this bell between 1616 - 1652.
1523, Jan. 3"Item the churchwardeyns yerely, for the tyme beyng, shalhave vjd bitwene them for the rynging of the belles and the ordering of the ornamentes of the churche"
The 1602 church survey show the church had an A frame, probably for two bells. It gives:
"there is no steple at all the bells hange in frames of stone"
Our assumption could be backed up by the 1724 survey, which simply gives "There are two bells", and the drawing by Nibb from c1850.
In Tyssen's book, he shows the old tenor bore the inscription
GW CW
Since there is no makers name nor date, we can only guess. George Elphick suggests that the bell was cast by a founder like John Higden, who scratched the churchwardens initials and his own around the inscription band at Fishbourne when the cope was moulded.
If it was him, we can date this bell between 1616 - 1652.
Fishbourne Old Tenor
Following the rebuild in 1885, the tenor was replaced by a 19" bell, cast by John Warner & Sons.
It has a simple inscription around the inscription band, ending with a small cross for a full stop. It was cast with a 6-looped conventional canon, and a cast in crown staple. It is a nice clean casting, and is tuned to the key of Bb. As expected, it has a sharp hum and flat prime.
The bell is much shorter than the ancient treble by 6.9%. It is also much slimmer at the shoulder.
In 1955, the bells were restored, as shown by a plaque down in the church, which appears to have involved the replacement of the clappers with independent staples; the bells drilled and bolted to the headstock; the removal of the original straps, and a new set of ropes. This restoration was catastrophic for the treble, as the bolts have rusted and expanded, resulting in the bell cracking in the crown and loosing all its sound. The recording of the treble is not a recording of it sitting on the floor, but indeed raised off the ground.
After analysing the few partials provided, I've worked it out to be around note C#.
In July 2013, work was carried out on the roof, which allowed Geoff Rix to carry out an inspection on the bells as one was thought to be cracked.
Nicholson's Engineering came to remove both bells safely from the turret, and into the vestry.
They were originally hung for swing chime by the means of a lever.
Visited: 02/06/2024
It has a simple inscription around the inscription band, ending with a small cross for a full stop. It was cast with a 6-looped conventional canon, and a cast in crown staple. It is a nice clean casting, and is tuned to the key of Bb. As expected, it has a sharp hum and flat prime.
The bell is much shorter than the ancient treble by 6.9%. It is also much slimmer at the shoulder.
In 1955, the bells were restored, as shown by a plaque down in the church, which appears to have involved the replacement of the clappers with independent staples; the bells drilled and bolted to the headstock; the removal of the original straps, and a new set of ropes. This restoration was catastrophic for the treble, as the bolts have rusted and expanded, resulting in the bell cracking in the crown and loosing all its sound. The recording of the treble is not a recording of it sitting on the floor, but indeed raised off the ground.
After analysing the few partials provided, I've worked it out to be around note C#.
In July 2013, work was carried out on the roof, which allowed Geoff Rix to carry out an inspection on the bells as one was thought to be cracked.
Nicholson's Engineering came to remove both bells safely from the turret, and into the vestry.
They were originally hung for swing chime by the means of a lever.
Visited: 02/06/2024
Recording of the bell:
How the bell is tuned in relation to the nominal.
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 - c539.5Hz - Db-46
Prime - c1164Hz - D-15
Tierce - c1442.5Hz - F# -43 (major 3rd)
Quint - c1678.5Hz - Ab+18
Nominal - c2232Hz - Db+11
Prime - c1164Hz - D-15
Tierce - c1442.5Hz - F# -43 (major 3rd)
Quint - c1678.5Hz - Ab+18
Nominal - c2232Hz - Db+11
| hunstonone.mp3 |
Bell 2
Hum - 475.5Hz - Bb+34
Prime - 819Hz - Ab-23
Tierce - 1097Hz - Db-17 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 1398.5Hz - F+2
Nominal - 1852Hz - Bb-11
Prime - 819Hz - Ab-23
Tierce - 1097Hz - Db-17 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 1398.5Hz - F+2
Nominal - 1852Hz - Bb-11
| hunstontwo.mp3 |
Inscriptions:
*Underlined text is inscriptions within the inscription band*
1885 - Present
1 |
(Uninscribed) Moulding wires: 1.1.3.[ |
2 |
J WARNER & SONS LONDON 1885x |
Prior to 1885
1 |
(Uninscribed) Moulding wires: 1.1.3.[ |
2 |
GW CW |
Photographs:
*Click on the images to enlarge them*
Sources:
.BARHAM, Joan & FOSTER, Andrew (2018): Church Surveys of Chichester Archdeaconry 1602, 1610 & 1636 p.76
.ELPHICK, George. P (1970): Sussex Bells & Belfries p.330,331
.FORD, Wyn. K (1994): Chichester Diocesan Surveys 1686 and 1724 p.215
.TYSSEN, Amhurst. D (1864): The Church Bells of Sussex p.77
.https://mundhamhunstonchurches.co.uk/?page_id=97
.BARHAM, Joan & FOSTER, Andrew (2018): Church Surveys of Chichester Archdeaconry 1602, 1610 & 1636 p.76
.ELPHICK, George. P (1970): Sussex Bells & Belfries p.330,331
.FORD, Wyn. K (1994): Chichester Diocesan Surveys 1686 and 1724 p.215
.TYSSEN, Amhurst. D (1864): The Church Bells of Sussex p.77
.https://mundhamhunstonchurches.co.uk/?page_id=97
