Sullington, St Mary
Bell |
Weight |
Diameter |
Nominal |
Note |
Founder |
Cast |
Canon |
Hanging |
1 |
24.88" |
1255 Hz |
Eb |
John Tonne |
1529 |
Full Circle |
About the Bell
1 Bell, in Eb
Sullington has a single bell hung for full circle in a West facing tower.
The tower dates from around 1175 and many Saxon features can be seen. One of these is the blocked-up windows on the tower. The tower was likely rebuilt when the West door was installed in the 12th C. The tower roof was restored in 2009 after the condition was deteriorating.
The commission report of 1602 states: "The walles of the steeple are overgrown with ivie which hurteth them."
The belfry is accessed by a 20-rung ladder to a hatch in the South West corner.
The bell is rung from the ground floor using a red, white, and blue sallied rope. There were originally 3 bells but now only one remains. "3 small bells" in 1724.
The remaining bell is probably the tenor of the former ring of 3 and is in the Western pit. It is unclear who cast the other two but it was most likely Tonne. The ropes all fell in a straight line and wear on the rope holes is greatest on the Northern side. Each wheel would have been on the East side of each pit. In the frame section, I have illustrated this in the sketch.
The bells were certainly rung most if not all the way up for there are marks on the long heads and braces and center posts where the bell has come in contact with it. Pre-cut Clearance grooves on the Eastern pit are present.
On the sills, the holes for the boards that contain the pullies are still present but no pulley or board remains on the East and center pit.
The center post is also housed!
The present bell is rather interesting, The headstock has a section marked where they plan to cut a block out, presumably the slot for the wheel. The hanger began cutting it but stopped and instead decided to do it on the other side. On the headstock, words read: REBUILD / 14 July 1954 / F . DUKE
The bearings are very worn down and show that it has been used a lot. It is hung on plain bearings and the bearing hoods are no longer present, all that remains are the metal loops on the frame heads.
One thing that I like is the inscription on the bell. The date reads mccccc xxix, the long form of MDXXIX. Between each word is a triple colon stop. Above the inscription band is an ornamental ring that can be found on a bell at Twineham. On the top of the waist under the lower molding wires is what appears to be a trademark stamp - rather worn away like the ornament above the inscription band.
The bell contains quite an old style of clapper which is smooth right the way down and flat on the bottom. It is held in by a crown staple and is of similar design to Warminghurst.
It has quite an antique tone to it and rings in the key of Eb.
It was cast by John Tonne who appears to have worked alongside someone foreign as there are many features on his bells you find on many french bells. An example is Twineham where it holds a large cross.
The donor of the bell was probably John Mason, the vicar from 1521, and also donations from wardens and the public.
The frame is made from timber and has R trusses in the 3.1 layout. The sills sit above the plates and the heads are in line with the end frame beams.
It is quite a small frame in comparison to some others which doesn't allow work to be carried out on the clapper that easily but gives it a "nice and sweet" appearance to it.
A 1300-year-old yew tree is present in the church yard. The tree would have been c.426 years old at the time the church was built.
Visited:
.4/10/2022
Sullington has a single bell hung for full circle in a West facing tower.
The tower dates from around 1175 and many Saxon features can be seen. One of these is the blocked-up windows on the tower. The tower was likely rebuilt when the West door was installed in the 12th C. The tower roof was restored in 2009 after the condition was deteriorating.
The commission report of 1602 states: "The walles of the steeple are overgrown with ivie which hurteth them."
The belfry is accessed by a 20-rung ladder to a hatch in the South West corner.
The bell is rung from the ground floor using a red, white, and blue sallied rope. There were originally 3 bells but now only one remains. "3 small bells" in 1724.
The remaining bell is probably the tenor of the former ring of 3 and is in the Western pit. It is unclear who cast the other two but it was most likely Tonne. The ropes all fell in a straight line and wear on the rope holes is greatest on the Northern side. Each wheel would have been on the East side of each pit. In the frame section, I have illustrated this in the sketch.
The bells were certainly rung most if not all the way up for there are marks on the long heads and braces and center posts where the bell has come in contact with it. Pre-cut Clearance grooves on the Eastern pit are present.
On the sills, the holes for the boards that contain the pullies are still present but no pulley or board remains on the East and center pit.
The center post is also housed!
The present bell is rather interesting, The headstock has a section marked where they plan to cut a block out, presumably the slot for the wheel. The hanger began cutting it but stopped and instead decided to do it on the other side. On the headstock, words read: REBUILD / 14 July 1954 / F . DUKE
The bearings are very worn down and show that it has been used a lot. It is hung on plain bearings and the bearing hoods are no longer present, all that remains are the metal loops on the frame heads.
One thing that I like is the inscription on the bell. The date reads mccccc xxix, the long form of MDXXIX. Between each word is a triple colon stop. Above the inscription band is an ornamental ring that can be found on a bell at Twineham. On the top of the waist under the lower molding wires is what appears to be a trademark stamp - rather worn away like the ornament above the inscription band.
The bell contains quite an old style of clapper which is smooth right the way down and flat on the bottom. It is held in by a crown staple and is of similar design to Warminghurst.
It has quite an antique tone to it and rings in the key of Eb.
It was cast by John Tonne who appears to have worked alongside someone foreign as there are many features on his bells you find on many french bells. An example is Twineham where it holds a large cross.
The donor of the bell was probably John Mason, the vicar from 1521, and also donations from wardens and the public.
The frame is made from timber and has R trusses in the 3.1 layout. The sills sit above the plates and the heads are in line with the end frame beams.
It is quite a small frame in comparison to some others which doesn't allow work to be carried out on the clapper that easily but gives it a "nice and sweet" appearance to it.
A 1300-year-old yew tree is present in the church yard. The tree would have been c.426 years old at the time the church was built.
Visited:
.4/10/2022
The Clapper
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+
Hum - 309Hz - Eb-11
Prime - 635.5Hz - Eb+36
Tierce - 754.5Hz - F#+34 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 911Hz - Bb-39
Nominal - 1255Hz - Eb+15
Prime - 635.5Hz - Eb+36
Tierce - 754.5Hz - F#+34 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 911Hz - Bb-39
Nominal - 1255Hz - Eb+15
| cut_sullington.mp3 |
Inscriptions:
*Underlined text is inscriptions within the inscription band*
1 |
ↂↂↂↂↂↂↂↂↂↂↂↂ ☨ 𝖕𝖚𝖑𝖘𝖊𝖒𝖚𝖘 ⫶ 𝖌𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖘 ⫶ 𝖔𝖒𝖓𝖊𝖘 ⫶ 𝖑𝖆𝖚𝖉𝖊𝖘 ⫶ 𝖙𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖎𝖙𝖆𝖙𝖎 ⫶ 𝖆° ⫶ 𝖉𝖓̅𝖎 ⫶ 𝖒°𝖈𝖈𝖈𝖈𝖈° ⫶ 𝖝𝖝𝖎𝖝° ◍ |
Latin Translation:
1: pulsemus gratis omnes laudes trinitati a dni mccccc xxix - Let everyone ring freely to praise the Holy Trinity. In the year of the lord 1529.
◍ = Fig. XVIII, h
☨ = Fig. XIX,c
ↂ = Fig. XIX,h
1: pulsemus gratis omnes laudes trinitati a dni mccccc xxix - Let everyone ring freely to praise the Holy Trinity. In the year of the lord 1529.
◍ = Fig. XVIII, h
☨ = Fig. XIX,c
ↂ = Fig. XIX,h
Photographs:
References
Data on the Bell: Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers
Canon: Personal data collected
Data on the Bell: Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers
Canon: Personal data collected
