Edburton, St AndrewEdburton has a chime of 3 bells, hung for stationary chiming. At the west end of the 13th century nave, are a pair of corbels either side which may supported the weight of a boarded belfry above the roof. Alternatively, they could have supported a gallery. In the 14th century, the plain, flint tower was added which has similar window tracery to those at Poynings - dated c1375. The bells were originally rung from a platform which has since been removed.
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Bell |
Weight |
Diameter |
Nominal |
Note |
Founder |
Cast |
Canon |
Hanging |
1 |
6¾ cwt |
32.75" |
1085.5 Hz |
C+20 |
c1440 |
Dead |
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2 |
7½ cwt |
34.25" |
924 Hz |
B♭-15 |
Bryan II Eldridge |
1639 |
Dead |
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3 |
8¾ cwt |
36.63" |
853.5 Hz |
A-53 |
Thomas Bullisdon |
c1510 |
Dead |
About the Bells
3 Bells, 8¾ cwt in A (Approx Tuning: 1-3 of 5)
The treble is the earliest datable reference we have for Edburton. Since the tower and nave, possibly with a belfry, are older than the treble, there is a strong likelihood that bells existed here before it. The bell was cast in London around 1440 by William Chamberlain and hangs on the far east side of the tower. Chamberlain formed his inscription by pouring wax into letter moulds and attaching them to the false bell. The wax overflow for the three shields was cut away to hide them, although the wax around the letters remains. It was cast with a piece-moulded canon and is, overall, a clean casting.
The tenor was cast around 1510 by a founder whose trademark shield features a bell between the initials T B. This was the work of the London founder Thomas Bullisdon, who appears in the churchwardens’ accounts of St Mary at Hill, London (see The Church Bells of the City of London by Dickon R. Love).
At St Bartholomew’s, Smithfield, London, there is the last remaining complete peal of five bells by him. Sadly, they were tuned in 1952 by Mears & Stainbank, so they no longer retain their original tone. Bullisdon often added initial crosses and ornamental stops to his inscriptions; however, Edburton’s tenor and West Hoathly’s third are his only Sussex bells with nothing more than the wording and his TB shield. The letter moulds made by William Chamberlain were eventually passed down to Bullisdon, who used the lowercase letters on his bell, but a different set of uppercase letters.
In 1639, Bryan Eldridge Jnr* cast a middle bell which is tonally the finest unaltered example of his work in the county. It is almost perfectly Simpson-tuned, with only a slightly sharp hum and tierce.
The bell was cast from a loam mould, with its inscription formed using heavy cut-out wax letters. It dates from the overlapping period of the two Bryan Eldridges, but the fleur-de-lis stop confirms it as the work of the younger. The casting is somewhat rough, but it remains an excellent bell.
Together, these bells approximately form the front three of a ring of five.
The treble is the earliest datable reference we have for Edburton. Since the tower and nave, possibly with a belfry, are older than the treble, there is a strong likelihood that bells existed here before it. The bell was cast in London around 1440 by William Chamberlain and hangs on the far east side of the tower. Chamberlain formed his inscription by pouring wax into letter moulds and attaching them to the false bell. The wax overflow for the three shields was cut away to hide them, although the wax around the letters remains. It was cast with a piece-moulded canon and is, overall, a clean casting.
The tenor was cast around 1510 by a founder whose trademark shield features a bell between the initials T B. This was the work of the London founder Thomas Bullisdon, who appears in the churchwardens’ accounts of St Mary at Hill, London (see The Church Bells of the City of London by Dickon R. Love).
At St Bartholomew’s, Smithfield, London, there is the last remaining complete peal of five bells by him. Sadly, they were tuned in 1952 by Mears & Stainbank, so they no longer retain their original tone. Bullisdon often added initial crosses and ornamental stops to his inscriptions; however, Edburton’s tenor and West Hoathly’s third are his only Sussex bells with nothing more than the wording and his TB shield. The letter moulds made by William Chamberlain were eventually passed down to Bullisdon, who used the lowercase letters on his bell, but a different set of uppercase letters.
In 1639, Bryan Eldridge Jnr* cast a middle bell which is tonally the finest unaltered example of his work in the county. It is almost perfectly Simpson-tuned, with only a slightly sharp hum and tierce.
The bell was cast from a loam mould, with its inscription formed using heavy cut-out wax letters. It dates from the overlapping period of the two Bryan Eldridges, but the fleur-de-lis stop confirms it as the work of the younger. The casting is somewhat rough, but it remains an excellent bell.
Together, these bells approximately form the front three of a ring of five.
Major repairs were carried out to the bell tower between 1947 and 1963. The first stage came in 1947, when the belfry floor and intermediate chamber were restored by W. C. Hilton, as recorded on the intermediate chamber corner post. This was followed by the overhaul of the bells in 1951 and the first phase of structural repairs to the tower in 1959 by J. L. Denman. In 1963 Denman completed the second stage of repairs.
The bells were rehung by Mears & Stainbank, who record on a plaque in the church that the bells had been silent for many years since the frame and fittings became badly decayed. Part of the original ringing platform was saved, and holes in the tower walls still show where the floor beams were placed. The bells were rehung on entirely new fittings for stationary chiming, in a new frame consisting of a pair of parallel timbers set into sockets in the wall. The original clappers were preserved in the tower, but the wheels, fittings, and frame were scrapped. The bells are now chimed by an Ellacombe apparatus in the north-west corner of the tower.
The bells were rehung by Mears & Stainbank, who record on a plaque in the church that the bells had been silent for many years since the frame and fittings became badly decayed. Part of the original ringing platform was saved, and holes in the tower walls still show where the floor beams were placed. The bells were rehung on entirely new fittings for stationary chiming, in a new frame consisting of a pair of parallel timbers set into sockets in the wall. The original clappers were preserved in the tower, but the wheels, fittings, and frame were scrapped. The bells are now chimed by an Ellacombe apparatus in the north-west corner of the tower.
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The former frame was recorded by George Elphick during his visit in 1948. He describes it being of "M.11.14.15" construction.
M = 5.D truss type 11 = Outward inclining frame struts 14 = End frame head inline with truss head 15 = Frame plates below the sills Elphick considered the frame heads to date from the 17th century, with the remainder belonging to an earlier 3.A, 3.B, 3.C, or 3.D frame. The frame bore the name E. H. HALL engraved on it, but this person has not been identified. There were many Edward Halls in the Edburton area, though none are known to have had the middle initial H. The old wheels has ogee mouldings and decorative stop chamfers |
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Access to the belfry is via a spiral staircase, which leads to a short flight of small wooden steps into the intermediate chamber. This room is empty apart from a twelve-rung ladder leading up into the belfry, emerging beneath the second bell. There is no light source in the tower. On inspection, the three bells were found to be in excellent condition.
Visited:
.17/02/2022
.22/08/2022 with Lucas J Owen
Visited:
.17/02/2022
.22/08/2022 with Lucas J Owen
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 - 283.5Hz - Db+39
Prime - 509Hz - C-47
Tierce - 643Hz - E-42 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 839.5Hz - Ab+18
Nominal - 1058.5Hz - C+20
Prime - 509Hz - C-47
Tierce - 643Hz - E-42 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 839.5Hz - Ab+18
Nominal - 1058.5Hz - C+20
| edburton1.mp3 |
Bell 2
Hum - 237Hz - Bb+29
Prime - 470Hz - Bb+14
Tierce - 565.5Hz - Db+34 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 686Hz - F-30
Nominal - 924Hz - Bb-15
Prime - 470Hz - Bb+14
Tierce - 565.5Hz - Db+34 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 686Hz - F-30
Nominal - 924Hz - Bb-15
| edburton2.mp3 |
Bell 3
Hum - 219.5Hz - A-3
Prime - 416Hz - Ab+3
Tierce - 515.5Hz - C-25 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 636Hz - Eb+38
Nominal - 853.5Hz - Ab+47
Prime - 416Hz - Ab+3
Tierce - 515.5Hz - C-25 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 636Hz - Eb+38
Nominal - 853.5Hz - Ab+47
| edburton3.mp3 |
Inscriptions:
*Underlined text is around the inscription band*
1 |
Sancta Katerina Ora Pro Nobis ▼◉▩ |
2 |
GLORIA † DEO † IN † EXCELSIS 1639 † B † E |
3 |
Sancta Anna Ora Pro Nobis ▽ |
Latin Translation:
1: Sancta Katerina Ora Pro Nobis - Saint Katerina pray for us
2: GLORIA DEO IN EXELSIS - Glory to God in the highest
3: Sancta Anna Ora Pro Nobis - Saint Anna pray for us
1: Sancta Katerina Ora Pro Nobis - Saint Katerina pray for us
2: GLORIA DEO IN EXELSIS - Glory to God in the highest
3: Sancta Anna Ora Pro Nobis - Saint Anna pray for us
▼ = Fig. WIC, 1 (Bell 1)
◉ = Fig. WIC, 2 (Bell 1)
▩ = Fig. WIC, 3 (Bell 1)
† = Fig. BEL,1 (Bell 2)
▽ = Fig. TBU,1 (Bell 3)
*Click on images to enlarge them*
◉ = Fig. WIC, 2 (Bell 1)
▩ = Fig. WIC, 3 (Bell 1)
† = Fig. BEL,1 (Bell 2)
▽ = Fig. TBU,1 (Bell 3)
*Click on images to enlarge them*
Photographs:
*Click on the images to enlarge them*
Sources:
© Kye L Leaver 2025. All rights reserved.
- ELPHICK, George P. (1970): Sussex Bells & Belfries
- http://london.lovesguide.com/tower.php?id=759
- https://sussexparishchurches.org/church/edburton-st-andrew/
© Kye L Leaver 2025. All rights reserved.
