Scaynes Hill, St Augustine

Scaynes Hill has a single bell, hung in a slender brick tower. The church was built in 1858 to William & Edward Habershon's modest design, and served as a school during the week until 1879.
In that year, school moved to a different location, and the church was extended.

The Bell

Bell	Weight	Diameter	Nominal	Note	Founder	Cast	Canon	Hanging
1	1-2-7 cwt	19.56"	1969 Hz	B	John Taylor & Co	1898	Flat	Full Circle

Recordings of the Bells

Inscriptions

Photographs

1 Bell, 1-2-7 in B
The first bell was cast prior to 1898, and weighed 0-3-24cwt. It was valued at £3 3/- per cwt, giving it the metal value of £3 9d. No record of its founder exists unfortunately.

On December 30th 1897, a quote for a new bell, complete with frame and fittings was given to Rev Lionel B Bartleet.
The bell was to be hung in a red deal frame, with an oak wheel and iron headstock; and measure 19" weighting 1-2-7cwt. The metal value was £5 5/-per cwt, with the total price of the bell costing £8 4/-.

The bell was supplied according to the estimate.
Dimensions of the bell are specified in the Taylor record as:

Soundbow thickness - 1.66"
Perpendicular Height (inside) - 14.25"
Total Perpendicular Height (Outside) - 15.25"

In the Bell specifics letter, it shows the dimensions of the fittings including the bell's partials before tuning.
As shown in the photos, the bell was mainly tuned in the waist, which flattened the hum by almost 9 semitones, and the quint by almost a tone.
The other partials were flattened no more than half a semitone.
This is better visualised in the graph to the right.

scayneshillbeforetuning.mp3
File Size:	88 kb
File Type:	mp3

Download File

TAYLOR LETTER 03/03/1998

3 Mar 98.
Rev: Lionel B Bartleet, S. Augustine's House, Scayes Hill, Haywards Heath
Feb. 4 To one new bell acc: to quot: 30 Dec
1897._ 19" dia_ Wt: 1,,2,,7
at £5,, 5" per cet: 8 4 ,,
,, fittings: oak wheel, iron stock,
clapper; rope etc_ Also red deal
frame 6 10 ,,
" carriage & fittings 5 ,, ,,
" two turned iron floor bosses ./. carr ./. ,, 6 ,,
20 ,, ,,
" By the old bell.
3 qrt 24 lbs at £3.3._ £3.0.9
Less paid carriage new settle 2.7 2 18 2
Apr 98 nett

SCAYNES HILL NEW BELL SPECIFICS LETTER

Scaynes Hill, St Augustine:
1898 SCAYNES HILL SUSSEX
Jany 10 Bell ordered by the Revd Lionel B Bartleet
St Augustines House, Scaynes Hill Haywards Heath - Sussex -
Fittings - Red Deal framework . acc: to est: Decr 30 / 97.
780 / 118.
Dia: 19"⅝ - Th 1.66_
No. 61 iron crook. nett 1 2 7
P.H 14"¼ T.P.H. 15"¼
Wheel 3'. 4" dia Wood headstock - No* 6 Brasses for iron
Straps ½" Roller 5". Rope _ Crown Staple No* 1 - 3" long
Clapper 3⅛" dia Lbs.
Red Deal Frame Total height to centre 2.3
Pit /,, 10½ x 3' . 6" top timber 5"½ x 3 " bottom 7 x 3
braces 7" x 3" 6 - ⅝" bolts - 2' . 4" 4 Do 2ft 6
By old bell nett 3Qts 24Lbs
Hum Fund Tierce Quint Nom
522.5_ 860_ 1174_ 1576_ 1997
When tuned
_493 835 1146 1422 1973
Forwarded Jan: 29. 1898

The bell carries an undated inscription featuring the foundry name, and the grapevine ornamental band around the waist.
It is strapped to a wooden headstock as opposed to the originally quoted iron one, and is hung on plain bearings.
All the ironwork has now rusted, but all the other fittings are structurally sound.

The deal frame was made by John Taylor & Co and is composed of 6.A trusses.

Access to the belfry is by a vertical ladder.
Visited with Heather & Andrew Leaver, and Bill Smith. 04/08/2024

Recording of the bell:

How the bell is tuned in relation to the 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+