6 bells & a Ship's bell in the church Tenor: 2-3-27 in E Grid Ref. TR305426 Canterbury District Frame: 1880 Retuned: 1971 Whitechapel Manual Chime Chimed from Ground Floor

Bell	Weight	Diameter	Cast	Founder
1	0-3-6	15½"	1971	Whitechapel
2	1-0-19	17½"	1971	Whitechapel
3	1-2-15	20"	1971	Whitechapel
4	1-3-14	20¾"	1971	Whitechapel
5	2-1-6	22⅜"	1450 - 60	William Chamberlain
6	2-3-27	24¾"	1971	Whitechapel
Ship's Bell	1 cwt approx.	16½"	1854	Unknown

1.
	19 71
2.
	19 71
3.
	19 71 WHITECHAPEL
4.	J754
	RECAST 19 71 WHITECHAPEL
5.
6.	I H ME FECIT 1683 I S C W
	RECAST 19 71 WHITECHAPEL
Ship.
	EARL OF EGLINTON 1854

BELLS PRIOR TO 1971

Bell	Weight	Diameter	Cast	Founder	Comments
1	1-3-11	21"	1754	Unknown	Recast 1971
2	2-1-12	22⅜"	1450-60	William Chamberlain	Retuned 1971
3	2-3-23	25"	1683	John Hodson	Recast 1971

1.	J754
2.
3.	I H ME FECIT 1683 I S C W

Of these bells, by 1971, the treble and tenor were cracked by the rusting and expansion of their cast-in crown staples. Three of the double canons of the treble had broken off, and one broken from the tenor was rivetted back on. The bells were hung from solid cast-iron headstocks, the ends of which were rounded to form gudgeons, with iron wedges between the stocks and the canons. The iron-work seemed to be from the previous fittings. An Ellacombe chiming apparatus was later fitted, but this too became derelict.

HISTORY

c. 1450-60	Bell cast by William Chamberlain of London.
1683	Tenor (re)cast by John Hodson of St Mary Cray.
1784	Present 4th (re)cast by Robert Catlin of Holborn.
1851	The 3 bells were rehung in stone gable end.
1854	A bell was cast for the frigate "Earl of Eglinton".
1859	The "Earl of Eglinton" bell was purchased by the churchwardens from the wreck of the frigate in St Margaret's Bay. It was housed in the local school.
1881	Church doubled in length and timber turret built together with an oak bellframe.
c. 1966	The ship's bell was retrieved from the school (which had closed) through the energies of the Revd G A Parlett, and is now mounted in a handsome wrought-iron stand made by the local blacksmith. It is sounded to give notice of the start of divine worship.
1971	The 3 bells were taken down, 2 of them were recast and 3 more added with more metal to make a chime of 6.

GALLERY

A view of the small church with its 1851 stone 3-bell gable. This was replaced in 1881when the church was also doubled in length.