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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>In reply to Neil's question:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The publication in which the photographs w=
hich he=20
has was "The Kent Messenger"; they sent me the offprints.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>For those who may be mystified, it is wort=
h noting=20
that there is a village in Kent called Burham, not far west of Rochester. T=
he=20
medieval church became pastorally redundant in 1881 when a new church was b=
uilt=20
in the village. The three bells (see the appropriate pages on <A=20
href=3D"http://kent.lovesguide.com">http://kent.lovesguide.com</A> ) were=20
transferred, frame fittings and all to the new church. The latter deve=
loped=20
serious structural faults and was demolished in 1981. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>In November 1978 I prepared at the request=
of=20
Rochester DAC a report on the three bells (the oldest of which had bee=
n=20
rehung by WBF in 1973). I suggested that the whole lot be transferred back =
to=20
the old church, by then in the care of the then Redundant Churches Fund. My=
=20
report was discussed by its officers (including Christopher=20
Dalton) who decided that it was "not worth fighting for the 18th=
=20
century Phelps bells" but would like the ancient bell and the frame returne=
d to=20
the old church. I put this scheme forward to the Diocese and also forewarne=
d the=20
KCACR.Eventually the Diocese agreed to sell the ancient bell to the RCF, th=
e=20
treble to the KCA and the largest bell to St Michael & All Angels Maids=
tone=20
as a Service Bell.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The bells were lowered from the tower of t=
he new=20
church under Diocesan Authority on 1st March 1980. Present were RCO, myself=
,=20
Sean Smith, David Joyce and Catherine Cullis of the RCF. Fr Paul Gibbons, V=
icar=20
of St Michael & All Angels Maidstone arrived in a transit, and first to=
ok=20
the two smaller bells, three clappers and an ancient font down to the old=20
church, then returned and collected the largest bell for Maidstone.</FONT><=
/DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The frame was left in the tower and was=20
unfortunately destroyed during the demolition. The clock was purchased=
by=20
G&J.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Delays at the RCF end were occasioned by t=
he=20
unavoidable length of time between Trustees' meetings and by the several=20
requirements of the architect, a gentleman well-known to Kent's bell advise=
rs of=20
the time. The Kent CA was concerned enough to require the treble to be remo=
ved=20
to a safer place (the Vestry of St Nicholas, Dover). Richard has descr=
ibed=20
the journey accurately enough, though I am sure that the clergy present utt=
ered=20
nothing stronger than "Good Heavens!" The work was done with the full autho=
rity=20
of the Diocese of Rochester and with the knowledge of the Diocese of=20
Canterbury's bells adviser - Richard.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>As Neil has given two dates - 11th July 19=
80 and=20
11th July 1981 for the date of his rubbing the inscription on the de Wymbis=
=20
bell, when he states the other one wasn't present, I suggest that the remov=
al as=20
described by Richard took place between them (or else he spent a year rubbi=
ng=20
the inscription)! I don't have the date, but it was I think the autumn of=20
1981.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>So we left the ancient bell on the ground =
on a=20
place described to me by the Fund as "stronger than Fort Knox". Meanw=
hile=20
the architect carried on a leisurely correspondence with the Fund and the=20
Foundry, all being set to hang it in April 1982. It was not to be, the bell=
=20
being reported stolen on March 1st, and never having been=20
recovered.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The happy end to the saga is that the Phel=
ps bells=20
did survive: the largest was duly hung as a service bell in St Michael's,=20
Maidstone and the treble was finally hung at St Mildred, Preston-by-Wingham=
to=20
augment to six the Phelps ring of five there. The aforesaid Kent Messenger=
=20
carried a further picture showing Richard and myself in a tight squeeze wit=
h the=20
bell in the new treble pit. We did the job in one day in January=20
1983.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>It was the third time the vestry had =
been home=20
to a visitng bell. It received the 1701 bell from Ham, Sandwich in the summ=
er of=20
1977; the visitor decided to stay, replacing a cracked Mears bell in the=20
November. The following year the Llewellins & James bell from Christ Ch=
urch=20
Dover arrived, departing later for recasting as the treble in ten at Ash,=20
Sandwich.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>So there you have it.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>DLC</FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0p=
x; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>Fro=
m:</B>=20
<A href=3D"mailto:neil.tcct@v..." title=3Dneil.tcct@v...>Neil=
=20
Skelton</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A=20
href=3D"mailto:bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com"=20
title=3Dbellhistorians@yahoogroups.com>bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com</A>=
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, February 23, 2005=
11:41=20
AM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Bell Historians] Re:=
=20
Bixley, Norfolk</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><TT>It may be that the two Phelp's bells were stored=20
temporarily in Burham Old<BR>Church after removal from the 'new' church w=
hich=20
was demolished 1981.<BR>Certainly they were not there on 11th July, 1980=
=20
when I photographed and<BR>took a rubbing of the de<BR>Wymbish bell=
on=20
11th July, 1981.<BR><BR>At the time of the theft I was TCCT Field Officer=
for=20
Kent. I discovered<BR>the theft of the de Wymbish bell in 1982 afte=
r the=20
church been broken into<BR>within a day or two of my visit. The tragedy o=
f=20
this was that after<BR>pressing, what was then the Redundant Churches Fun=
d, to=20
get the bell hung in<BR>the tower and had been doing so for two years, it=
was=20
stolen a matter of<BR>days before it was due to be hoisted back to its fo=
rmer=20
home.<BR><BR>I am in possession of a set of photocopied newspaper cutting=
s=20
relating to<BR>the removal of<BR>the bells showing one of the=20
Phelp's bells being lowered by Richard Offen<BR>and Sean Smith.=20
Anotations by DLC give the date of this operation as 1981?<BR>This date d=
oes=20
not tie in with earlier date on which the de Wymbish bell was<BR>returned=
to=20
the old church which was definitely there in 1980! The name of<BR>the=20
publication(s) and dates are missing. As any<BR>historian should know it =
is=20
essential to include the name and date of<BR>publication! Quite apart fro=
m the=20
interests of accuracy, it does aid a<BR>failing memory!<BR><BR>Neil=20
Skelton.<BR><BR><BR>----- Original Message -----<BR>From: "Richard Offen"=
=20
<richard@s...><BR>To: <bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com><BR>=
Sent:=20
Wednesday, February 23, 2005 4:52 AM<BR>Subject: [Bell Historians] Re: Bi=
xley,=20
Norfolk<BR><BR><BR>><BR>><BR>> --- In bellhistorians@yahoogroups=
.com,=20
"George Dawson" <George@d...><BR>> wrote:<BR>> > Your=20
garage?????<BR>> ><BR>> > GAD<BR>><BR>> Probably not on=
this=20
occasion, but you should have seen the pair of<BR>> us struggling, man=
y=20
years ago, to get the future treble for Preston-<BR>> next-Wingham=20
(ex-Burham treble) into the back of a Ford van I'd<BR>> borrowed and u=
p the=20
steps into the vestry of DLC's church in Dover!<BR>> It was an extreme=
ly=20
wet and stormy night and I seem to remember the<BR>> reverend gent utt=
ering=20
some most unclergymanlike oaths about the<BR>> design of Ford 5 cwt va=
ns=20
and vestry steps!<BR>><BR>> As usual, it was one of those rush=20
jobs. Contrary to what it says<BR>> on the Burham New Chur=
ch=20
page of Dickon's CBOK, the two Phelps' bells<BR>> did not go directly =
to=20
their new homes, but went to be stored at<BR>> Burham Old=20
Church. Alas, not long after the transfer, the Richard<BR>>=
; de=20
Wymbish bell was stolen and we feared for the safety of the other<BR>>=
two=20
bells, the treble being the earliest example by Richard Phelps<BR>> (<=
A=20
href=3D"http://kent.lovesguide.com/burham_new.htm).">http://kent.lovesgui=
de.com/burham_new.htm).</A> =20
Manhandling nearly 4<BR>> cwt of bell on such an appalling evening was=
=20
neither of us idea of<BR>> fun, but we were the only two available at =
short=20
notice!<BR>><BR>> Happy days!<BR>><BR>>=20
Richard<BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>> Y=
ahoo!=20
Groups=20
Links<BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>><BR><BR><BR>=
<BR></TT></BODY></HTML>