[Bell Historians] St Ethelburga, Bishopgate

[D Cawley]

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Here is H. B. Walters' account of the two bells in his notes at Burlington =
House:

"1.] NATHANIEL TAYNTON T
CHURCHWARDENS S ETHELBURGA
RICHARD GWILT 1781
Dia 16 3/4"
D
2.] THE REV : WILLIAM PRICE M : A : RECTOR IOSEPH COLE WILLIAM WILSON CH=
: WARDENS R : PHELPS FECIT I735
Dia 31"
Lines 3,2-2,3-2"

A. D. Tyssen (24 April 1897) gives in his notes identical details, a rough =
sketch of the treble and notes:

"The 1st is hung in a kind of miniature birdcage belfry on the top of a lar=
ge box which serves for a tower & which is the last remnant of one of the l=
ittle spirelets so common in the lesser churches of the county. It is a mo=
st peculiar bell, having a small head with large cannons and rather a large=
waist. The general appearance is rather foreign but it is undoubtedly an =
English bell & is most probably by John Warner."=20=20
[H. B. W. adds: "More likely Wm Mears I think"]
"The 2nd is hung in the "tower"."

The sketch shows the treble to have large canons on a flat head, 2 wires on=
the crown and one at inscription ring level, and two above the soundbow, r=
ather like a 19thC brassfoundry bell, which it isn't.

Old pictures thow the original wooden tower grandually dwindling into the b=
ox and birdcage arrangement; in the latter hung the 1781 bell with a wheel.=
No wheel is visible in early 20th-century photos, by which time the belfr=
y had assumed its present (?) form. Mears & Stainbank rehung both bells fo=
r swing chiming with new fittings in the fifties.

When the Bishopsgate bomb exploded the west front blew in and the belfry an=
d roof structure collapsed on top of it and broke up. English Heritage mou=
nted a huge rescue campaign as soon as they were able, and this is recorded=
in the Ecclesiological Society's booklet published three or four years ago=
. The object was that everything which could be re-used would be. Certain=
ly the pre-bombing timber tower structure was of considerable interest and =
many of the timbers survived and would have been re-used with the bells.

To complete Walters' account, he notes "1552. iij Bells & a saunce bell in =
the Stepull". Following that and crossed out he gives: "In 1824 there were=
three bells, but only two in 1859 according to Mr Tyssen's notes. Sperling=
Church Walks in Middlesex, p.150, says 'one bell' ! At funerals 3x3m. 3x2=
f. 3x1 ch. Before. The Rev W. Price (see 2nd bell) was Rector 1732-1750."

DLC=20=20
----- Original Message -----=20
From: LOVE, Dickon=20
To: 'bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com'=20
Sent: 14 November 2002 10:41
Subject: RE: [Bell Historians] St Ethelburga, Bishopgate


Bill:
"Anything of interest there for us?"

There were 2 bells. Richard Phelps 1735 (31") and an unidentified bell da=
ted
1781 (diameter 16.75"). The bells were rescued. I know the large bell was
restored, but haven't noticed whether the little bell went back (I guess =
it
will have done). Nor do I have the weights for these 2 bells at the prese=
nt
time.

Pretty well all the bells were ringing in the City of London yesterday fo=
r
the reconsecration (at the request of the Bishop of London) - a good turn
out from the ASCY and others!!

DrL


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