bells in the City of Durham

[khsbelring at a...]

Durham Castle 91/2 1495 


Durham Cathedral Church of Christ &St.Mary the Virgin there were 4 bells 
hung in the North West tower / steeple in 1522/3 
this steeple was then known as the Gallillee Steeple 
Three of these bells were moved to the Lanthorne Tower during 
the period that Whittingham was Dean 
The smallest bell was left and called the sanctuary bell 
The King's Commissioners removed this bell from the Galilee Tower in 1552 

In 1631/2 Thomas Bartlett recast some bells, but these bells 
were said to be unsatisfactory and some cracked quite soon. 
The old six had inscriptions that were recorded on 2-7 of Hodson's. 
The central tower was originally constructed 1104 - 1130. 
In 1262 the central tower had a belfry section added to it. 
This was set on fire by lightning in 1429 and badly repaired. 
The entire upper portion of the tower was rebuilt by Bishop Booth 
in 1470 when it was raised in height to what we see today. 
THE CENTRAL TOWER THREE 
swung 1 pre1429 DEDICATED TO ST. MARGARET
swung 2 Richard Tunnoe of York 1320-30 DEDICATED TO ST. BENEDICT
swung 3 pre1429 THE BENEDICTUS BELL
THE NORTH WEST OR GALILEE TOWER Constructed 1217-1226 originally with 
spires. 
there were four bells in this steeple in 1522 they were used for specific 
individual chiming 
1 pre1522 the " long bell " - probably very old
2 pre1522 St. Bede
3 Robert of Durham pre1522 St. Oswald
4 pre1522 the largest bell called the Galilee bell
After the dissolution of the Monastries there were seven bells recorded as 
left in Durham Cathedral in 1552 
However a sacring bell was removed from the Galilee Guild by the Kings' 
Commisioners. 
THE CENTRAL TOWER FIRST SIX 
Three of the above bells were moved to the central or Langthorn tower 
between 1561 -1579 when William Whittingham was Dean 
the smallest or sanctuary bell was left in the Galilee tower. 
it is extremely unlikely that the six bells in the tower 1561/1590 till 1631 
were a tuned six or a ring of six. 
There was an attempt by Umfrye Kene to tune the Galilee bell but this 
resulted in cracking it 
Umfrye Kene was Humphrey Keene from Woodstock 
In 1631 Humphrey Keene cast two bells for St. Marys' Staindrop. 
As a result Thomas Bartlett was invited to come up from London to recast 
some of the bells and rehang them. 
THE THOMAS BARTLETT SIX 
ring 1 pre1429 this bell was dedicated to St. Margaret
ring 2 Dalton did not record Hodson's record of Bartlett's inscriptions
one has to make the comment that one of these bells has to be
the " Galilee " bell. As this is the case , Bartlet either did not 
faithfully record the dedications onto the bells in order or Hodson
did not record from Bartlet in the correct order
ring 3 Richard Tunnoe of York 1320-30 this bell was dedicated to St. 
Benedict
ring 4 this bell was dedicated to St. Michael
ring 5 pre1522 this bell was dedicated to the " goodly Bede "
ring 6 Robert of Durham pre1522 this bell was dedicated to St. Oswald
Thomas Bartlett was the Master Founder at the Whitechapel bell foundry in 
London between 1616 - 1632 
After casting the Cathedral bells , Thomas Bartlett died in durham during 
1632. His position as Master Founder was 
taken over by John Clifton. It was not unusual for founders to spend a few 
years away from their main place of 
work and take to the road in order to secure work or take on prestigious 
contracts elsewhere in the country. 
Unfortunately the standard of workmanship does not seem to have been very 
high as some bells cracked and the 
whole job was deemed to have been unsatisfactory. 
Christopher Hodson was employed to recast the bells and augment to eight by 
the addition of treble & tenor bells. 
THE CHRISTOPHER HODSON 1693 EIGHT 
ring 1 Christopher Hodson 1693 
ring 1 Pack & Chapman 33 1780 
ring 2 Christopher Hodson 33 1693 ONCE ST. MARGARET'S BELL RENEWED BY THE 
DEAN AND
CHAPTER OF DURHAM IN 1693
ring 3 Christopher Hodson 1693 
ring 3 George Dalton of York 1766 Dalton did not record Hodson's record 
from the Bartlett six
ring 3 Chapman & Mears 36 1781 
ring 4 Christopher Hodson 1693 cracked in 1889
ring 4 Mears & Stainbank 37 1896 this was the R.Tonner bell dedicated to 
St.Benedict
ring 5 Christopher Hodson 44 1693 
ring 6 Christopher Hodson 44 1693 
ring 7 Christopher Hodson 50 1693 
ring 8 Christopher Hodson 57 1693 
During 1765-66 when Dalton recast the 4th. Francis Ellis of York rehung the 
eight bells in a new frame. 
THE TEN 
ring 1 Whitechapel 6-1-02 1980 
ring 2 Whitechapel 7-0-08 1980 
ring 3 Pack & Chapman 33 7-3-10 1780 
ring 4 Christopher Hodson 33 7-3-14 1693 
ring 5 Chapman & Mears 36 9-3-25 1781 
ring 6 Mears & Stainbank 37 11-0-08 1896 
ring 7 Christopher Hodson 44 12-2-08 1693 
ring 8 Christopher Hodson 44 15-3-01 1693 
ring 9 Christopher Hodson 50 21-2-09 1693 
ring 10 Christopher Hodson 57 28-0-06 1693 
display 1 ALSO THE LIGHTER OF THE TWO BELLS FROM MONKHESLEDON St Mary c1525 
in cloisters 

Durham Cathedral Musuem 1 205/8 C14 

Durham St Cuthbert tube 1 could be 1902
tube 2 
tube 3 
tube 4 
tube 5 
tube 6 
tube 7 
tube 8 

Durham St Godrick ????????????????? 

Durham Hatfield College Chapel dead 1 c7" sml. 


Durham St Margaret of Antioch 3 bells here in 1552 
dead 1 30 1450-87 possibly by John Danyell of London
dead 2 325/8 1450-87 possibly by John Danyell of London
dead 3 37 1624 possibly by Thomas Bartlett

Durham St Mary le Bow 3 bells here in 1552 when this was known as the North 
Bailey Church 
single bell hung in original 3 bell frame
ring 1 George Daltonof York 31 1759 fittings derelict

Durham St Giles 3 bells in 1552 
dead 1 261/4 C14 
dead 2 271/2 c1530 repairs to bells 1964 (4673)
dead 3 301/2 1640 AE : RT : RO : MD

Durham St Mary the Less 2 bells here in 1552 when this was known as the 
South Bailey Church 
1 Christopher Hodson 161/8 1694 
2 167/8 C15 

Durham St Mary Magdelene 1 bell here in 1552 ????????????????/

Durham St Nicholas 3 bells in 1552 - 2 plus clock bell 
THE BARTLET FIVE 
ring 1 James Bartlet 271/2 1687 probably the only Bartlet five left
ring 2 James Bartlet 29 1687 
ring 3 James Bartlet 311/2 1687 
ring 4 James Bartlet 35 1687 
ring 5 James Bartlet 38 10-0-18 1687 
THE SIX 
ring 1 J Warner 26 1889 
ring 2 James Bartlet 271/2 1687 probably the only Bartlet five left
ring 3 James Bartlet 29 1687 
ring 4 James Bartlet 311/2 1687 
ring 5 James Bartlet 35 1687 
ring 6 James Bartlet 38 10-0-18 1687 

Durham St Oswald in 1553 there were three bells in the steeple 
SAMUEL SMITH THREE 
1 Samuel Smith 1 1610-66 
2 Samuel Smith 1 1610-66 
3 Samuel Smith 1 1610-66 
THE HODSON SIX 
ring 1 Christopher Hodson 29 1694 
ring 2 Christopher Hodson 31 1694 
ring 2 Gillett & Co. 1885 
ring 3 Christopher Hodson 35 1694 on display in church
ring 4 Christopher Hodson 37 1694 
ring 5 Christopher Hodson 41 1694 on display in church
ring 6 Christopher Hodson 45 16 1694 
THE EIGHT 
ring 1 Taylor 1977 
ring 2 Taylor 1977 
ring 3 Taylor 1977 
ring 4 Taylor 1977 
ring 5 Taylor 1977 
ring 6 Taylor 1977 
ring 7 Taylor 1977 
ring 8 Taylor 12-3-00 1977 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.ringingworld.co.uk/pipermail/bell-historians/attachments/20040829/29121dc7/attachment.html>