[Bell Historians] Plymouth (Devonport Dockyard Chapel)

[David Cawley]

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There is a fine picture of The Royal Dockyard Chapel on p.247 of Robinson's=
"Among the Bells".
He gives the diameters as 24 1/2, 25 1/2, 26 1/2, 27 1/2, 29, 29 [sic], 35 =
and 37, tenor 9 1/2 cwt. Two trebles he said by Bannister 1866. Back six by=
Penington 1770.
They rang 5008 Superlative in 3h 5, a slow one for such light bells. Robins=
on rang the 6th and Washbrook conducted from the tenor.
Bells came down in the bombing. Don't know what happened to them, but Cyril=
Johnston was very busy in the area at the time. He purchased the damaged r=
ing of ten from Charles Church, Plymouth as scrap ("at an absurdly low figu=
re - but cannot vouch for this" per JT & Co).
I don't know if the Dockyard Chapel was reinstated after the war - if so, i=
t was without a ring of bells.

DLC=20
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Neil Skelton=20
To: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com=20
Sent: Friday, July 23, 2004 8:16 PM
Subject: [Bell Historians] Plymouth (Devonport Dockyard Chapel)


It is said that the bells originally destined for St Michael's, Princetow=
n, adjacent to the prison went to the Dockyard Chapel, destroyed in the SWW=
. The building of Princetown church, by French and American prisoners of wa=
r was commenced in 1810. By 1814 the prison was running down due to the ces=
sation of hostilities and a request to the prison authorities to provide a =
set of communion plate was turned down . Further, although the bells had be=
en cast, the Prison Board did not feel authorised in incur further expense.=
Instead they were taken from Plymouth (where presumably they had been deli=
vered) to the Dockyard and hung in a chapel there. Does anyone know who cas=
t these bells and whether there is any truth in this story?

Princetown church is now in the care of The Churches Conservation Trust w=
hich has incurred a hefty sum on essential repairs. The single bell (20.5/8=
" diameter) was cast in 1821 by J. Abraham of Tavistock. It is, I believe, =
only one of two bells extant by this founder. Unfortunately, it was cracked=
when it fell from the tower. It is to be welded and rehung.

Neil Skelton.

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