St John's Peterborough

[John David]

St John, Peterborough

I took over from Herbert Goakes as Steeplekeeper from about 1970 until I 
left England in 1976.
Gillets in 1913 had rehung the bells in an H frame. Some time afterwards the 
seventh cracked and (according to Herbert) some ten years later was recast 
by Taylor’s. Gillets had recast the two trebles with flattish crowns, like 
the original bells, but the Taylor seventh has a domed crown, making it a 
longer bell and a pig to ring, compared with the others. It was hung up on 
the Gillet headstock (with the name filed off) and a piece had to be cut out 
of the diagonal bracing of the foundation RSJs to let the clapper go past. I 
do nto recall ever seeing a weight for the recast bell.

At some time one of the clock weights had fallen heavily on the corner of 
the frame near the two and four, breaking off one of the upper anchors and 
bending the upper joists. It was never repaired but did not seem to have 
affected the bells.

John David
Guernsey