[Bell Historians] FW: RE: Fred E Dukes International Bell Fund

[Dickon Love]

Ron Shepherd:
"One of the bells used in the Orange project was donated in memory of Richard Stevens who learnt to ring at St.Johns Croydon (a 12).Richard always had a leaning towards Gillet and Johnston bells,we were really happy when the bell we acquired was a G&J bell.When the bell arrived there was already an inscription on the bell basically saying the bell was originally cast for ST.James at Croydon.Would you know anything about this church or who I could write to find out more?"

This bell did indeed come from the church of St James, Croydon Common, although not directly. St James' church closed in 1980 owing to the decline in its congregation. Some years later it was converted into flats. The bell was transferred to St Mary's, Sittingbourne (a parish I used to live in) although it wasn't used. It finally went to the Keltek Trust from whence it found its way to Orange NSW as the 4th of 6.

You can read more about St James' at:
http://www.croydonstmichael.org.uk/History/StJames.htm

You can read about St Mary's, Sittingbourne at:
http://www.saintsinsittingbourne.org.uk/

I would be interested to know details of the inscription of this bell, and if possible see a photograph, to be used on http://kent.lovesguide.com/lists/gillettP-Z.htm (where you can see details of the bell).

DrL