[Bell Historians] Oxford

[David Cawley]

A note on Simon's comment below.

1. Fred Sharpe describes the old fittings on Great Tom in the Oxford section of his "Church Bells of Oxfordshire". After mentioning thir derelict condition, he specifically states that the lower half of the wheel was missing altogether, and the shrouding and most of the soling from the upper half. Two photographs show the frame as it then was - braced king-post. He states that the bell had not been swung for over a hundred years.So, again, I do not accept Richard's and now Simon's theory that Fred rang the bell "up" before it was rehung.  

2. The work was carried out - 1/8-turning, all new fittings and reconstructed frame - by Mears & Stainbank, and Great Tom was officially rung (though Fred does not specifically state right "up") on 29th May 1953 (after having been tried out the previous day) and then again for the Coronation of H M The Queen on 2nd June. This is described by Fred in the addenda page at the end of"Oxfordshire" and disposes of Simon's date of "certainly before it was rehung in 1955."

3. The pre-rehanging conditions are thus summarised in the 1959 Mears booklet: "It ... was recast into its presentr form by Christopher Hodson in 1680 ... It required sixteen men to swing it owing to the rather crude methods of hanging, and finally this was stopped owing to the risk of damage to the tower ... after he had been rehung he is now swung on all great occasions, and can easily be rung by one man."

Clearly "rung" is in the general rather than the particular sense. Much the same was said of Beverley's "Great John" at the time of its installation: now, there is a Great Bell, in every sense!

Finally, Richard's Castle has been mentioned. Whatever its clappering features, it was equipped with a stay etc; as I think are the mighty Mears three at Newport, Rhode Island. which featured on this site some time ago. All have balanced fittings, unlike (for example, amongst single bells) the Great Bell of Tong and Holy Trinity Southport, whose headstocks are of traditional ringing dimensions, in wood and cast-iron respectively.

DLC

----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Simon Bond 
  To: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Sunday, June 10, 2007 12:00 AM
  Subject: Re: [Bell Historians] Oxford


  > As David B says, there is technically nothing to stop them
  > being rung up provided they are roped properly; unless, of
  > course, as at Oxford, there are obstructions.
  >
  > DLC

  Clock and tolling hammers being the biggest obstacles in Oxford's case. The
  headstock doesn't get past them once it gets high enough.

  The full-circle occasion being referred to was certainly before it was
  rehung (Whitechapel 1955). The massive wooden headstock is still in the
  tower. Were it not for the hammers being in the way there is no reason why
  getting the bell all the way up would be impossible.

  SAB



              
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