Oldham St Mary

[MikeOrme at Ye4XPPpTM8wsSBWZvmKQK1yuhby-b1_wdk2LBW3PZ2pRS8UmMxBsJdOJpQYdylPsGaEQaRjiSWc.yahoo.invalid]

David Sloman wrote:- 
Some of the Abraham Rudhall ring of 1722 from St.  Mary's were dispersed when 
the 1830 ring was installed, one to St. Peter's  Oldham, one to St. James 
Oldham and one possibly to Newton Heath(since recast-if  it did go there).
 
Is the disused Rudhall bell in the tower at. St.  Mary's, one returned from 
either St. Peter or St. James or another bell. Would be grateful for any  
information.
 
Derek Thomas, Tower captain St Mary's Oldham has  provided the following:-
 
The bell in question  was the one from St James’. It was acquired during the 
time they were also  disposing of most of their Gillett & Johnson 10 bell 
carillon, 8 of which  are now hung for ringing in Fen Ditton Cambridgeshire. 
It was installed in the  tower during the spring of 1983, at the same time as 
the new flat 6th  bell was added to the ringing peal. The original intention 
was to have it hung  so that it could be used as a sanctus/service bell. This 
still remains an  objective, but as with many churches, other priorities have 
taken up what little  funding has been available.   
I believe that this  bell was probably the 6th of the old 8 (i.e. the 4th of  
the 1722 Rudhall 6 – two more bells were added c  1781/2) 
The bell that went to  St Peter’s back in 1828 eventually found its way to St 
Ambrose Oldham in the  late 1960’s when St Peter’s was demolished. St 
Ambrose never made any use of it  and it remained on the floor of their Church Hall. 
I enquired about its  availability sometime in the late ‘70’s/early80’s when 
the project to raise  funds for the flat 6th was up and running.   
The incumbent at that  time, Rev James (as in the beer brewed by Brains) said 
he would discuss the  matter with his PCC and invited me to make contact 
again.   
When I did so a few  weeks later I was appalled to discover that my first 
visit had made them realise  that they had something of value, and that in the 
intervening period the bell  had been broken up on site and the metal sold for 
scrap (to Whitechapel I think,  but I don’t have any written evidence). This 
was the worst possible course of  action that could have been taken as I could 
have arranged to meet the scrap  valuation figure and have avoided the bell 
being broken up.  
This bell was larger  than the one from St James, so I assumed it was 
probably the 5th of  the 1722 ring of 6. (7th of the old 8) 
I believe the old tenor  did go to Newton Heath All Saints and was 
subsequently re-cast. The other 5  bells went to Mears prior to the casting of the 1830 
ring of 12 for the new  Oldham  Parish Church. 
Hope this information  helps.     Derek.  
Likewise,  Michael Orme.



   
           
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