Hackney, London, St Augustine, clock bell

[Ted Steele]

Having had very close acquaintance with Hackney for much of my life I 
have been surprised to chance upon internet images of a clock bell in 
the surviving tower of the former parish church of St Augustine. This is 
now maintained by Hackney council and actually is incorporated in the 
borough's crest.

I have never heard a clock strike from the tower and a note with one of 
the several similar pictures states that the clock doe snot strike now. 
I wonder when it did?

The pictures show a Warner bell marked "Patent" below a crest. The clock 
and tower were restored in 1933 according to the plaque on the clock. I 
wonder if any one knows any more details of this bell. The weight I 
would guess to be about 2 - 3 cwt. I would be interested to know from 
where it came as I doubt that it would have anything to do with the old 
church bells, too modern by far I should think. Perhaps it was purchased 
specially for the tower or maybe came from a redundant church somewhere. 
The plaque on the clock makes no reference to the bell, just to the 
clock and tower below the names of the borough and of St John at Hackney 
church. Links to two of the best pics here:

Bell <http://www.flickr.com/photos/albedo/244701841/>
Clock < http://www.flickr.com/photos/londonmatt/5002103450/>

Ted