The Bells of St Georges Church Fovant
Today there are 6 bells. The present fifth is the oldest, dating from c1400 and made by the Salisbury Foundry. There were reported to be 3 bells in the tower in 1553, of which the 5 is the only remainder. A bell from 1623 was recast in 1863, and the treble bell (no. 1 and the lightest) was given by Miss Hanham, Headmistress of the Village School in 1980 in memory of her brother Percy and her mother. At this time the bells were overhauled, tuned and hung in a new metal frame. Prior to this there would have been a wooden frame.
A ring of bells is described by the weight of the largest bell, the tenor, so at Fovant we say we have an 8 hundredweight (cwt) 6. They are also described as a ground floor ring, as they are rung by ringers standing at ground level, not up in the tower as in many churches. They now have rope guides to help keep the ropes straight as they are pulled (See photo 2)
Bell | Weight | Nominal | Note | Diameter | Dated | Founder |
1 | 3–0–26 | 1483.5 | F♯ | 25.75″ | 1980 | |
2 | 4–0–18 | 1318.0 | E | 27.00″ | 1876 | |
3 | 4–0–25 | 1174.5 | D | 28.50″ | 1874 | |
4 | 4–2–9 | 1105.5 | C♯ | 29.63″ | 1874 | |
5 | 6–2–6 | 989.5 | B | 32.50″ | c1400† | |
6 | 8–3–5 | 879.5 | A | 37.13″ | 1863 |
The inscriptions on the Bells are as follows:
- 1980 Whitechapel. HANHAM 1980
- John Warner & Sons 1876 GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO. CHRISTMAS 1876
- John Warner & Sons 1874 OMNIA FIANT AD GLORIAM DEI. A.D. 1874
- John Warner & Sons 1874 LAUDO DEUM CONGREGO CLERUM PLEBUM VOCO FUNERA PLANGO
- + AVE GRACIA PMENA
- George Mears Foundry, London 1863.
The Old 3 Bells:
1. The present 5th
2. Bell dated 1671 founder Richard Florey
3. Bell dated 1627 founder George Purdue. Note the Prince of Wales feathers and motto, and initials GP in the corners of the device were four crowns, and rose, thistle harp and Fleur de Lys. This bell was the one recast in 1863, a drawing of this device is preserved at the Whitechapel Foundry.
There have been 12 peals (5040 changes rung over approximately 3 hours) the first in 1980 and the most recent in June 2024. The years in which peals were rung are:1980, 1991, 2001, 2002, 2007, 2010, 2015 x 2, 2016, 2019, 2024 x 2.
In the 18th and 19th Centuries ringing was not a religious related activity, and ringers were unruly. The ringing of bells was tolerated by the Clergy as it provide a public service, but in the late 19th century, Belfry Reform brought ringing and ringers in to the Church and it became a more regulated activity. At this time Women Started to learn and the Ladies Guild of Change Ringers was formed in 1912 to support women ringers. This Guild is still active today.
In the past every village had their own band of ringers. A common route was from the choir to the belfry as voices broke, so there was a steady supply of boys to learn to ring. As church choirs declined so did the supply of bellringers, and at Fovant we now collaborate with other local towers, Dinton, Compton Chamberlayne and Barford St Martin in order to have sufficient ringers. We are always on the look-out for new members to keep this ancient art going for the next generation.
Photo showing the Belfry. Bell 4 immediately in front of the doorway, and 5 and 6 are just visible on the left. Bells 1, 2 and 3 are lined up in the same way on the right side of the Belfry.
These bells are in the ‘down’ position which makes them safe to work on, and be amongst. This is when the mouth of the Bell is pointing down. Before they can be rung they are changed to the ‘up’ position where the mouth of the bell is pointing upwards and the bell is balanced on the stay, see photo below.
(C) is the stay, which rest on the Slider (A)
The 1980 project saw the bells removed and for a short time stored in the Barn next to the Church, before being taken to the Whitechapel foundry in London.
The 1980 project saw the bells removed and for a short time stored in the Barn next to the Church, before being taken to the Whitechapel foundry in London.
