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A Short History of Preston , Rutland Acknowledgements We are extremely grateful to the following Trusts and charitable organisations who gave so generously to our Appeal and without whom the work on the The Church of St Peter and St. Paul Bells would never have taken place: Preston, Rutland • Church Buildings Council. • Hickinbotham Charitable Trust. • National Lottery Heritage Fund. • Peterborough Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers. A Short History of Preston Church Bells David Audcent, Raja Bose and Bryan Howard • Rutland Historic Churches Preservation Trust. • Samworth Foundation. • The Jack Patston Trust. • The Leche Trust. • And the many, many friends and individuals who helped us reach our target.

Photographs by David Audcent, Raja Bose, Bryan Howard and Patrick Nicholls.

‘Preston Church Appeal’ logo by Canon Philip Spence.

October 2020

Sanctus stamps, c1400

2 3 Contents 2. The History of 1. Introduction 4 Preston’s church 2. The history of Preston’s church 5 The period following the Norman Century, although in Rutland, bell- 3. Origin of church bells in the UK 6 conquest was marked by a great turrets were often constructed at 4. Anatomy of the bell chamber 7 flurry of ecclesiastical building and the west end of churches during 5. The history of Preston’s bells 9 the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul post-Norman and Early English at Preston was constructed during times. At Preston, the has 6. Founders of the Preston bells 11 this time - in about 1150. Henry de a battlemented parapet, which 7. Uses of church bells at Preston 12 Beaumont, 1st Earl of Warwick was accommodates the bell chamber at 8. The sound of bells and the art of ringing 13 a favourite of William the Conqueror its summit and is surmounted by a and following the death of William, tall spire. 9. Remedial work carried out 16 became a companion and friend 10. Further Reading 19 of his successor, Henry I. He was During its 900-year history, the given much land during his lifetime, church has witnessed major including the manors of Preston economic, social and political and Uppingham, rights to which he changes, but its fabric has withstood transferred to Hugh de Montfort. the ravages of time and stands as 1. Introduction Preston subsequently passed in testimony to the skill and dedication 1130 to Robert de Montfort, who of those who constructed it. A The lovely Church of St Peter and The bells were in urgent need of died about 1165; presumably, the number of significant artefacts were St Paul, Preston dates back to the repair and restoration, and thanks to church was founded during his donated during the last century, 12th Century. It has many interesting the generosity of many individuals tenure. Initially, it comprised just including chancel lamps and pieces features, including a ring of six and Trusts, we have been able to a simple nave and still retains the of mosaic pavement from the bells - in Rutland, only Oakham and have them fully restored by John characteristic carved, rounded Middle East, while the graveyard Uppingham have more. The sanctus Taylor & Co, Loughborough, who arches and massive pillars typical of incorporates cypress trees grown bell is the only surviving example had themselves installed three of the period. The walls are of coursed, from seed gathered from the Garden in Rutland and probably has not the bells and the current frames. dressed, local ironstone with a of Gethsemane. been rung since the Reformation. rubble infill. Subsequent additions Centuries later, it can now be heard This Short History of the Bells has included the North and South aisles, The voice of the church is its bells, once more. been written by members of Preston chancel, tower and spire - all built which speak to us now in ways that History Group and introduces in styles prevailing at the time have changed little over the years, The sanctus and Gabriel bells date not only the bells, their founders they were added. Later, during the bringing messages of hope and back to about 1400 - the time of and the restoration work carried 14th Century, much of the church peace. Two of these are amongst the Plantagenets. The Tenor bell, out, but also the church itself, the was remodelled and the porch the earliest in Rutland, dating from inscribed “God Save Our Queen importance of church bells, their was added. c 1400: a sanctus bell (the only Elizabeth”, is dated c1598; the characteristic sound and the art example surviving in Rutland) and 4th bell dates from 1717 and the of ringing. There is no evidence of an earlier the Gabriel Bell. Three additional remaining three are 20th century. ; indeed, these were bells were added during the last This is truly a remarkable collection comparatively rare before the 14th century, making a ring of six. and a great responsibility for our small village Church.

4 5 3. Origin of church bells 4. Anatomy of the bell chamber in the UK The use of bells as an adjunct to It is interesting to note that Crown Christian worship dates back to its currently, Canon Law (Canon F8) Head early days, but was first officially instructs that every church and Shoulder sanctioned by Pope Sabinian in chapel shall be provided with at 604. He is said to have introduced least one bell “to ring the people Inscription the ringing of a bell during the to divine service”; the Minister has band celebration and at the times of daily responsibility for determining when prayer. In this country, the use of bells are to be rung. Whilst not Waist bells to announce Tierce, , and requiring that the bells are actually Processions is recorded in the Ordo rung, there is an expectation that Romanus. The Rev. Bede refers to they will be if possible. the ringing of a bell at Whitby in Sound bow 608 to summon the nuns to prayer. The use of smaller bells, which By the early , the use featured in early Catholic worship, of bells in England was widespread h a s d e c l i n e d o v e r t h e y e a r s , a l t h o u g h and the presence of Saxon, Norman examples survive, including Sanctus and medieval bell attests bells, priest’s bells (or ting-tangs) to the substantial size of many and Sacring bells (small hand- of these. bells used during mass to mark the Fig 1. Parts of a bell elevation). - using During this period, worship was in larger bells - has become a feature accordance with Catholic traditions, of British life. In the 16th Century, Headstock but in 1538, Henry VIII issued an the development of full circle bell Crown injunction banning the tolling of ringing in Britain altered the way bells at the “Aves after service and that bells were hung and required certain other times” to emphasise rings to be tuned to a common scale. Tufnol brush his break with Rome. suspension

Clapper ball

Fig 2. Cross section

6 7 5. The history of Preston’s bells The tower houses a ring of six bells, details of which are as follows:

Bell Known as Wt. Kg Note Dia. cm Date Founder

1st Treble 183 E# 64 1964 John Taylor & Co Hastings Wheel stay 2nd 229 D# 71 1908

3rd 270 C# 76 1908

4th 293 B# 82 1717 Henry Penn

Grease 5th *Gabriel 398 A# 90 C. 1400 (unknown) point Crown staple 6th *Tenor 518 G# 99 C. 1598 Newcombe & Watts Headstock *Sanctus 39.4 C. 1400 John Barber Bearings * These bells are listed for preservation by the Church Buildings Council (Church Care).

In the absence of written records or conjectural. Most other bells known occasionally, inclusion of the date to be manufactured by John Barber in the inscription (as, for example, are found in the South of England. the 4th bell bearing the inscription, “1717”), the dating of church bells The method of fabricating church is largely based on circumstantial bells has changed little since the evidence, including their shape, medieval period, although more dedications, motifs cast into the sophisticated methods for tuning Bell rope and the design of lettering. have been introduced. Bells are cast from bell metal - an of Three of Preston’s bells were copper and tin which has a relatively installed in the 20th century: two low melting point. After the bell has Ground pulley in 1908, of which one was donated been designed the next stage is to (PN) by the village and the second by prepare moulds - the inner (or ) Fig 3. Headstock and wheel Major-General Alfred Codrington, which is the shape and size of the and the third by the family in 1964 internal dimension of the bell and in commemoration of the life of the (cope) which moulds the outer William, his son. surface. Moulds are made from fire- re si s t a nt m ate ri a l s s u c h a s b ri c k , cl ay Although the sanctus bell is or loam and allowed to harden. The generally considered to date from cope usually incorporates embossed around 1400, this is somewhat or incised lettering and often other

8 9 artwork such as religious symbols, its top (the sprue hole) to fill the coats of arms etc. which will adorn space between the two. The metal 6. Founders of the the finished bell. The stamps and is allowed to cool for several days dies used for this were the property - longer in the case of large bells Preston bells of the founder and were sometimes - before being released from the John Barber (Sanctus bell) Henry Penn (4th) very ornate; they help to identify the moulds. Finally, the bell is tuned by A foundry between Milford Henry Penn was born in 1695. His source of the bell. Although caution removing metal from the inner face, Street and Guilder Lane in Salisbury mother Sarah was the sister of Henry is needed because they sometimes thus lowering the note. Traditionally has been excavated and revealed a Bagley, a master bellfounder; Penn changed hands on the death of the this was done by chipping metal bell founding pit and some fragments was apprenticed to him, working founder. from the inside of the bell or the of cope bearing impressions of bell from the village of Ecton before edge of the lip with a hammer and surfaces as well as fragments of taking over this foundry at the age The cope is then aligned chisel. Nowadays the bell is rotated moulds for production of domestic of 18. He moved to Peterborough concentrically over the core and on a large and metal shaved items. It was identified as the around 1708-1709 and established molten bell metal (at about 1,100˚c) more precisely from the inside to workshop of John Barber, brazier, workshops adjacent to a canal is poured through an aperture at balance the principal harmonics. who died in 1404. Little else is known as Bell Dyke which was known of him, although some of his wide enough for barges carrying stamps were subsequently used by heavy bells to reach the river Nene. founders. His greatest achievement was the of a ring of ten bells for Newcombe & Watts (Tenor) Peterborough Cathedral. Both of the Leicester families Watts and Newcombe were important John Taylor & Co (1st, 2nd bell founders in the 16th and 17th and 3rd) Centuries; members of each were This company cast three of the elected mayor of Leicester during current ring of 6 bells. Taylors also this period. The tenor bell was installed cast frames for all the probably cast jointly by Robert bells in 1908-9. William Taylor (b. Newcombe (based in “All Saints” 1795) was the son of Robert Taylor, parish) and Francis Watts who also a bell-founder; he opened a apparently had his foundry at the foundry at Oxford in 1821. John “Galtrye Gate” in Leicester and is Taylor, his younger brother, moved believed to have been married to the foundry to its present site in Newcombe’s daughter, Helen. The Loughborough in 1859 and it grew to two men often worked together. become the largest bell foundry in Watts’ son, Hugh would have been the world. Taylors still use traditional about 16 years old when the tenor techniques for making moulds and was cast and may have assisted. In casting bells but in 1896 became Fig 4. Bell chamber - the tenor bell is in the centre foreground. fact, members of both families often the first bellfounder to adopt the participated in the casting of bells. five-tone principle of bell tuning.

The measures only about 2.5m square and the bells are arranged in two tiers on iron frames. The Sanctus bell is suspended above them.

10 11 In this, the bell tuner addresses five There must have been at least one Until very recently the Preston bells commented that a sister of a nearby principal harmonics known as the other early bell (details unknown) were not rung regularly pending abbey had been called to prayer hum, fundamental, tierce, quint and because in his will of 1545 William completion of the repair work. by the sound of such a bell. North nominal; this is done by ear rather Sheild instructed that he “be buried (1880) observed the widespread than using computerised sensing in the churchyard of St Peter in The other principal occasions on practice in Rutland (as indeed in and equipment. When Preston... to the bells of Preston”; which church bells are tolled are to much of England) of tolling bells the correct frequency for each it is unlikely that the Sanctus bell mark births, and more particularly (the death knell) at burial in such harmonic has been achieved, the would have been so used. marriages and deaths, again a way as to indicate the sex of the bell is in tune with itself. because of the belief that church deceased (three strokes for a male bells had the power to ward off evil and two for a female). spirits and to grant wishes. Their use during is apparently of Finally, church warden’s accounts Celtic origin and of limited Christian reveal that a clock had been influence. installed in the church in 1656-57, 7. Uses of church bells but no sign remains of it. It seems In medieval times the passing bell to have been removed in the middle at Preston was rung to summon the priest to of the 19th Century. Presumably it During the medieval period In the late 19th Century, North the bedside of a dying person and to utilised the tenor bell, the sound Christian people were expected to (1880) reported that at Preston call on those who heard it to ease the bow of which carries indentations say their Ave Maria at the end of on Sunday mornings the tenor bell departing soul with their prayers. As apparently caused by impact of a each day and a (known was rung at 8 a.m. when there was early as the year 680 the Rev. Bede clock hammer. as the or Gabriel bell) to be Divine Service and a Sermon was rung to remind them of this preached; if there was not to be a requirement. The archangel Gabriel Sermon this bell was tolled instead had been sent by God to Mary to tell at 8.30 a.m. The tenor bell was her of the impending birth of Jesus. again rung after Morning Service Archbishop Arundel decreed in 1399 if there was to be Evening Prayer. 8. The sound of bells that the same practice should apply Ovens & Sleath (2002) reported at early dawn. At Preston the fifth that bells were rung for ten minutes and the art of ringing bell, cast about 1400 and inscribed before the 11am and 6.30pm Sunday Church bells are percussion a well-tuned bell affords a clear “Gabriel” was almost certainly used services. instruments - when struck by the sense of a definite pitch when it is for this purpose. metal clapper there is an initial sharp rung, this is because the founder Over time, secular uses gradually sound of metal on metal followed has tuned the principal lower- After the Norman conquest, a supplemented calls to religious immediately by a large number of pitched natural frequencies so that general curfew (old French carre- services and bells were often used as different notes (known as partials). they conform to a harmonically feu) was imposed at the end of a call to work. This custom gradually These arise from different regions in related ratio. day and in many villages, probably declined, although apparently at the bell’s profile and are related to including Preston, the Gabriel bell Preston the treble bell continued its geometry (Fig 1). The perceived Five partials appear to have the was used in accordance with this to be rung at 5am as late as the “strike note” is a melee of partials greatest impact on the pitch to prompt the covering of domestic twentieth century. rather than a single note that can be perceived. Of these the nominal fires. objectively measured. Although is very intense but audible only

12 13 for fractions of a second; despite or years of practice. Bells can the sum of horizontal forces of all of exterior layers of ashlar with this, for most people it determines weigh up to a tonne or more, but the bells turning in that direction at filler materials between them, so the apparent strike note. The the largest at Preston - the tenor - any instant, and so the bells within they lack stiffness and the tower fundamental (or prime) and the weighs only about 500 Kg! the belfry are carefully aligned to sways as a result of the horizontal more slowly decaying hum are minimise this. forces. It is stiffened by buttresses adjusted by bell tuners to relate to Each bell is mounted on a pivot that at the corners and its East face is the nominal in octaves; of the two enables it to swivel freely; a wheel The bell chamber itself should supported by the nave of the church. other principal partials the tierce is attached to the bell (see fig 2) ideally resemble a very rigid box. There is no evidence of failure of usually a minor third and the quint rotates when a rope passed around In our case the tower walls consist the masonry. about a fifth above the fundamental. it is pulled. Starting from an inverted If the is to sound harmonious, position the bell rotates through additional factors including the about 360° and again comes to rest, compatibility of individual bells must inverted. When the ringer pulls the be taken into account; emphasis is rope again it rotates in the opposite placed on the frequencies, intensity direction. At a certain point during and duration of the various partials. each swing the clapper strikes The sound of the peal is also the interior of the bell - not with strongly influenced by other factors a single, clean impact but a series including the brief interval between of diminishing multiple impacts individual chimes which tends to which the ear does not generally emphasise the relatively transient, distinguish. By the time the swing high-intensity partials which decay is completed the clapper has again rapidly. The characteristics of the come to rest against the side of peal are also influenced by the the bell. design and construction of the bell tower. Finally, it is important Each cycle of swinging the bells that ringers are able to accurately through a complete circle (360°), control the swing and hence timing then reversing the direction, of the bells. imposes extremely strong forces on the bell mounts and the bell tower. The bells at Preston, as in most The horizontal force produced can English churches, are hung to allow be more than twice the bell’s weight change-ringing which involves the and the vertical force over 4 times. ringing of complex sequences of The axial stiffness of the tower is notes (methods) as the bells swing much greater than its lateral stability, full circle and sound at a precise so it is the horizontal forces that are p o i n t . T h e a r t o f f u l l c i r c l e b e l l r i n g i n g more likely to present problems. has been practised in England for The total force transmitted to the over 400 years and requires months bell supports in a given direction is

Fig 5. The ringing chamber

14 15 9. Remedial work carried out

Taylor and Co. undertook the following comprehensive works: • Removed the various clapper/staple assemblies, wheels and rope pulley units for repair at their Works.

• Renewed the bearings on the 4th and tenor clappers and ground all the clapper balls to restore their profile.

• Provided a new bell wheel on the 2nd and a new stay for the Tenor.

• Re-rimmed the remaining five wheels, re-bushed the 4th and Tenor clappers, rebuilt the Treble and 4th roller.

• Refitted new and refurbished wheel braces to all six wheels.

• Quarter-turned the Tenor.

• Cleaned down and repainted the bellframe.

• Supplied new hardwood pulley units incorporating “sealed for life” ball races in the existing refurbished brackets.

• Carried out maintenance of the main bearings.

• Replaced three corroded floor bosses.

• Checked and tightened all fittings, set the bells up for even clappering and left them in good order for full-circle ringing.

• Restored and re-hung the Sanctus bell, supplying and fitting it with an electromagnetic hammer and control system.

• Treated the badly corroded end of the RSJ on the lower bellframe and re-concreted it to the wall.

• Supplied and fitted longer beams to support the upper bellframe.

• Supplied and fitted boxed-in rope chutes in the intermediate chamber.

Fig 6a. Bells before repair, 2019

16 17 10. Further Reading

1. North T. (1880). The church bells of Rutland: their inscriptions, traditions, and peculiar uses. Samuel Clark, Leicester.

2. Ovens R. & Sleath S. (2002). Time in Rutland: A History and Gazetteer of the Bells, Scratch Dials, Sundials, and Clocks of Rutland. Rutland Record Series No 4. Rutland Local History and Record Society.

3. Walters H. B. (1912). Church Bells of England. Oxford University Press. Available at http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924017579099 (Accessed 23 May 2020).

4. Lloyd, Ll. S. (1954). The Strike-Notes of Church Bells. Music & Letters, 35, 227-232.

5. Church of St Peter & St Paul: A Brief Guide for Visitors. Available in the Church

6. Legal Advisory Commission of the General Synod (2017). Church Buildings: Bells. https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2017-12/bells.pdf (Accessed 30 May 2020).

7. Traylen A.R. (2005). Ancestral Houses of Rutland. Spiegl Press.

8. Association of Ringing Teachers. History of Bell Ringing. https://www.bellringing.org/history/ (Accessed 22 May 2020).

9. The Central Council of Church Bell Ringers. https://cccbr.org.uk/ (Accessed 30 May 2020).

Fig 6b. Bells during and after repair, 2020

18 19 For further information, please contact: The Church Warden The Church of St Peter and St Paul 5 Church Lane Preston Rutland LE15 9NG