Proc SocAntiq Scot, 124 (1994), 525-541 belle Perthshiref Th so John't S : s Kirk, Perth CloustonM RW * ABSTRACT Thebells63 belonging thisto church, catalogued thisin paper, include eight from beforethe Reformation, a greater number than from any other British church. One of these, the oldest tower bell Perthshire,in dates from about 1340. mainThe carillon, bells,of35 contains exceptionallyan fine bell of 1506, by Peter Waghevens of Mechlin (Malines); the other 34 were cast by Gillett & Johnston Ltd, ofCroydon, in 1934. A brief historical account is included. INTRODUCTION A survey of the bells of Perthshire appeared in volume 122 of these Proceedings (Clouston 1992), the eleventh county survey of bells in Scotland to be published. The 63 bells belonging to St John's Kirk, Perth, are of exceptional interest and are treated here separately; their context within the county wil apparene b l t fro earliee mth r paper (Clouston 1992, 453-6). Thirty-five fore mth main carillon within the timber-framed lead-covered spire, and 13 hang in the side belfry on the north side of the spire; a further 15 hang disused in a metal frame on the floor of the church. A brief historical account of the bells follows the catalogue. The Ave Maria bell, now hanging in the apex of the side belfry (no 13), dates from about oldese th s i t134 d towe0an r bel Perthshiren i l . Wit weighha f abouo t t 7cwt (356 kg), thi alss si o the largest bell of this period remaining in Scotland. The disused 'Agnus Dei' bell probably dates from the early 16th century and was cast by a founder whose expertise was not as good as it should hav jusy etma havbeene h er o ,bee n unlucky. bourdoe Th carillone n th bel f o l , weighin t (142cw 98 g 2 extremeln kg)a s i , y fine castiny gb Peter Wagheven f Mechliso n (Malines dates i d dan ) decorates 1506ha t i ; d canons statuetta d an , e t Joho S fBaptise nth othed tan rfinese markwaiste th th f to n pre-Reformatios.o e Thion s si n bells existencen i e onlTh .y other castin Petey gb r Waghevens know Britise th n ni h fine Isleth e s i s cauldro Lacoct na k Abbe Wiltshiren yi , dated 1500. The former Common Bell, cast in 1520, survived until 1804 but was recorded in the 1650s (see below) t bor i ;name eth f Georgeo e Wagheven f Mechlino s coule h ; d have been Peter's brother dieo s sondieo n 1524di wh ,hi n 1529 dwh i ,r o formee , more th ; th s ei r likely. King's College, Aberdeen, had three bells dated 1519 bearing the name of George Waghevens: three trebles to a ring of five with a tenor of 48 cwt (2438 kg) (Eeles & Clouston 1960, 287). The five Flemish chime bells, dated 1526 (nos 10-14 in the metal frame within the church), : Pippin Cottage, Hartest, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP29 4ET | SOCIET 6 52 ANTIQUARIEF YO SCOTLANDF SO , 1994 smala e par f ar o t l grou Perthshirn pi e wor th Ghein f Willeeko e de b whic f n y no m va hma Mechlin (see below; Clouston 1992 , largese belle 454)th Th sf s i .o twithi ) 15 frame nth o (n e probabl earlf yo y 16th-century possibls i date d an , Scottisf yo h origin. In all, ther eighe ear t John't bellS t sa s which date from befor Reformatione eth , more than i any other British church: St Lawrence, Ipswich, and St Bartholomew-the-Great, Smithfield, London, eac fives hha . CATALOGUE THE CARILLON Each bell cas 193n i t 4 bear numbes sit carillo e lowee th th n ri n rno waist smallese th , t bein. g1 ) diameter . (21 mm 'A8 in I7 b 61 (7.. 1 7D . o 5142kg)N .. GILLET JOHNSTO& T N CROYDON 1934 (upper waist: monogram of C.F.J. in a circle) 2 9 3/6 in. (233 mm) diameter. C sharp. 20 % Ib (9.2 kg). No 5009. (the same) diameter) 5010o . (249 /N 9 mm I6 3 in .b3 ) 2 (10.. 3 kg (theC .4 same) 3 4 10 K6 in. (256 mm) diameter. B. 26 /4 Ib (12.1 kg). No 5011. (the same) ) diameter . (26'A0 mm in 1 8 5 sharp'A4 A . Ir bq (14.1 . 7 5012o kg)N .. (the same) 6 11 Me in. (281 mm) diameter. A. 1 qr 7 'A Ib (16.1 kg). No 5013. GILLETT & JOHNSTON, CROYDON, 1934. (upper waist: monogram circle)',a f C.F.Jn o i t no . (whole inscriptio mouldind nan g wires incised) 7 diameter) 11 . (29'Amm in 0 I 1 b sharp 1 G (17.. r q 7 1 .5014 o kg)N .. (the same) 8 11 % in. (303 mm) diameter. G. 1 qr 13 ^ Ib (18.8 kg). No 5126. (the same) 9 12 9A in. (319 mm) diameter. F sharp. 1 qr 20 Ib (21.8 kg). No 5016. (the same) 10 13 3/6 in. (335 mm) diameter. F. 2 qrs 1 Ib (25.8 kg). No 5017. (the same) 11 13 "At in. (347 mm) diameter. E. 2 qrs 6 'A Ib (28.4 kg). No 5018. (the same) 12 14 K in. (369 mm) diameter. D sharp. 2 qrs 14 '/ Ib (32.1 kg) No 5019. (the same) 13 15 % in. (384 mm) diameter. D. 2 qrs 26 'A Ib (37.4 kg). No 5113. (the same) 14 16 in. (406 mm) diameter. C sharp. 3 qrs 12 Ib (43.5 kg). No 5021. (the same) I8 b r (54.q 0 4diameter) t 5022o kg). (42 N cw mm Y,in 6 .81 1 1 .. 5(theC . same) 16 18 in. (457 mm) diameter. B. 1 cwt 1 qr 0 Ib (63.5 kg) GILLETT & JOHNSTON, CROYDON, 1934. (upper waist: monogram ocircle)a f C.F.J.n i t no 514 0 (normal raised letterin mouldind gan g wires) 17 19 in. (483 mm) diameter. A sharp. 1 cwt 1 qr 19 Ib (72.1 kg), (the same, but with 5024 on rear upper waist) I8 b1 (84. s 4qr 2 diameter) kg)t . (50cw ,mm in 8(the1 0 . 2 A . same, 8 t with1 bu 502 rearn 5o upper waist) 19 20 % in. (530 mm) diameter. G sharp. 1 cwt 3 qrs 23 Ib (99.3 kg) (the same, but with 5046 on rear upper waist) I5 b1 (121.r q 1 1) t diameter kg) . cw (56mm in 2 ,5 . (the% G .2 2 same, 0 t with2 bu rearn 512o 5 upper waist) I6 b 1 ) diameter (134.s . (59 mm qr 33 / in s3 2 2 t sharpF kg). 1 cw 2 , 2 .(the same, t withbu 502 rearn 8o upper waist) I6 b r (155.q 0 diameter) t 1. (62 mm cw kg) in 9 3 . % , F .(the 4 2 2 same, t withbu 502 rearn 9o upper waist) 23 26 in. (660 mm) diameter. E. 3 cwt 2 qrs 3 Ib (177.1 kg), (the same, but with 5030 on rear upper waist) I1 diameter) b2 (20 s . (68mm 0qr in 2 3 % kg) sharpt D .6 2 ,cw (above 3 . 4 2 inscription band:) 5031 GILLETT JOHNSTON& , CROYDON, 1934. (upper waist rear: monogram o/C.F.Jcircle);a in not . (waistfront.) (Arms of the city of Perth) /THE / GUILDRY / INCORPORATION / OF / PERTH I6 b s (231.qr 2 ) diametert 3 . (72kg)cw 1mm 8 Ain 2 4.4 . GILLET5 D .2 JOHNSTON& T , CROYDON, 1934. (upper waist front: monogram of C.F.J. not in a circle); (upper waist rear:) 5032 26 30 in. (762 mm) diameter. C sharp. 5 cwt 1 qr 2 Ib (267.6 kg), (the same, but with 5033 on rear upper waist) I0 b r (304.q 0 diameter) 7 t 2 38 1. (80 cw mm kg) 'Ain 06 . , C .(the same, t withbu 503 rearn 4o upper waist); (waist front; a last, crowned /SHOEMAKER /INCORPORATION / OF / PERTH CLOUSTON: THE BELLS OF PERTHSHIRE 527 28 33 in. (838 mm) diameter B. 6 cwt 3 qrs 6 Ib (345.6 kg), (the same as No 26, but with 5035 on rear upper waist) (waist front: an arm holding a hammer) HAMMERMAN / INCORPORATION / OF / PERTH . ) (871 Idiameterbin 2 r (377.3mm % q 4 1 3 sharpt 8A . 9 kg)cw 2 7 .. GILLET JOHNSTON& T , CROYDON. (monogram C.F.J.) (upper waist rear:) 5036 (waist front: shielda bearing paira of gloves, three stars above, and below GRACE AND PEACE / THE / GLOVER / INCORPORATION / OF / PERTH / 1934 I0 b1 (461.r q 0 . (92 ) diameter7t Vi6 in 3 kg)7cw mm 9 .0 . 3 GILLETA . JOHNSTONT& , CROYDON. (upper waist rear:) 5037 (waist front: monogram C.F.J. )/ PRESENTE D/ B Y / WALTE . LEERE , D.D . / .MINISTE ST / F RO JOHN'S CHURCH / .193 4 31 38 5/6 in. (973 mm) diameter. G sharp. 10 cwt 2 qrs 5 Ib (535.7 kg). GILLETT & JOHNSTON, CROYDON, 1934. (upper waist front: monogram C.F.J.) (upper waist rear:) 5038 (waist:) PROUN I D AND LOVING MEMOR/ F YO LIEUT. CLAUD NORIE-MILLER, R.A.S.C. / ELDEST SON OF FRANCIS NORIE-MILLER OF CLEEVE, / WHO WAS DROWNED BY SINKING OF THE TRANSPORT / TRANSYLVANIA, ON 4TH MAY, 1917. / DULCE ET DECORUM EST PRO PATRIA MORI. (lower waist front: incised) 31 Ib21 (631.qr 1 (102 'Ain.