The Church Bells of Worcestershire by H. B. Walters File 04: Part IV: Alphabetical List, Madresfield to Rushock (Pages 167 to 204) This document is provided for you by The Whiting Society of Ringers visit www.whitingsociety.org.uk for the full range of publications and articles about bells and change ringing 167 THE CHURCH BELLS OF WORCESTERSHIRE. BY H. B. wALTERS. PART IV (MADRESFIELD-RUSHOCK) MADRESFIELD. St. Mary. Six bells. l. CAELI ENARRANT GLORIAM DEI 2. FIRMAMENTUM OPERA MANUUM EJUS AN- NUNCIAT 3. SONUS IN OMNEM TERRAM EXIVIT 4. AVE MARIA GRACIA PLENA DOMINUS TECUM 5. A VE MARIA BENEDICTA TU IN MULIERIBUS 6. BENEDICTAU FRUCTUS VENTRIS TUl JESUS On the waist of each :-TAYLOR AND 0° LOUGHBOROUGH 1867 All inscriptions in Gothic capitals ; note incorrect spelling of BENEDICTUM. Formerly one bell only, inscribed COME AT MY CALL AND SERVE GOD ALL A R 1752 The inscriptions on the present ring were probably selected by the late Lord Beauchamp. 1552 : ' ij title bells in the steple . a title lyche bell.' 1740: 3 Bells. V .C.H. Worcs. iv. p. 122. H.T.T., 1881. At Clevelode in this parish there was formerly a chapel, which in 1552 had 'j lytle bell.' MALVERN GREAT. St. Mary (Priory Church). 8+2 bells. 1. On waist, Taylor's medallion. 2. PROSPERITY TO ALL OVR BENEFACTORS (ornament) A R (bell) 1707 · 3. GOD SAVE THE QVEEN & CHVRCH A R (bell) 1706 (scroll) . Below, arabesque.• all round. 4. RICHARD LEETH & EDMVND GIFFORD CHVRCHWARDENS 1707 5 . .J : TAVLOR AND Co FOUNDERS LOUGHBOROUGH 1887 . .JUBILAT ANGLIA LUSTRA VICTORIA PERAGIT AUREA SIT DEO GLORIA 6. +I H (stop) EH (stop) 1611 (stop) 7. +AN (stop) SAVEG (stop) IOHN (stop) SAVEG (stop) IH (stop) EH 1611 (Fig. 158) 168 8. On waist (a) Taylor's medallion and IN DEl GLORIAM (b) VOX MALVERNIAE IUBILANTIS DILECTISSIMAM PROPTER REQINAM MDCCCLXXXVII. S. No in.scription. Service Bell + VIRGINIS § EGREGIE § VOCOR § CAMPANA § MARIE (Fig. 159). 2.3.4. and service bell have cabled cannons. 6th and 7th by the same founder as Bransford 2nd, with quatrefoil stop. N and S reversed on 7th. Service bell (formerly the 4th) by John of Gloucester c. 1340-1350. Sanctus bell probably of no great antiquity. I have however a note from some un­ known source that it is mediaeval and has a triple beading round the shoulder resembling an ancient bell at Woolhope, Herefordshire. Down to 1887 there were only six bells. When the ring was restored in commemoration of the Jubilee the old 4th was taken out of the ring to ensure its preservation, and is now only used for tolling for services. The new 5th takes its place, and the treble and tenor were added to make eight. The clappers of the old bells are kept in the church. Tenor weighs 21 cwt., the 7th bell19 cwt. See Church Bells, 8 July 1887. Sir John Savage was the eldest son of William Savage of Elmley Castle (q.v.) who inherited the estate in 1616 and died in 1623. 1552 : ' MocHE MALVERNE. iiij bellss in the steple a saunce bell a lytle sacrynge bell.' 1740 : ' 6 Bells.' Prattinton has a note from Cole's MSS., dated 1746: - "The Tower . has Bells remaining in it; 3 others, as I was informed by the Clark, were sold some 50 or 60 years ago to St. Mary Overy's Church in London." (see Brit. Mus. Add. MSS., 5811, p. 119). Stahlschmidt in his Surrey Bells, under St. Saviour's, Southwark, makes no reference to this trans­ action, of which there is apparently no other record. The Southwark bells date from 1735, so those referred to must have been then recast. V.O.H. Wares., iv. p. 131. H.B.W., 1905. MALVERN, GREAT. Christ Church. Two bells. Church built 1875. ~Al/1~2/\VEG ss IOHVI~2J\VEG ~ IH ~ · EH t6It Fig 158. GREA'l' MALVERN 7th. EE]VIR&IltiS [1]6<9REI0I6~ V 0 a 0 R rn a SI ffi. PSI n. fl m ill 5I RI 6-liJ Fig. 159. GREAT MALVER~ Serviet' Udl. [±] jt V a \IDffi. fl It I ~ ~ G 11 jJ . G I ji ~ P lr 6 R ~ ~o · 0 m I R S ~ T El 0 A ffi ~ Fig. lGO. LITTLE. MALVERN. li]GOD~SAVE !ilKINGEii!IAMES~ ftl1617[il l!~lg. 161. MARTIN HUSSINGTREE 2nd. 170 MALVERN LINK. St. Matthias. Eight bells. Church built 1881 (tower 1899); eight bells put up in 1901 by Taylor of Loughborough (tenor 16! cwt.) Parish formed from Leigh. MALVERN, NORm. Holy Trinity. Church built 1869. MALVERN WELLS. St. Peter. 4 hemispherical bells. Church built 1836 ; parish formed from Hanley Castle. Originally one bell, cast by Mears at Gloucester in 1836 ; four hemispherical bells by Mears & Stainbank were given by local residents to replace it in 1912. MALVERN WEST. St. James. Two bells. Church built 1841. MALVERN, LITnE. St. Giles. One bell. l. +AVE : MARIA : GRACIA : PLENA : DOMINS TECAM (Fig. 160). By the same founder as the service bell at Great Malvern, probably John of Gloucester, c. 1350. NS of DOMINVS with contraction-mark; V of TECVM inverted. There is no present means of access to the bell except by a ladder to the roof of the church and another hauled up from below into the lower stage of the tower. The bell was visited by Mr. L. B. Clarence many years ago, and Mr. A. D. Tyssen also had a rubbing (reproduced in Fig. 160) which is now at the Society of Antiquaries. Mr. Clarence also notes that the cross is plain, and the lettering larger than at Great Malvern; Mr. Tyssen gives the R of GRACIA as inverted. 1552 : 'ij small bells whereof on is not our own.' 1740: '1 bell.' It would be interesting to know which of the 'ij small bells' has been preserved. V.C.H. Worcs. iii, p. 453, where it is stated that after the suppression of the Priory the parishioners made suit to the King for the five bells which served for the parish and the monastery, and were worth £45 Os. 6£d. (Reg. G. Giffard, 165 in Worcs. Hist. Soc. Series) Hence a local tradition that there were once five and that four were removed by Thomas Crom­ well. 171 MAMBLE. St. John Baptist. 3+1 bells. 1. 1634. 2. Heads of King and Queen (see Fig. 10) each repeated twice. W. BLEWS & SONS BIRMM 1874 BE SOBER BE VIGILANT (All in Gothic lettering) 3. + SANCTA MARGARETA ORA PRO NOBIS. S. IH C W 1656 (narrow border Fig. 70). 1st by R. Oldfield; cf. Dormstone (Fig. 85) for date-figures; also Caynham, Salop. 2nd : The predecessor of this bell was like the present 3rd but dedicated to St. Anna. The Royal Heads of King and Queen are copies of the old stamps. 3rd : Same type as Acton Beauchamp, etc. (Fig. 4) ; cross Fig. 83 ; initial capitals crowned. S. By John Martin. 1740: '5 Bells.' V.C.H. Wares. iv. p. 289. H.B.W., 1901. MARTIN HUSSINGTREE. St. Nicholas or St. Michael. Two bells. 1. RICHARD 0 WALLING 0 CHURCH 0 WARDEN 0 1725 0 Below, scroll border all round (Fig. 174) 2. GOD SAVE KINGE lAMES 1617 T W (jleur-de-lys stop throughout) (See Fig. 161) 1st by Joseph Smith ; coins of George I . 2nd ; the lettering appears to be a reduced version of that used by Henry Farmer (cf. Broadway etc.) The initials T.W. occur on the 2nd at Westcote, Gloucs., dated in this year with similar lettering, so possibly T.W. was his foreman or temporary assistant. Cf. also Cookhill Priory (s.v. Ink­ berrow). 1740: ' 2 Bells.' V.C.H. Wares. iv. p. 138. H.B.W., 1900. Thanks to Rev. F . 0. Gascoigne, formerly Rector. MARTI..EY. St. Peter. 6+1 bells. 1. 1673. 2. 16L3. 3. 1673. 4. 1673. 172 5. RICH KEENE CAST THIS RINGE 1673 (Fig.l62). 6. WILLIAM BROWNING IOHN GYLES C W 1673. (weight 14 cwt. note E S lOS : BRACE : ' THO : ANDREWS : CHVRCHWARDENS. 1721 (scroll) B : GREEN FECIT (scroll) These bells were traditionally cast in a field near the church; they are a maiden ring in perfect condition. The sanctus bell is by an otherwise unknown founder, who may be a descendant of the 17th century Greenes of Worcester. See Fig. 163. On the 2nd the 7 of the date is inverted ; on the 5th the N of KEENE is reversed. 1740: '5 Bells.' V.C.H. Wares. iv. p. 295. The Rev. J. F. Hastings wrote (8 Oct. 1900) : ' Our Church Bells at Martley are in some ways a unique peal. All cast by Keene of Woodstock in 1673 and none ever broken or cracked. They are six, tenor 14 cwt. in E, a beautiful bell.' H.B.W., 1921, and many thanks to Rev. J. F. Hastings. MATRON. St. John Baptist. 6+1 bells. 1. PEACE & GOOD NEIGHBOURHOOD (bell) 1760 (scrolls) 2. GLORY TO GOD (bell) 1760 (scrolls) 3. FEAR GOD HONOUR THE KING (bell) 1760 (scrolls 4. GOD PRESERVE OUR CHURCH & STATE 1760 (scrolls) 5. PROSPERITY TO THE TOWN (bell) 1760 scrolls) 6. THE LIVING TO THE CHURCH I CALL & TO THE GRAVE I SVMMON ALL : 1760 : S. WILLIAM THOMAS HVGH BVLLOCK 1675 Below, Fig. 68. (c 15 in.) No cannons to treble and tenor; 4th has cabled cannons. Note the variation in the usual formula on the tenor ; also Rudhall's curious anonymity. Abel Rudhall died this year, and possibly the bells were cast by an assistant in the period before Thomas took over the business. Sanctus bell by John Martin (small lettering); hung above the rest and awkward to reach.