Willingale: Bells Ring Out This Christmas

“We are all ringing the church bells at Willingale for the first time this Christmas since World War II as we have just finished the restitution”, Chris Evans announced on the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show last Friday (21 December 7.29am).  This was a text message to the show by the dedicated group of local people at Willingale who had, during 2011/12, constructed a new mezzanine ringing floor, new bell frame, and increased the number of bells from four to six.  A new bell was cast at Whitechapel Bell Foundry in 2011, the other five – four from Willingale and a fifth from Prittlewell – were retuned.  The Dedication Service was on 27 May and the first showing of a video showing the work involved in construction, casting the bell, making bell-wheels and lifting all in position, was first shown at the end of October.  If there are any doubts that Britain does not make anything any more, watch this video.  ‘Willingale Bells: Made In Britain’.

The short film above was made on Sunday 23 December 2012, as bells rang out ahead of a Nine Lessons and Carols Service.  To hear the bells rung for the last time prior to the work go to http://blackmorehistory.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/willingale-bells-of-st-christopher.html

Willingale: The Bells of St Christopher

The bells of St Christopher’s, Willingale (traditionally Willingale Doe) rang out for the last time on 25 June 2011 ahead of a project to restore the tower and augment the number of bells from four to six. 

The church was open for visitors to ascend the bell tower by ladders to see the bells in the frame which will become redundant.

The existing four bells date from 1610 to 1797.  According to ‘Church Bells of Essex’ by Revd. Cecil Deedes (1909), a classic book on the topic, the bells in Willingale Doe are dated and inscribed as follows:

1.        Thomas Mears of London Felict 1797  [29 in.]

2.       Joh. French Henrie Pavit: Churchwarden IC Made Me 1634  [30½ in.]

3.       Thomas Bartlett mead this bell 1631 [33½ in.]

4.       Wilhelmus Carter me Fecit 1610 [35½ in.]

Bell dated 1797 - taken in tower prior to its removal

The oldest bell, made at the Whitechapel Foundry, dates from 1610 and comes from the brief career of William Carter (1609 -1616).  This makes this example particularly rare, although locally there were two others in neighbouring the neighbouring churches of High Ongar (1610) and Stapleford Tawney (1611).

Thomas Bartlett’s (founder, 1616 – 1631) bell of 1631 is one of only 18 examples, making it also a rare bell.

John Clifton (founder 1632 -40) made the bell bearing the churchwarden’s name.

To make up a new peal of six the village has acquired a “2^nd bell” from Prittlewell cast in the early twentieth century.

Bell from Prittlewell

The five bells (four from the tower plus the Prittlewell bell) left the village for Whitechapel Bell Foundry for retuning in early July.

Meanwhile a new bell will be cast at the Foundry to complete the ring of six.

A final bell from the bell tower was removed.  It is used for chiming only, and came from neighbouring Shellow Bowells, will be returned.

In the meantime work to construct a new bell frame will proceed.  This will be placed lower in the tower to place less strain on the structure and create a better sound out of the louvre windows.  The Victorian bell frame (1853) will remain in situ unused.  Ringing will in future be performed from a new mezzanine floor placed in front of the west window and in full view of the congregation.   The project is supported by a National Lottery Grant and funds raised locally and is expected to be completed in time for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Deedes’ book is subtitled “Their founders, inscriptions, traditions and uses”.  In 1909 the following notes were made about these bells:

“Death Knell 24 hours after death; tolling for one hour.  On Sundays bells chimed followed by tolling for last five minutes.  Ringing at 5am on Christmas Day and midnight on New Year’s Eve.  Gleaning Bell at 8am until about ten years ago”.

For more information on the project go to www.willingalebells.org

BLACKMORE HISTORY NEWS - July 2011

Welcome to this month’s round-up of local history and heritage in and around Blackmore, Essex.

St Christopher’s Church, Willingale. The Bells

The bells of St Christopher’s, Willingale (traditionally Willingale Doe) - see photograph - rang out for the last time on 25 June 2011 ahead of a project to restore the tower and augment the number of bells from four to six. The existing four bells – which date from 1610 to 1797 – with a “2^nd bell” cast in the early twentieth century from Prittlewell, left the village for Whitechapel Bell Foundry for retuning in early July. A fifth bell used for chiming only, which came from neighbouring Shellow Bowells, will be returned. A new bell will be cast to complete a ring of six. In the meantime work to construct a new bell frame will proceed. This will be placed lower in the tower to place less strain on the structure and create a better sound out of the louvre windows. The Victorian bell frame will remain in situ unused. Ringing will in future be performed from a new mezzanine floor placed in front of the west window and in full view of the congregation. The project is supported by a National Lottery Grant and funds raised locally and is expected to be completed in time for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. (More later this month)

St Andrew’s Church, Willingale

Villagers held an event at St Andrew’s Church, Willingale (traditionally Willingale Spain) on 11 June. The church is one of two in the same churchyard. Locals have started a Friends of St. Andrews Church group. A correspondent wrote, “The Churches Conservation Trust who owns one of the two churches we have in Willingale has just put a new roof on the chancel of St. Andrew's and we organised work parties to do a 'deep clean’. It took 14 of us the best part of 3 days!! It looks lovely now - and really cared for, so we decided it needed a Friends group to fund raise for CCT and one or two things to be done in the church”.

The ‘Tea and Tours event’ in St. Andrew's was a tremendous success. New displays for the church have been made and organisers busied themselves with preparing a tour script and baking the cakes!!!

Essex University Visit

The Annual General Meeting of the Essex Society for Archaeology and History was held on 18 June at Essex University. Members afterwards viewed the Albert Sloman Library which houses the large collection of books owned by the Society. Fascinating!

Bookshop

I enjoy looking around second-hand bookshops. One of my favourites is Castle Bookshop in Osborne Street, Colchester. On my most recent visit I picked up ‘Ingatestone and the Great Essex Road’ by E. E. Wilde (1913) at a very reasonable price.

King James Bible Celebrated

Churches across the county have been celebrating the 400tjh anniversary of publication of the Authorised Version of the Bible with marathon readings at Ingatestone and Brentwood, and a Flower Festival entitled ‘1611 and all that!” at Stapleford Tawney.

Garnham Descendants

Sharing local history and heritage is an objective of this site, so it was nice to meet a couple from the USA who had contacted blackmorehistory and were on holiday tracking down their family history through visits to local villages and the Essex Record Office’s extensive archives. They are descended from Frederick Garnham who was killed at the beginning of the First World War in the retreat from Mons. His story is told on www.blackmorehistory.co.uk .We spent a happy couple of hours comparing notes in Blackmore Tea Room.

Trooping of the Colour Flypast

The Battle of Britain Memorial flight and the Red Arrows came right over our house on their way to Buckingham Palace on 11 June.

Church Theft

Sadly there are those who thieve ancient items from churches, and disturb their structures. The internet is a great resource but is probably a showroom for these miscreants who steal things to order. I am always careful not to advertise some of the more moveable objects. A story I heard recently concerned a church in England – not in Essex – where in broad daylight workers turned up supposedly to repair the roof. They busied themselves for two days but it was only when a local historian wondered what was happening decided to contact the local minster to ask what work was being done that the truth was revealed. “Nothing”, the Reverend replied. The Police were called and turned up in the nick of time. The workers were almost ready to despatch their booty of lead.

Stondon Massey House

The long-time former Rectory at Stondon Massey, where the Reverends Reeve lived is up for sale. For more information on this Grade II listed property follow:

http://residentialsearch.savills.co.uk/content/assets/search/305927/HQBrochure . Offer price - £2,950,000: http://residentialsearch.savills.co.uk/property-detail/305927/list/property-for-sale/england/essex/chelmsford/cm99/0/0/1000000000/25.0/hi/gbp/2

Postcards

Our weekly sequence of Edwardian postcards is now complete except for those for Ingatestone and Fryerning. These will be placed on a web page on the main site sometime in the near future. Watch out for further information.

Links

For an extensive list of links to other sites go to: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/externallinks.html

Bells at Easter

When the Churches Conservation Trust celebrated its 40^th anniversary on 21 February 2009, I visited St Mary’s Church, Stansted, to hear a Quarter Peal ring out from its eight bells. (See http://blackmorehistory.blogspot.com/2009/03/blackmore-history-news-march-2009.html). The small town, as it is now, is outside the area of blog coverage, but I thought this short video appropriate for today.