History of the Bells

The Bell Tower & Ringing Room

Shortly after the building of the church in 1842, the Governors of the Free
Grammar School of King Edward VI in Stourbridge offered to lend the
parish a bell which was formally used in the school.
This offer was accepted by the Vicar and Churchwardens, and the bell hung
in Holy Trinity Church tower until 1859, when a dispute arose with the 
Governors concerning the bell and the parish was obliged to return it to the 
Grammar School. 
In the same year the question of installing a ring of eight bells was considered, 
nothing came of this but a single bell weighing about 11 cwt. (1232 lbs.) was
 purchased from
Charles and George Mears of the Whitechapel Bellfoundry, London.

This bell bore the following inscription:-

C. & G. Mears, Founders, London.
Spes tutissima in coelis. John William Grier, Incumbent,
Charles William Firmstone, William England, Churchwardens, 1859.
("Spes tutissima in coelis" would seem to mean "The surest hope is in heaven")

The bell gave service until early in 1966 when it was removed from the
tower in readiness for the installation of a new ring of eight bells given
to the church under the terms of the will of the late Miss Agnes Egan
of Wollaston.

For more information about Agnes Egan


The ring was cast by John Taylor & Co. of Loughborough, and the
inscription on each of the bells is as follows:-

'John Taylor & Co. Founders, Loughborough 1965'

Treble - weight 2 cwt. 1 qr. 4 lb. (256 lbs.)
'To the memory of Agnes Egan who gave this peal'

2nd - weight 2 cwt. 1 qr. 8 lb. (260 lbs.)
'To the memory of Orpah Egan'

3rd - weight 2 cwt. 3 qr. 1lb. (309 lbs.)
'To the memory of Christopher Turner'

4th - weight 3cwt. 17 lb. (353 lbs.)
'Remember Winston Churchill of the 20th Century'

5th - weight 3cwt. 1qr. 26 lb. (390 lbs.)
'Remember John F. Kennedy of the 20th Century'

6th - weight 3 cwt. 3 qr. 8 lb. (428 lbs.)
'Remember Pope John XXIII of the 20th Century'

7th - weight 5 cwt. 20 lb.  (580 lbs.)
'Lewis Mervyn Charles-Edwards Bishop of Worcester 1965'

Tenor - weight 7 cwt. 3lb. in 'B'  (787 lbs.)
'I to the church the living call and to the grave do summon all'

    Inscription on the Tenor Bell.

 
        The smallest (Treble) & largest (Tenor) bells. The Seventh bell with cast iron clapper ready to ring.   

 
        View from below the bell frame - Tenor & Fifth.      Showing how rope is attached to the wheel.           

  
          The Seventh bell at rest.      2nd showing wheel, headstock & stay.    Stay on 7th ready to start ringing.   

   
The path of the rope from the wheel to the ringing room below.

© Colin Hill 2009

Practice Night
Friday from 7.30 - 9.00 pm.

Evensong
Bells are not always rung on Sunday evenings to confirm
please ring Colin Hill on 01384-423270

To visit the website of the
Worcestershire & Districts Change Ringers Association

 

 To visit the website of the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers

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