St Michael's
Stoney Stanton
Notices
Bells, Tower and Clocks!
| The tower of St. Michael’s is probably the earliest existing part of the building, described by Pevsner as ‘Perpendicular’ in style. This would indicate that it may well have been built in the early part of the 13th century, from stone quarried locally. The dressed stone spire would have been added later, during the 14th century. Contained within the tower, above the ground-floor ringing- room is first a clock chamber, and then, on a higher level, the belfry, where the ring of eight is housed in a two-tier frame. Four louvered widows allow the sound of the bells to reach all corners of the village. From there, an ancient wooden ladder leads to a doorway giving access to the walkway at the battlemented base of the spire, which is surmounted by a gilded weather-cock. |
|
Prior to 1842, the tower contained a ring of only three bells. The ‘treble’ (or lightest bell) was recast from an even earlier bell by ‘Mr.Eayre of Kettering’ the founder, in 1744. The oldest bell, the second, dated 1609 was cast by Thomas Newcombe the Leicester bellfounder, and curiously, the ‘tenor’ or heaviest bell, dated 1625, bears the same inscription and great similarity to an ancient bell now hanging in the village church of Shearsby, some miles to the East.
Hugh Watts cast almost 200 bells for churches in Leicestershire. Both he and his father Francis used ‘handsome Gothic capitals’ for texts, although Hugh generally used a rather clumsier Roman capital letter
| Hugh frequently used this Latin text ‘IH’S: Nazarenvs: rex: Ivdeorvm: Fili: Dei: Miserere: Mei’ So popular was it, in fact, that these bells became known as ‘Watts’ Nazarenes’. Thomas North says that there are ninety examples of bells bearing this inscription in Leicestershire, including two still hanging in St Mary’s Broughton Astley. |
|
The founders had removed all three earlier bells, considering them redundant when the splendid new ‘ring’ of six bells was installed by Taylor’s of Loughborough in 1842. The trials and tribulations of keeping the earlier three bells in decent order are well documented in the 18th century churchwardens’ accounts!
 |
St.Michael’s has always prided itself on maintaining decent ringing for Sunday Service, the ebb and flow of ringers notwithstanding,and so in 1898 two further bells - a new treble and tenor - were added and an iron frame provided to complete a full octave, with the tenor bell weighing in excess of 14 cwt. (721 kg ). This latter was inscribed ‘to the memory of Rev’d John Bold : 1751’ In order for the ‘octave‘ to be accurately tuned, in the key of F#, the fifth bell had to be re-cast. |
Seventy years later, in 1968, three of the bells, the second, third and fourth were recast and the whole ring of bells re-hung on modern sealed bearings. Taylor’s of Loughborough again carried out the work at a total cost of £1060. The local band of ringers set to, and raised the bulk of the money required, assisted by a grant of £250 from the Barron Bell Trust.
| Although ‘full’ peal-ringing (up to three hours in length) now takes place very seldom in the tower, due to the proximity of shops and residential accommodation, there have been some notable peals rung on St.Michael’s bells. Of special note is the peal of 12,896 Cambridge Surprise Major rung on 28th April 1923 in 7 hours 35 minutes by a Midland Counties band, which is rcorded on a peal-board in the ringing-room. |
|
|
The eighteenth century Churchwardens’ accounts tell us that from as early as 1715, a turret clock existed within the tower, which daily, within living memory, struck the hour upon the tenor bell. |
It was believed to have been made by William Davis of Croft. Sadly it fell into disrepair between the two world wars. It appeared to have no external face, although an account dated 1719 refers to a payment to a painter for ‘drawing ye dial for ye clock’. Perhaps there is more than a small element of truth in the village tradition that the ‘dial’ was stolen by people from a neighbouring village for their own church tower? We shall never know!
| In 1974 a public subscription raised the funds for a the installation of a modern electric clock mechanism in memory of Dr. Mortiboys, a much respected village G.P. and churchwarden, and a clock face was at last fitted to the south wall of the tower, later being illuminated. |
|
|
 |
During the June of 1994, the old turret clock was finally removed from the tower and meticulously restored to working condition, by Richard Halsall, a local clock builder. It can now be seen in the South West corner of the church, close to the Parish Chest, a working exhibit almost three hundred years old, contained within some of its original case-work. A full documentary and photographic record of the entire process of restoration, as well as a history of the clock, is available to view near to the clock itself. |
The year 2001, saw the realisation of a long cherished dream, the installation of a screen between the ringing-room and the rest of the church. A generous donation provided the impetus for the project, the remainder of the cost being supplied by fundraising within the church. The ringers contributed the finishing touches of new carpeting, wooden ringers’ boxes and other woodwork. The new screen has folding doors, for ease of movement should any future work be needed on the bells. The re-hanging, and re-casting of 1968 had thrown up a particular problem. When the bells were newly augmented in 1898, the workmen had so carefully sealed the bells into the belfry, that the trapdoor allowing access proved too small for the bells to be removed. A considerable bill had to be paid in 1968 for the enlargement of the access in order that they could be lowered to the ground floor!
Bell Details
Pre 1842 the ring consisted of three bells:
1. Treble – Re-cast 1744 by Mr. Eayre of Kettering
2. 2nd – Cast by Thomas Newcombe Leics. 1609
3. Tenor – Inscribed I.H’S. Nazarenvs Rex Judeorum Fili Die. Miserere mei 1625 (Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews. O Son of God have mercy on me)
Hugh Watts cast almost 200 bells for churches in Leicestershire. Both he and his father Francis used ‘handsome Gothic capitals’ for texts, although Hugh generally used a rather clumsier Roman capital letter
In 1842 a new ring of 6 bells were added to the tower. As far as is known, the old bells were not incorporated into the new ring either as bells or metal.
1. Treble – inscribed – JOHN SANKEY RECTOR, HENERY TOWNSHEND ESQR. C.W.JOHN ORTON, W. ORTON, JAMES ORTON, C. ORTON, G.ORTON, J.PEGG, T.HIGGINSON (Each subscribed #10 towards the cost)
2. 2nd – inscribed – OMNIA FIANT AD GLORIAM DEI 1842 J. TAYLOR FECIT.
3. 3rd – inscribed – OMNIA FIANT AD GLORIAM DEI 1842
4. 4th – inscribed – J.TAYLOR FECIT 1842
5. 5th – inscribed – J.TAYLOR (PILGRIM) BELLFOUNDER 1842
6. 6th – inscribed – J. TAYLOR BELLFOUNDER 1842. JEHOVAH JIREH.
| In 1898 the ring was brought up to eight with the addition of two new bells, a tenor and treble. Also the bells were re-hung on a new iron ‘Taylor ‘H’ Frame’ which replaced the old timbers. The new frame incorporated a cat bracket and hammer for he clock to strike the new tenor bell. |
|
 |
New Treble showing the date the bell was cast - 1898 |
New Treble – inscribed – Reverend A.E.Disney (rector) T.B.Church, T. Pridmore (churchwardens)
New Tenor – inscribed – IN MEMORY OF THE REV. JOHN BOLD OF 1751. WOE IS UNTO ME IF I PREACH NOT THE GOSPEL
Bell |
Date |
Cwts |
Qtrs |
Lbs |
Kg |
Treble |
1896 |
4 |
0 |
21 |
213 |
2 |
1842 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
216 |
3 |
1842 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
229 |
4 |
1842 |
4 |
3 |
9 |
246 |
5 |
1842 |
6 |
2 |
0 |
331 |
6 |
1842 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
356 |
7 |
1842 |
9 |
0 |
0 |
458 |
Tenor |
1898 |
14 |
0 |
0 |
721 |
Tower captain : John Vernon (01455) 274342