There are six bells, the oldest is marked with the date 1635 and
the names of the churchwardens of the time, Walter Ham and Thomas
Lee. it is one of three cast by Penningtons, a well-known Exeter
foundry. The next oldest, dated 1671, is marked with the names
of Richard Lee and John Doun, churchwardens. The original treble
bell, weighing 14 hundredweight, has no date, but was also cast
by Penningtons. it is inscribed:
`When I call, come, follow all'
Number three bell was re-cast by Mears and Stanbank of London, in 1696. The original date is not known. it is inscribed with the name of Ellis Bartlett, churchwarden.
Number five bell was made by T. Wroth in 1747, and is inscribed with the names Jasper Collier and Able Brown.
A second treble was added in 1897, to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. It bears the name of the vicar, the Reverend R. Swansborough, and the wardens for that year, Henry Ford and John Ellis. The inscription reads:
`Glory to God, honour the Queen'
There are the remains of a carillon in the belfry, but nothing is known about its age or history.
The tower was strengthened at about the turn of the twentieth
century, by the insertion of steel tie rods. The external circular
iron washers can be seen at the belfry level. The bars tie all
faces of the tower together internally.
Drawings © 1996 Angela Lambert
© 1996 Ronald Branscombe branscombe@globalnet.co.uk
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This page last updated: 15 August 1996 09:55:52