The Bells

The Bells at St John's
History of the Bells

St John's has two bells. 
The smallest  is 27 1/8 inches in diameter and rings D sharp.
The larger of the two is 29 3/8 inches in diameter and rings C sharp.
The treble was cast by John Martin II of Worcester in 1676 and the tenor by Abel Rudhall of Gloucester in 1745.

The bells came from the St Michael's, North Piddle. When St Michael's was rebuilt their new belfry was not large enough for the bells and so they were gifted to St John's.

When the Bells Ring...

The church clock with 3 cast iron faces was installed 60 feet up in 1891. The clock mechanism is marked J. Smith & Sons, Midland Steam Clock Works, Derby. The clock strikes the hour throughout the days 24 hours. 

The bells are rung for the Angelus before Morning and Evening prayer, which consists of 3 lots of 3, followed by 9 rings, each of which is accompanied by a prayer invoking the intercession of the Blessed Virgin.

The bells are also rung 33 times, to mark the years of Our Lords life, ten minutes before the start of Mass to call people to the Altar.

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