Oxford Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers- Historical Information

Established January 17 1881

All Saints, Faringdon

There are several memorials in the Unton chapel:

Memorials. ©KMC 20 Sep 2003

Marble effigy. ©KMC 20 Sep 2003

The Bells

The following information was taken from documents in the ringing chamber:

In 1926 the entire ring of 8 was recast by Taylors of Loughborough without canons; hung to cast iron headstocks, fitted with steel gudgeons and self-aligning ball-bearings. At the same time a new cast iron side frame mounted on a double set of rolled steel joists was installed. The Bells have “Hastings” type stays, traditional-type wheels, new chiming hammers and other fittings.
During the 1926 restoration a broken cannon ball was found in the tower wall. It is preserved in a glass case on the west wall of the south aisle and inscribed: “This broken cannon ball was found in one of the walls of the belfry, when the Tower was being cleared for the re-hanging of the recast ring of bells in the year 1926. It was no doubt one of the cannon balls fired by Cromwell’s Troops in 1646, when the South Aisle of the Church was demolished in the bombardment and the spire said to have been shot off. The oak of the glass case was part of the timber of the old bell frame.”

The disused Sanctus bell now stands on the ground floor near the pulpit. Cast at the Aldbourne Foundry about 1800 it bears the inscription “JAMES WELLS FECIT” and is fitted with an elm headstock and a three quarter wheel of an unusual design.

©KMC 20 Sep 2003

The Clock

In the ringing chamber is a clock by Messrs. Smith and Sons of Derby and a modern carillon machine which plays a hymn tune on the bells every three hours, commencing at 6.00 am and finishing at 9.00 pm. The mechanism must be wound daily.

Jon Chamberlain, elected Master of the ODG in 2005, is holding the ladder and talking to one of the identical twins named Leslie who both ring in the Vale of the White Horse Branch.
©KMC 20 Sep 2003

A ring of 8; tenor 17-1-7 tuned to E

bell	weight cwt-qr-lb	diameter (inches)	strike note	date cast	founder	foundry location	inscription
Treble	4-1-17	27	E	1926	John Taylor & Co.	Loughborough	MEARS & STAINBANK, FOUNDERS, LONDON 1874 (T) RECAST 1926
2	4-2-24	28	D^#	1926	John Taylor & Co.	Loughborough	MEARS & STAINBANK, FOUNDERS, LONDON 1874 (T) RECAST 1926
3	5-2-23	30½	C^#	1926	John Taylor & Co.	Loughborough	WILLIAM BUNS & JOHN LING Church Wardens WILL & ROB COR 1708 (T) RECAST 1926
4	6-2-26	32½	B	1926	John Taylor & Co.	Loughborough	GOD BLESS THE QUEEN (T) RECAST 1926
5	7-2-7	35¼	A	1926	John Taylor & Co.	Loughborough	(T) RECAST 1926
6	9-1-15	37¼	G^#	1926	John Taylor & Co.	Loughborough	MEARS & STAINBANK, FOUNDERS, LONDON 1874 (T) RECAST 1926 MISS YOUNG MISS JESSIE YOUNG MISS MARY YOUNG
7	13-0-1	41	F^#	1926	John Taylor & Co.	Loughborough	(T) RECAST 1926 COL. and MRS. WARD BENNET RT HON. LORD BERNERS THOMAS COTGRAVE & EDND WILSON Church Wardens: JAMES WELIS ALDBOURNE FECIT 1803
Tenor	17-1-7	46	E	1926	John Taylor & Co.	Loughborough	(T) RECAST 1926 W.M. CAREY WARD VICAR R.J.CA DEL R. HUGHES CHURCH WARDENS COCK & HENERY NEWMAN: Churchwardens: R: WELIS ALDBOURNE FECIT MDCCLXXXIIII

Notes:

(T) is Taylors Founders mark
The bell diameters were supplied by Andrew Bull

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