Bells of Chorley Parish Church

The 1896 Recasting

For some reason the rehanging of the bells in 1883 was quickly felt to be unsatisfactory and just over a decade later the decision was taken to recast the whole set and enlarge the ring from six to eight bells. It is not impossible that the decision was prompted by the fact that nearby St Mary's Roman Catholic Church installed a ring of eight bells in 1894!

In 1896 the bells were removed from the Tower and transported to John Warner bellfounder in London. There they were broken up and recast with additional metal, into a ring of eight. While they were away the Tower was altered to receive them. The bell chamber ifself was enlarged to take the extra bells. This involved blocking off the spiral staircase at the top to fit in the enlarged bell frame, hence the present awkward access via the clock chamber. At the same time a floor was put in to create a ringing chamber so that the ringers no longer rang from the West porch.

The new ring of bells was returned to Chorley in early 1897. The accompanying photograph shows them, with the Rector, Canon Alfred Stotwell, and the then ringers.

Three of the new bells bore the 1763 inscriptions, and bell number 7 bore the inscription recording the casting:

SIX BELLS HUNG THREE IN 1763 ONE IN 1832; ONE IN 1860; ONE DATE UNKNOWN WERE REMOVED RECAST AND REHUNG WITH TWO ADDITIONAL ONES DECEMBER 1896

T.ALFRED STOWELL                   RECTOR

HENRY RAWCLIFFE

WILLIAM BAMBER                        WARDENS

The weights, sizes and notes of the eight bells were as follows:

A framed notice now in the ringing chamber records that they were first rung for Divine Service on Wednesday March 10th 1897.

The 1896 recasting casting does not however, seem to have been altogether successful. Dissatisfaction was felt with the bells, and in 1955 a report on them was commissioned from John Taylor and Co Bellfounders of Loughborough (Warners, who cast the bells, having gone our of business). The report revealed quite a lot of deterioration in the various fittings - gudgeons bearings, pulleys, rollers and wheels. Concerning the bells themselves the report concluded:

"We believe that it is generally recognised that the tonal quality of the peal is far below the standard to be worthy of your Parish Church and we therefore venture to suggest that consideration be given to having the bells recast into a rich and musically toned peal."

The price quoted for recasting was £450!

Parish finances at the time did not permit a recasting, and instead the bells were 'quarter turned', ie turned through ninety degrees so that the clapper would strike in a different place. At that same time the Elmwood headstocks were replaced by metal ones and improvement work carried out on the fittings.

This involved removing the bells from the Tower and transporting them to Loughborough. The accompanying photograph shows the ringers with the bells on their return in 1956.

The cost of the work was £470 and the order of service for the rededication records that it was made possible through the generosity of the late Miss Susan Eliza Morris on Sunday 16th February 1956 and was conducted by the Venerable CH Lambert, Archdeacon of Blackburn and the Wardens Jim Bowling and Frederick Leaver.

1956 Bell Ringers - from left

D. McCluskey, K. Bonehill, T. McCluskey, Mrs. A. Rigby, G. Wilson, JH. Gartside, A. Rigby, J. Kerfoot, A. McCluskey, G. Ashton, K. Morris.

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