The Current Ring
The current ring of 6 bells was installed by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough in 1899. They are mounted on plain bearings, sitting on iron "H" frames, mounted on steel beams. The Tenor is inscribed "+ Mary Isobel Viscountess Downe gave me A.D.M.G, John Taylor made me 1899 +". Bells 1 to 5 are inscribed "* John Taylor * Founder * Loughborough * 1899 * "
ADMG = Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (For the Greater Glory of God)
Mary Isobel, Viscountess Downe 1825 - 1900 (daughter of Rt. Rev. and Hon. Richard Bagot, lord bishop of Bath and Wells) was the wife of Syndey Leveson Lane 1831 - 1910. The couple who lived at The Manor House, were benefactors to the parish church and the stained glass widow in the South Aisle is dedicated to them.
Six new ropes were purchased in July 2014 from Ellis Ropes of Loughborough at a cost of £147.90 each (ex VAT). The green, gold and black sallies are spliced onto pre stretched polyester top ends. These new ropes were blessed by Fr John Hall on Sunday July 13th and attached to the bells shortly afterwards.
The following is a copy of an article published in the village magazine for October 2017.
Mary Isabel Viscountess Downe gave me A.D.M.G John Taylor made me 1899.
The six bells we now have at Great Addington were installed by John Taylor & Co. of Loughborough in 1899. On a recent visit to Loughborough I had the opportunity to look through Taylor’s records for some history of our bells. They were donated to the church by Viscountess Mary Isabel Downe (daughter of the Bishop of Bath and Wells ) who lived at Great Addington Manor. There is no record of her reasons for making this generous gesture, but we can guess…
A letter in Taylor’s archive written following a visit to Great Addington by Mr E D Taylor on January 24th 1899 reports …
“… that although the bells appear sound they are so very much out of tune with each other”…”the old bells are alas all rather too light for their notes” and “ … even the largest bell which appeared to be not so far out has one harmonic about half a note too sharp and another a quarter note too flat.”
Mr Taylor continues to say that the bells need to be recast in order to
“… endure a pure and true tone in each bell like each one of the Thrapston peal or like Raunds tenor."
In 1896 Taylors had perfected their five tone principle of bell tuning resulting not only in a significant improvement in the sound of a bell but also of a full set tuned to the same standards. The Thrapston bells were supplied by Taylor in 1897: Raunds tenor in 1898. It may be assumed therefore that these bells which could probably be heard from Great Addington in those days of little noise pollution were the Viscountess’s inspiration.
The original enquiry to Taylor was for five bells, but Mr Taylor stressed that “… the music of a ring of six is so much more melodious and varied than five …. your Ladyship would be pleased with this peal and would find it very sweet & musical.” Clearly a master salesman, this argument prevailed and an order was placed on January 26th 1899 for a ring of six bells at a cost of £307 9s 8d. (£307.48). Taylor’s bell hanger arrived at Cranford station on 31st January by the 8.29 train to remove the earlier four bells which were returned to the foundry to be melted down to provide some of the bell metal needed for the new six. The bells were installed before Easter - Easter Sunday 1899 fell on April 2nd.
with thanks to Taylor's Archive
See copies of documents from Taylor's archive by clicking the "DOWNLOAD" link at the foot of this page.
Earlier Bells.
Thomas North FSA – The Church Bells of Northamptonshire – printed 1878 by Samuel Clarke of Leicester refers to Great Addington on pages 97 and 175
Page 175, refers to four bells.
1st and 2nd recast in 1807 from “broken” bells by R. Taylor of St Neots and rehung Jan 1st 1808. Diameters 28" & 29". (quote from Parish Register Book). Both bearing inscriptions including names of W Allen and T Colson – Churchwardens.
3rd dated 1605 . Bellfounder Tobias (Tobie) Norris I of Stamford. Diameter 30"
MVLTI VOCATA PAVCI ELECTI SETH PAVE WILLIAM FOE 1605
4th dated 1630. Diameter 34"
GOD SAVE THE KING 1630.
A quote from the Parish Register of 1808 .....
A bell — the 3rd — is rung daily at 1 p.m. At the Death-knell four tolls are given for a male, three for a female, on all the bells. On Sunday the 1st bell is rung at 8 a.m., and again at the close of Morning Service. For Divine Service the bells are chimed, after which the 1st is tolled for 5 minutes.