St James 8: 6-1-1 in Bb
Grid Reference | 139/119788 | |
Postcode | B90 2BA | |
Affiliation | St Martin’s Guild | |
Peals | Felstead Database | |
Sunday | 0915-1000 | |
Practice | Thursday 1945-2115 |
History
The church was built in 1831 as a Chapel of Ease to Solihull, and equipped with one bell, cast by John Rudhall and weighing 1-3-9. The church became a parish church in its own right in 1843. In 1854 the existing bell was replaced by a ring of four bells, costing £209/5/9, after allowance for the old bell of £10 14s 3d. They augmented in an extended frame within the year to five at a total cost of £45/10/-.
The first peal on the bells, the only one rung on the ring of five, was rung in 1923:
The existing five bells were rehung in a new cast iron lowside frame, quarter turned and augmented to six by Taylors in 1929. The canons were also removed at this time. the first peal on the 6 was rung in 1931:
The frame was further extended when two new trebles were added in 1946-7, again by Taylors. The Taylor bells were all cast with flat tops. The rededication of the bells is reported in The Ringing World of 27th June 1947:
The first peal was rung soon afterwards:
The church, being unusual in that the tower is at the east end of the building, is on the main street in Shirley and there is a large public car park on the north side of the church.
Details of the Bells
Pre-retuning
1 John Taylor & Co, Loughborough 1946 3-0-02 22.625″ 1835.0Hz (Bb-26c)
2 John Taylor & Co, Loughborough 1946 3-1-20 23.625″ 1733.0Hz (A-27c)
3 John Taylor & Co, Loughborough 1929 3-3-01 25.00″ 1543.0Hz (G-28c)
4 C. & G. Mears, Whitechapel 1855 3-2-08 26.00″ 1374.0Hz (F-29c)
5 C. & G. Mears, Whitechapel 1854 4-1-17 4-0-21 28.125″ 1222.0Hz (Eb-32c)
6 C. & G. Mears, Whitechapel 1854 4-2-09 4-1-12 29.00″ 1155.0Hz (D-29c)
7 C. & G. Mears, Whitechapel 1854 5-0-24 4-3-25 31.00″ 1030.0Hz (C-28c)
8 C. & G. Mears, Whitechapel 1854 6-2-02 6-1-01 34.375″ 918.5Hz (Bb-26c)
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The Church – Looking to the Liturgical East | The Chancel and Sanctuary | The Church – Looking to the Liturgical West |