Shirley

St James 8: 6-1-1 in Bb

Grid Reference 139/119788 Shirley. Source: Mike Chester
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:

Shirley First Peal

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:

Shirley First Peal 6

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:

Shirley RW 1947

The first peal was rung soon afterwards:

Shirley First Peal 8

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)

Photo Gallery

Shirley East. Source: Mike Chester Shirley Chancel. Source: Mike Chester Shirley West. Source: Mike Chester
The Church – Looking to the Liturgical East The Chancel and Sanctuary The Church – Looking to the Liturgical West