Grid Reference:-
139/073866
Postcode:
B5 4BW
Bell Audio:-
None Available
Guild Affiliation:-
St Martin's Guild
Peals Rung Here:-
Felstead
Database
Sunday Ringing:-
1010 - 1100
Practice Night:-
Tuesday
(1st and 3rd)
Guild Practice - 2nd
History Of The Bells
This is the church in the famous Bull Ring - recently developed with the Debenhams Building almost dominating to the left of the photograph. The church itself has undergone much restoration over the centuries, the tower gaining its current apprearance in 1853-55 and the church in 1873-5 when, apart from the tower, it was largely rebuilt. Entrance for ringers is from the west door. The ringers in the centre of Birmingham have a justified reputation for the good quality of their ringing.
The tower now contains the first ever ring of 16 bells, cast between 1988 and 1991, but has a much longer history. In 1552 there were "iij bells". By 1682 there was a ring of 6, probably cast by Henry Bagley, with a tenor of 17-3-9, augmented to 8 in 1702. These were in turn replaced by a ring of 10, tenor 35-0-8, by Lester and Pack of Whitechapel. The fourth and ninth required recasting in 1769, also carried out by the Whitechapel foundry. They then added two trebles in 1771/2 to make St Martin's only the 7th ring of 12 in existence. The 9th was recast in 1790 again the work was done by the Whitechapel foundry.
The bells were rehung in 1825 by Charles Oliver (Snr) of Whitechapel, but not entirely successfully. Further work was necessary in 1844 and again in 1858. In 1870 Blews recast the 4th and 5th and rehung the bells in a new wooden frame, four above eight. This was more longer lasting and, with strengthening, survived until the 1991 replacement ring was installed. Further work on the fittings was carried out in 1886 and 1902 and the second bell was recast by Barwells in 1913.
In 1928 the whole ring was recast by Whitechapel. The tenors were replace the following year, though still dated 1928. A flat 6th was added in 1954, cast in 1953 by Whitechapel and weighing 7-3-12, though not rung until 1955 and the 9th was recast by Taylors in 1975, at 16-3-5 and 45" as there were plans to remodel the ring into a lighter 12 and this bell would become the 10th of the new ring. This scheme was never enacted. These bells were removed in 1991 and installed at Escrick, Yorkshire and the 16 installed.
Bells 3, 4, 8, 12 & 14 are hung above the rest of the bells in a two tier frame.
(Most of the above information is quoted directly (with permission) from the research notes of Chris Pickford)
Details Of The Bells
1 Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London 1991 5-3-22 24.875" 2363.0Hz (D+10c) 2 Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London 1991 5-3-09 25.44" 2104.0Hz (C+9c) 3 Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London 1991 5-3-05 26.00" 1989.0Hz (B+12c) 4 Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London 1991 6-1-11 27.50" 1768.0Hz (A+8c) 5 Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London 1990 6-1-21 28.50" 1573.5Hz (G+6c) 6 Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London 1990 7-1-09 30.25" 1401.0Hz (F+5c) 7 Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London 1990 7-1-11 30.75" 1322.0Hz (E+5c) 8 Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London 1991 8-1-01 32.44" 1175.5Hz (D+1c) 9 Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London 1990 8-2-23 33.81" 1048.0Hz (C+2c) 10 Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London 1989 8-3-20 34.94" 990.0Hz (B+4c) 11 Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London 1991 10-1-01 37.06" 882.0Hz (A+4c) 12 Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London 1990 12-3-07 40.54" 787.5Hz (G+8c) 13 Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London 1991 17-2-01 45.06" 701.5Hz (F+8c) 14 Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London 1990 20-0-26 47.625" 659.5Hz (E+1c) 15 Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London 1990 28-3-03 53.56" 589.5Hz (D+6c) 16 Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London 1990 39-1-19 59.94" 523.0Hz (C-1c)
Details Of The Whitechapel 12
1 Mears & Stainbank, London 1928 7-0-17 29.625" 2 Mears & Stainbank, London 1928 7-0-00 30.00" 3 Mears & Stainbank, London 1928 7-0-18 30.875" 4 Mears & Stainbank, London 1928 6-3-15 31.875" 5 Mears & Stainbank, London 1928 7-2-16 32.875" 6 Mears & Stainbank, London 1928 7-2-17 33.75" 7 Mears & Stainbank, London 1928 8-1-06 35.875" 8 Mears & Stainbank, London 1928 11-1-11 39.50" 9 Mears & Stainbank, London 1928 13-0-19 42.625" 10 Mears & Stainbank, London 1928 18-2-09 46.25" 11 Mears & Stainbank, London 1928 26-1-07 52.25" 12 Mears & Stainbank, London 1928 36-3-26 59.00"
Photo Gallery
None Available