Bells

The first known reference to the bells appears in the report of Bishop Bowers’ Visitation of 1724, where it is stated that Seaford church then possessed “five bells new cast”. Old tradition ascribes the peal to John Waylett, the well-known itinerant Sussex bell founder of the early eighteenth century, who was responsible for some forty bells in the county. As Waylett is known to have worked from Lewes as a centre in 1724, repairing and supplying bells for many of the outlying villages, including Laughton, East Hoathly and Southover, it is probable that an existing peal of five bells at Seaford was actually “new cast” by him in that year.

In 1807, subscriptions for recasting the five old bells and increasing the peal to eight, were invited by Mr. John Gatland, who with William Nicholas as colleague, was Churchwarden from that year until his death in 1813. Gatland appears to have been an enthusiast and himself gave 100 guineas to the fund. Joint subscriptions amounting to £109. 16s. 3d. were secured from John Leach, then one of the Members of Parliament for Seaford, and from Charles Rose Ellis, who joined him as second Member for the Borough in 1812. Other contributions made up a total of £263. 6s. 3d. of which £53 10s. 0d. was earmarked for rehanging the peal.

The order, to Mears of Whitechapel, was duly placed by the Vicar, the Rev. T. Evans, and the two churchwardens and, on the 11June 1811, the new bells arrived from London, drawn by teams of horses belonging to Mr Gatland and John Leach, both bells and horses being “splendidly decorated with may blossom, evergreens etc”. The total weight of the peal was 55cwt, and of the tenor, which bore the inscription “John Gatland and William Nicholas 1811”, 11cwt. 3qrs. 11lbs.

On the following Monday, reports the Sussex Weekly Advertiser for 17 June, 18II, “the Brighton Company of Ringers attended at Seaford to give the opening peal. They commenced their operations with a Grandsire Triple of 5,040 changes and would have completed the same in three hours but for the failure of one, whose ability deserted him at the end of 4440. The most experienced ringers give the bells the reputation of being very musical but, to give full effect to their their harmony, we find it is necessary that the belfry should undergo some alterations”. The report concludes with the disparaging remark (which was to be falsified) “there being no expert ringers at Seaford, it will be some years before they can form a society to ring even a round peal well upon their eight bells”.

On the 27th of December, 1811, the Society of Uckfield, Waldron and Chailey Ringers met at Seaford to ring a peal of 5,040 changes of Holt’s trebles, which they completed in 3 hours 4 minutes, being the first true and complete peal of trebles ever rung on those bells”. The ringers were entertained to breakfast in Church Street by Mr. Gatland and, in the evening, at the Old Tree Inn by Mr. Leach.

Under Gatland’s inspiring leadership, Seaford had its own set of ringers within a year, and their names deserve to be recorded here. They were :-

1. John Gatland, Died 1813, aged 56.
2. Thomas Allwork Died 1837, aged 78.
3. William Pitcher Died 1834, aged 71.
4. Edward Shoesmith, Died 1837, aged 69.
5. Samuel Newington, Died 1849, aged 75.
6. John Gorringe, Died 1824, aged 64.
7. Edward Hide,
8. Samuel Lower, Died 1815, aged 75.
9. Cooper Levett,
10. William Nicholas,
11. James Lower, senior, Died 1814, aged 67.
12. James Lower, Died 1834, aged 40

On the Western wall of the church is a brass tablet which bears the following inscription :—

In commemoration of

recasting the old five bells

and increasing the peal to eight bells

erected in this tower by public subscription 1807-1811

collected as a labour of love by

John Gatland, Churchwarden.

——

Bell-founders Messrs. Mears, London.

Bell-hanger Mr. Marwick, Uckfield.

Total cost f263 6s. 3d.

——

This tablet erected 1879 by Mr. William Banks

Grandson of the above Mr. John Gatland.

——

W. H. Meade-Buck. Vicar.

Mr. W Bull,  Dr H Muggeridge, Churchwardens

In the early summer of 1855, after forty-four years’ service, the tenor bell, which had been cracked for some years, at last fell asunder. It was recast by subscription’ and rehung on the 16th of October, Messrs. Mears of Whitechapel again being responsible for the work. In 1886, the seventh bell also was recast, and, in 1889, the bell-frames were repaired and strengthened.

It was not until 1904 that the bells again required attention. In that year the fifth and sixth were recast and the whole peal rehung, by Messrs. Gillett and Johnson of Croydon, as a memorial to the late Vicar, the Rev. W. H. Meade Buck (1864 to 1898). A brass on the South side of the West wall of the church bears the inscription :—

To the Glory of God

Two of the bells of this church were recast

and the entire Peal of Eight restored and

rehung March 1904. The cost of this Work

was chiefly contributed as a Memorial to the late

Revd. William Henry Meade Buck,

by many of his old friends and parishioners.

He was born January 6th 1813. Died March 14th, 1898,

and was Vicar of Seaford for 34 years

J. C. Murray. F. Eady. Churchwardens.

H. Goodwin Bonnewell, Vicar.

In 1911, a hundred years had elapsed since John Gatland first brought the peal down from London and, in the following year, an estimate of £261 was obtained from Gillett and Johnson for recasting and new frames. It was not immediately accepted and, in 1914, the War put an end to the scheme for the time being.

By 1923, however, the work could no longer be delayed and, under the leadership of the late people’s warden, Mr. B. A. Miller, drastic treatment was planned. In August of that year, Messrs. Mears and Stainbank, the original founders of the peal, were called in. They advised recasting with seven hundredweight of new metal, new frames of Rangoon teak and a new belfry floor at a cost of £793. Mr. Fisher (Churchwarden), was then, and for many years afterwards, one of the trustees of the Kingston Religious Trust, of Cambridge, which promised generous help to the extent of £700, and it was thus possible to put the work in hand without delay.

So long ago as 1882, Mr. J. S. Lee in his valuable report on the church, had pointed out that the present ceiling of the tower was “a common modern wooden floor, with joists fixed at a level below points of the adjoining archway,” and recommended the provision of a new one. The work undertaken in 1923 included the erection of a new sound-proof floor, padded with asbestos, some 2 feet 9 inches above the previous level, thus removing the obstructions to the upper part of the west window and tower arch which had long disfigured the church; and, in the following year, the gift of £35 from an anonymous lady made it possible to finish the work with an oak-stained deal ceiling to match that recently erected in the chancel.

The new peal, of which the key had been changed from G sharp to F, was first rung on Christmas morning. The following note of the work, on an oak-framed drawing of a bell, hangs on the North wall of the tower :—

St. Leonard’s Seaford.

The Old Bells recast and augmented

in weight by Messrs. Mears and Stainbank

of Whitechapel, were rehung in a teak frame

with ball bearings, the cost being defrayed by

the “Kingston Religious Trust,” Cambridge,

Thos. Fisher, C. W. Ellison and A. O. Streatfield Trustees.

The Bells were rung for the first time on Christmas

Morning, 1923.

Ringers

E. H. Phillips, M.A., Vicar.

Thos. Fisher, B. A. Miller, Churchwardens.’

It will be seen from the above list that, in Miss Packham, Seaford possessed a lady ringer as early as 1923 when their numbers were even smaller than they are to-day.

Another well-known name is that of Mr. Albert Simmons, our parish clerk and sexton, who has served the church as man and boy for nearly half-a-century. For him the bells have tragic memories, for his father and predecessor in office was pulled up to the ceiling by one of the bells and, in falling, struck the font (in those days under the tower), receiving spinal injuries which incapacitated for life.

A visiting Society on the previous day had neglected to lower the bells before leaving, with disastrous consequences!

neglected to lower

The inscription on the recast tenor is :—Peace and Prosperity to this Parish. Thos. Fisher & B. A. Miller Churchwardens – E. H. Phillips (Vicar) 1923.

The bells of the Church were silent throughout the war, but as soon as possible afterwards a team of ringers was formed under Mr Simmons’ guidance, and when he died he left a sum for the restoration of the bells. They were given a major overhaul in 1984 when the headstocks and the clappers were returned to the foundry for renewal.