St Margaret Lothbury Church Tower - Lothbury, London, UK
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member Master Mariner
N 51° 30.886 W 000° 05.335
30U E 701981 N 5711089
St Margaret Lothbury is a Church of England parish church at the heart of the City of London standing opposite the Bank of England on the north side of Lothbury. The church's tower has three bells.
Waymark Code: WMTA8H
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 10/22/2016
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member rjmcdonough1
Views: 0

The Loves Guide website tells us that the tower of St Margaret Lothbury church has three bells and advises of their history:

Bell

Weight

Diameter

Note

Cast

Founder

1

4-1-17 29" D

1841

Thomas Mears II

2

5-1-17 30?" C 1682 James Bartlett

3

8-2-23 35?" A sharp 1749 Thomas Lester


12th Cent.

 


Original church founded.

1552

 

Record of 3 bells and a sanctus ("iij belles and the sayntes belle hanginge in the steple")

1571

 

Record of sexton's wages for ringing the bells evening and morning and candles to ring with.

1583

 

Record of charges for ringing for weddings, christenings, churchings and burials - mentions fore bell, second bell, third bell and great bell., and dutites of the clerk, including finding baldricks and bearing other charges of the three lesser bells "except the breking of the bells, wheles of frames or clappers" to be borne by the parish.

1590

 

Tenor (of 4) recast.

1666

 

Church destroyed in the Great Fire. "… all the bell metle that is left to be kept by Mr. Stonehill until further order."

1686-90

 

Church rebuilt by Wren with a tower at the west end to a total height of 140 ft.

1682

 

The present second was cast - possibly 2 bells were cast to occupy the new belfry at this time.

1708

 

Record of 2 bells.

1749

 

The present tenor was cast (possibly recast from the 1682 bell).

1824

 

Record of 2 bells.

1841

9th Apr.

A bell was supplied (to be the treble) by Thomas Mears II with frame and fittings, for which the two trebles were taken in part exchange (13th July).

1894

 

When the church of St Olave, Old Jewry was pulled down, and the 3 bells and clock from that church were stored in a covered passage at the west end of the church. These bells have since been moved to St Olave, Woodberry Down, Stoke Newington.

19th Cent.

 

Treble and tenor rehung in a new (rather badly constructed) frame, for full circle ringing. The middle bell remains in its original frame.

1953

 

Bells quarter turned and rehung dead in their existing pits. The fittings consist of hardwood deadstocks, securing ironwork and Ellacombe chiming apparatus. Each bell has its canons intact and has its cast-in crown staple retained. This work was carried out by Mears & Stainbank.

Wikipedia tells us:

St Margaret Lothbury is a Church of England parish church in the City of London; it spans the boundary between Coleman Street Ward and Broad Street Ward. Recorded since the 12th century, the church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and rebuilt by the office of Sir Christopher Wren. St Margaret Lothbury still serves as a parish church, as well as being the official church of five Livery Companies, two Ward Clubs and two Professional Institutes. It also has connections with many local finance houses, all of which hold special services each year.

The earliest mention of St Margaret Lothbury is from 1185. The patronage of the church belonged to the abbess and convent of Barking, Essex until the Dissolution, when it passed to the Crown.

It was rebuilt in 1440, mostly at the expense of Robert Large, who was Lord Mayor that year and is remembered as the Master of whom Caxton served his apprenticeship. It suffered as did so many of London's churches in the Great Fire of London of 1666 and was rebuilt by Christopher Wren from 1686 to 1690.

In 1781 the parish of the church of St Christopher le Stocks, demolished to make way for an extension for the Bank of England, was united with that of St Margaret Lothbury.

The church has exceptionally fine 17th-century woodwork from other now-demolished Wren churches. Among the best are the reredos, communion rails and baptismal font, which are thought to be by Grinling Gibbons from St Olave, Old Jewry, the pulpit sounding board and the rood screen from All-Hallows-the-Great. Two paintings of Moses and Aaron flank the high altar, and came from St Christopher le Stocks when it was demolished in 1781. The organ was built by George Pike England in 1801. It was restored in 1984, stands in its original case and contains nearly all its original pipework.

The church was designated a Grade I listed building on 4 January 1950.

Address of Tower:
St Margaret Lothbury Church
Lothbury
London, United Kingdom


Still Operational: yes

Number of bells in tower?: 3

Relevant website?: [Web Link]

Rate tower:

Tours or visits allowed in tower?: Unknown

Visit Instructions:
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