The Bells of Stanmore.

There are eight bells in the tower, the tenor weighing 12 cwt. 0 qtrs. 19 lb. (~618 kg) Six of the bells came from the brick church, but there is a legend that they once belonged to St. Lawrence, Whitchurch, Stanmore Parva (Little Stanmore). The story is that a generous person offered Little Stanmore a new ring of bells, whereupon the Church Wardens of that church presented the existing ring to Great Stanmore. When the would-be donor heard that this had been done without his consent he withdrew his offer, and so Great Stanmore benefited at the expense of Little Stanmore. But the story is not true, as the bells carry inscriptions which refer to the brick church; for example, on the old 3rd. (the present 5th.) "SER JOHN WOLSTENHOLME BVILT THIS CHURCH 1632".

All the bells were originally cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, the four largest in 1632, and the 3rd & 4th in 1684. The 6th was subsequently recast at Whitechapel in 1756, and the 7th recast by Warner's of Spitalfields in 1889. In 1932 Whitechapel recast the 5th and added two trebles to complete the octave.

Details of the bells

Sizes & Weights

Inscriptions

Ringing information
Index

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