CHURCH BELLS

Bells came into use in our churches as early as the year 400, and their introduction is ascribed to Paulinus, bishop of Nola, a town of Campania, in Italy. Their use spread rapidly, as in those unsettled times the church-bell was useful not only for summoning the faithful to religious services, but also for giving an alarm when danger threatened

The shape of a bell is campaniform, hence campanulas are bell flowers. The Christian writer Gregory of Tours 585 frequently spoke of bells stating they were either struck or shaken. Bells are hung in belfries. In early times bells were not cast, but were made from two flat plates, these were hammered round and then riveted together. In about the 8th century bells were started to be made by casting them in a mixture of copper and tin The addition of tin in the alloy gives a vibrating characteristic, which gives a fine tone. There were originally problems where the clapper hit the side of the bell causing cracking and this was solved by a ring of metal being added to the lip. The chief English centres in the art of founding in medieval bell ringing times, were London, York, Gloucester and Nottingham. In various museums of Europe many curious old bells are preserved, and particularly in Scotland and Ireland fine specimens may be seen of the ancient monastic bells of the Celtic abbeys. These are sometimes square in shape, and are made of bronze or iron sheets riveted together. Their sound, consequently, must have been discordant and far less powerful than that of our modern bells.

Bell music comes in the form of change ringing (peals) or hand bells. The bells are tuned by means of shaving off metal from the inside of the casting to find the correct note. Peals of bells are rung at weddings, and the bell was tolled when someone was known to be dying in the olden days, but nowadays it is tolled at a funeral.

Campaniles are bell towers built beside or attached to a church, a nearby example can be seen at St. Mary & St. Nicholas at Wilton.

In the parish of West Parley the bell is suspended in a bell Turret. The bell inside is dated 1792 and was made by T Pyke of Bridgewater. The Rector rings the bell at All Saints, before Evensong. The bell at St. Marks came from Tyneham.

The practice of elevating the Sacred Host and the Chalice at Mass, immediately after the consecration of each, was introduced in the Latin churches about the beginning of the thirteenth century. It was then deemed fitting that those who were not present at Mass should also be invited to adore their Eucharistic Lord. And so the practice was begun of ringing one of the great bells of the church, to give notice to all the people, that they might kneel for a moment and make an act of adoration. These days small sanctuary bells are rung at the elevation of the consecrated host and chalice announce the presence of Christ, this practice occurs in a churches of the higher persuasion