The organ in St. Peter De Merton with St. Cuthbert is a versatile instrument of some 26 speaking stops spread over three 61 note manuals and a 30 note pedal division. The specification is given below. The usual couplers and playing aids in the form of thumb pistons and duplicated foot pistons are present. The organ is regarded by discerning musicians as of very good quality allowing the performance of a range of musical styles. It is also extremely well suited to accompanying services and leading congregational singing.

The organ was built originally by 3. J. Binns and installed in about 1895 The Great and Swell divisions were placed in an organ chamber in the north choir with the Choir division being placed in the Chancel over the Saxon arch. This arrangement can be seen in one of the photographs in the vestry.

By the early 1970s the organ was in need of a major overhaul and clean. In 1974 Bowens of Northampton was engaged to cany out the repair work, to replace the old pneumatic action by a new electro-magnetic action and to update the tonal specification so as to be in keeping with 1970s ideas. The work was carried out by Bowens and Robert Shaftoe of Pavenham. The organ was under the care of Mr. John Bowen, until his death in 1998. The organ is now cared for by Mr Michael Latham.

The Choir organ was redesigned more in keeping with a Positive organ and placed in the same organ chamber as the Great and Swell divisions. This was done partly to overcome tuning difficulties that existed between the Choir organ in the Chancel and the other divisions within the organ chamber. The other advantage was to allow the Saxon arch to be seen more clearly. Upper work was added to the Great and Swell divisions and the pedal division was enlarged by extension of the original stops, providing the player with an independent pedal line. All other speaking stops are independent.

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• Great

• Double Diapason 16
• Diapason 8
• Hohi Flute 8
• Principal 4
• Harmonic flute 4
• Fifteenth 2
• Mixture II 19-22
• Trumpet 8

• Swell

• Geigen Principal 8
• Rohr Flute 8
• Salicional 8
• Viol d'Orchestre 8
• Principal 4
• Mixture II 15-19
• Oboe 8
• Horn 8
• Swell Super Octave
• Tremolo

• Choir

• Gedackt 8
• Transverse Flute 4
• Fifteenth 2
• Nineteenth 1 1/3
• Sesquialtera II (Tenor G)* 12-17

• Pedal

• Open Diapason 16
• Bourdon 16
• Octave 8
• Bass Flute 8
• Fifteenth 4

• Couplers

• Sw to Gt
• Sw. octave to Gt.
• Pos. to Gt.
• Sw to Ch
• Sw to Ped.
• Gt. to Ped.
• Ch. to Ped

• Playing Aids

• Three fixed thumb pistons to each manual.
• One reversible Gt. to Ped.thumb piston
• Gt and Sw thumb pistons repeated by foot pistons
• One reversible Ct. to Ped. foot piston
• Balanced swell pedal.

* The Sesquialtera continues below Tenor G to CC. In this part of its register it sounds only the twelfth.

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The tower of St Peter’s church looks down upon John Bunyan’s statue, which is situated on the green at the north end of the High Street. The main structure of the Tower contains some important Anglo-Saxon work and gives an immediate impression of great age. It has been suggested that evidence of great heat on some of the stonework may be attributable to a period when the town was ransacked by the Danes.

The exterior of the Tower was subjected to major building work during the Victorian period when the church was extended. The spiral staircase, giving external access to the tower on the south side of the church was added, and a new door provided into the tower. Previously access had been via a ladder into a doorway on the northside of the Tower. That doorway still exists in the belfry, overlooking the roof of the church. During this work the chancel was rebuilt and considerably enlarged, at this time it was discovered that a Saxon doorway existed, complete with Rune stone. This doorway now exists in the belfry and looks down on the Altar.

Thus the tower is possibly the oldest surviving structure in Bedford.

Brief History of the bells

1996

The 8 bells, which exist today, are hung in the Tower on a cast iron frame which was provided in 1895. Up until 1948 this frame had held 6 bells, also provided in 1895, but two more bells were added in 1948 to complete the octave. All of these bells were cast by Taylors of Loughborough, which is one of only two bell foundries still surviving in the U.K.

1895

Between the period 1825 to 1894 there were 5 bells in existence. It was said that they did not hang very harmoniously together, and by 1894 the second lightest of these bells was cracked. It was decided that Taylors bellfounders in Loughborough should recast them into a ring of 6 bells with added metal. The churchwardens were present at the foundry to see the old bells broken up and melted down before recasting.

The bells were hung by Taylor’s with modern fittings in a new cast iron h frame, and dedicated on 31st January 1895. The preacher at the dedication service was the Rev W.C.C. Baker, Secretary of the Bedfordshire Association of Bellringers, which was formed in 1893.

The recast ring of 6 bells retained the inscriptions of the original bells. The cost of the work was £330, although today the cost would be in excess of £100,000.

1825

A Peal of 4 bells were in existence and were retained until the recasting of 1894. However at this time a 5th bell was purchased and one existing bell was recast.

Number 1 Bell

Recast at Oxford in 1825 by Taylor to take the place of its predecessor, which was cracked (DIA 24" HT 21"). The recast bell was an ancient one and probably the only bell in the Tower originally It weighed 5cwt, 28 lbs. And was inscribed in Gothic letters "Intonas de Coelis Vox Camponoe Michaelis" (O voice of bell Michael thou soundest from the heavens). The bell bore the initial stamp T.B. and was most probably associated with a London founder, Thomas Bullisdon, whose name was retained with the addition of the date 1825, and the names in Latin, of Phillip Hunt, Rector, and William Brown and Thomas Small, Churchwardens.

Number 2 Bell

has the inscription "God save the King 1650". Several of the letters are upside down or back to front and since this was the period of the Commonwealth and Oliver Cromwell this may have been deliberate on the part of the Founder. However accidents did occur with inscriptions when they were being set up prior to casting. It is supposed that this bell was founded by James Keene.

Number 3 Bell

dated 1609- Founder Hugh Watts. Inscriptions in Ornate Gothic letters. "ABCDE FGHIJ LNNO 1609" dia 26" ht 21"

Number 4 Bell

Added in 1825 to make a ring of 5 bells. Dia 30" ht 23" Inscription in Latin is:- "Hoc signum Petr Pulsatur nomine Christi fusum Petri Rectore" (This bell of peter is rung in the name of Christ). Cast 1825.

Number 5 Bell

Was the original 4th bell being the heaviest and lowest musical note. Dia 32" ht 24" Inscription: Thomas Groves and John Langford churchwardens. Thomas Russell of Wooton made me 1733.

There is also a Sanctus bell dia. 16.5" originally cast in 1701 by Richard Chandler and was hung without a clapper as a Clock Bell. It was recast in 1895 to become the present sanctus bell with a clapper fitted.

Thus, although the 6 heaviest of the 8 bells existing today are only 100 years old, their history goes back a lot further, with both the ancient bell metal being re-used and the ancient inscriptions being carried forward. In 1980 all the bells were returned to Taylors for retuning and were rededicated by the Bishop of Bedford on 8thg march 1981. The Octive scale changed from A flat to F sharp.

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Bell Specifications

 

The first peal on the bells took place on 6th June 1895. There are many impressive peal boards in the ringing chamber recording peals rung between 1895 and 1923. Particularly notable are the peals of Bob Minor by the St Peter's company in 1905. A seven method peal by the the local band in 1908, peals in 14 methods in 1909 and 1910, and the first of seven surprise minor in that county rung in 1913. The leading figure at St Peter's for many years was William Stapleton who conducted most of the peals already mentioned and maintained a strong band throughout the the Great War. In 1915, for example the local ringers and their friends rang 84 extends of minor in 59 different methods (mostly for Sunday services), the leading windows being Stapleton himself, Albert Robinson, Charles Clarke, and the sisters Evelyn and Dorothy Steel. Bill Stapleton lived to see the bells augmented to 8 in 1948, conducting the first peal on that the octive, of plain Bob Major, on 16th December, 1948.

It was discovered in 1994 that 97 peals had been wrong since 1895, and that with some effort it would be possible to complete the 100th peal exactly 100 years since the back six ( 3-8) bells were installed. It was a very proud moment in 1995 when the conductor shouted stand, at the successful conclusion of the 100th peal, rung entirely by the local band.

Bellringing Today.

A Bell ringer is what one ringer calls another ringer, whilst a Campanologist is what someone who does not ring bells calls a bell ringer (incorrectly since campanology refers to the study of bells, not the ringing of them). Ringing bells full circle devolved from the late 1500s onwards, and it is a uniquely English tradition which, although spread in small doses to other English speaking countries, remains firmly established in England where over 5000 towers have five or more bells for change ringing.

New Ringers

Despite the large number of towers capable of supporting change ringing. And over 25,000 ringers across the country, there is an urgent need to recruit more ringers. Many towers are silent now due to lack of ringers, and it is the goal of ringers that all towers should ring out for the millennium.

Bell ringing is sociable, good fun and of service to the Church. Bell ringers from all a local towers meet frequently in both ringing and social activity.A good spirit of Christian Fellowship exists,and everyone is made to feel welcome. This is especially so when visiting other towns and villages across the country, when a visit to a local band will immediately bring a welcome and an introduction to the local scene.

Bell ringing requires a basic ability to be able to pull and catch a rope, with a surprisingly little physical effort. Other than that all one needs is enthusiasm, and commitment to a eventually ringers for Sunday services. Which is the objective of every bell ringer.

It takes a few weeks to become a novice bellringer who can join up with the team in ringing at rounds, and call changes. It can take a few months or even years to develop into a change/ method ringer, depending on the speed which one wants to go, and how quick a learner you are. Your presence is urgently required, and a welcome awaits you at your local Tower if you would like to become a ringer.

• At St Peters
• Practice night Thursday 7:30pm to 9:15pm
• Sunday 09:45am to 10:15am or 10:30 to 11:00am and 5:30pm to 6:30pm

Just call in and see us, or call me.

If you live elsewhere and would like a list of towers where bellringers are needed, call me. Richard Entwistle 01234 360095