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CHAPTER FOUR AFTERMATH - THE QUARTER BELLS OF LINCOLN CATHEDRAL In 1880 the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln Cathedral decided to replace the clock installed in 1775. At the same time, apparently as the result of pressure from the Cathedral Organist, Mr. John Young, it was agreed to augment the two quarter bells cast by Thomas Mears of Whitechapel,London in 1834 in order that the fashionable 'Cambridge Quarters' could be chimed. These were first installed at St Mary's Church, Cambridge in 1793 and the bells sound as follows :
Details of the bells cast in 1834 were as follows:
Each bell was inscribed : THOMAS MEARS OF LONDON FOUNDER 1835 Unfortunately no record exists of their notes. The Revd Canon Hutton of Vicars Court, Lincoln contacted, on behalf of the Dean and Chapter, J J Raven the author of The Bells in England and W. Potts & Sons the clockmakers of Leeds. The former wrote on 15 March 1880 sending details of the 'Cambridge Quarters' and their history and Potts writes on 22 March 1880 as follows : ...on a peal of Eight the Quarters are struck on 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 7th bells...when there are only two quarter Bells as at your Cathedral the notes of the existing Bells have to be amended (we have ordered the Bell Founders to take particulars of these) where the two new bells are made to suit. On 3 April 1880 the Chapter Acts record that: Nathaniel Clayton and Mrs Seely, the wife of the M.P for Lincoln, [had] each offered the gift of a bell for the improvement of the chiming of the quarters. On 18 August the Bellfounders (John W Taylor & Co of Loughborough) sent details of the two new bells adding : We are very pleased to hear the bells are safely in the tower However, Mr Young was not happy with the 'splice' and on 20 October 1880 Potts writes : We are sorry the opening of the clock will be delayed in consequence of the bells not being correct but the large qr bell has been found to be imperfect the decision you have arrived at to have it recast and made [correct] will be most satisfactory to you. It would have been better if Taylor had drawn your attention to the Bell being wrong at the first when he came to examine them. Taylors had written on 18 October 1880 acknowledging an order to recast the largest of the existing quarter bells but after further deliberation the Dean and Chapter decided to have both existing bells recast the Dean commenting on 20 October 1880 : ...do you not think that the new team will imperiously demand a new Tom, and the new Tom a new bell tower? In a letter dated 21 October 1880 Taylor's sent an estimate for recasting the two old bells but pointed out that they had tuned the two new bells to the existing "A" bell. The bells were duly cast but in a letter dated 9 December 1880 Taylors regret 'the mistake in the word ORATE the E can easily be cut off and TE engraved'. This refers to the inscription on the largest bell! On 2 November 1880 Sir Edmund Beckett comments that Taylor knew of the flatness of the bells and that 'it was unneccessarily stupid of him to leave it so and, of course, he is liable for the expense caused thereby'. In a letter dated 16 November 1880 Potts comments that Sir Edmund considered the Lincoln clock would surpass Westminster and Worcester but Mr Young was not at all happy with the new bells and on 18 December wrote to Revd Hutton as follows: In answer to your questions about the Chimes I am sorry to say that the Bells are not in tune with one another neither are they in tune with "Great Tom" nor is the tone at all satisfactory to my ear, the dominant note of each Bell not being powerful enough while the harmonics are too much so. This to a cultured ear is very disagreeable indeed sometimes I have great difficulty in hearing the real note. Young goes on to say that he does not agree with Sir Edmund regarding the qualities of 'Big Ben' and considers that the 'Chimes at Westminster Palace are not in tune...' Next follows an interesting letter from the Dean dated 19 December 1880 addressed to Canon Hutton : I have had too much experience of the critic not to take his criticisms with several grains of salt; and I greatly applaud your cross-examination. But last night I had unavoidable experience myself of the varied tones, having not got to sleep till near 4 am, and I am inclined to think that both the set & the velocity of the wind has some effect in altering the pitch of the notes (ie subjectively to the hearer). You will I daresay, often have remarked when an engine passes you whistling, that the note sharpens as it approaches you & flattens as it retreats from you. As the vibrations of the air must be affected unsympathetically by wind when the space within which much of the vibration takes place is broken by masses of stone, I am inclined to suspect that to the ear in any given place slightly different sounds are given from what would be given if the atmosphere were perfectly still & the space unbroken: so that sometimes a bell may sound a little too sharp & sometimes a little too flat. At times since the chimes began, I have fancied both of these errors: and although my hearing is of course hard, I do not think it is indiscriminating of harmony. On 20 December 1880 Taylor writes: Mr. Young is expecting something that bells do not produce...When they were struck off everything appeared to give the greatest satisfaction. We cannot in the least understand Mr Young's reference to the bells...What Mr Young required we cannot possibly divine. The following extracts from Potts letter which is also dated 20 December 1880 appear to result from a comment by Canon Hutton on the distance at which Great Tom and the Quarter bells could be heard: ...ding dongers are always heard a greater distance than any others ding dong will catch the ear more distinct than musical qrs with 5 hammers but you can have the hammers made heavier, any weight you dare risk the bells but, of course, we must not be answerable for any cracked or broken bells... and on 21 December 1880 Potts reports that heavier hammers are to be fitted. On 23 December 1880 Taylors write again: ...the Cathedral bells [are] causing us intense anxiety and disappointment...Never have we sent out bells more satisfactory to our selves...And even now they have stated nothing definitely, all that we can gather is that the whole lot is out of tune and of bad tone. In a letter dated 1 January 1881 Potts comments that he had : had trouble several times...with him [Taylor], in fact, they was so bad at first our men said they would not do...he excels in dunning a character...and then sporting red coats in hunting 3 or 4 days weekly. On 3 January 1881 Taylors comment: As regards the bells not being heard so far off that is a matter which will right itself. It is a well-known fact that the sound of bells carries further after use for a few months. We cannot say why but such is the case. On 4 January 1881 Canon Hutton wrote to Taylors in quite strong terms to the effect that the bells were not satisfactory because they 'were not in tune with themselves or Great Tom'. He insists on Taylors 'sending a representative to hear for himself'. On 5 January 1881 Taylor sends a rather apologetic letter undertaking to go to Lincoln to hear the bells and on 11 January 1881 the Dean writes : I cannot at all understand the problem of the quarter bells but feel pretty satisfied the truth lies somewhat in between the theories of Mr Young and Mr Taylor. On 7 March 1881 the Dean wrote to Canon Hutton as follows: ...I suppose Young triumphs at the conclusion arrived at with regard to the chime bells. I do not gather from your note that anything has been done to improve them except hitting them somewhat harder (as the Govt. are doing with Ireland) & I shall be glad if the measure is successful enough to produce acquiescence on the part of our minutely diminutive against. The slight flatness of Tom may symbolize the platitudinous distraction of old age in comparison with the sharpness of youth which is natural perhaps to bells as boys. I confess I do not feel courageous enough to attempt to reform Tom, which I suppose Taylor would suggest... The Dean is, no doubt, referring to the decision of the Chapter to have the quarter bells flattened. The Chapter agreed that Canon Hutton's opinion of the bells alone was acceptable and that a second opinion was not needed. As a result on the same day Hutton wrote to the bellfounders instructing them to have the bells "flattened to the pitch of Tom's note". Not surprisingly Taylor reacts on 12 March 1881 by saying that he is most reluctant to do this and will only do the work if the Dean and Chapter ‘take upon themselves the responsibility of spoiling the bells by flattening them...’. No agreement seems possible and on 18 March 1881 the Dean and Chapter suggest that Dr Stainer Organist of St Paul's Cathedral be asked to pass judgment. Although Taylor agrees to this, he still considers that the matter could be settled locally. In a letter dated 2 April 1881 Potts says he has : ...had a letter from Sir E Beckett yesterday and was not aware but you had given him an invitation for the Easter holidays...he cannot be idle, that is out of the question work he will have and money he has almost to any amount but more than he can ever spend, he is 65 now...he has got a pretty good stiff job to restore & complete St Albans Cathedral... Apparently Sir Edmund was pleased with the clock and according to Potts considered that ‘'the quarters sounded very nice and the hours perfect'. However, even after such an eminent favourable opinion, Mr Young is still not satisfied and on 30 May 1881 he writes to the long suffering Canon Hutton as follows : The Messrs Taylor came over on Saturday as arranged and I went with them into the cathedral bell Chamber and tested the Chimes. The result was they agreed with me that the A bell is too sharp it being out of tune with the other three bells and also with 'Tom''. On 5 June 1881 Mr Young writes ‘Mr. Taylor Senr. came over on Tuesday and tuned the A bell and on the Wednesday I tested it with an A Fork and find it is in tune with it'. At long last the correspondence ceases and the new quarter bells were to everyone's satisfaction! It is fortunate that this correspondence has been preserved in the Lincolnshire Archives Office (LAO D&C CC/2/5/8. The letters are contained in a folder and are not paginated)..
The bells have sounded the quarters each day for 112 years and are still exactly as they were when first hung. I leave the reader or rather listener to decide on their merits! Details of the new bells and 'Great Tom' on which the hours are sounded are as follows : Treble NOX NOCTI INDICAT SCIETIAM MARY SEELY ME FECIT FIERI ANNO DOMINI MDCCCLXXX Diam. 35 ⅝ in; weight 11 cwt 0 qr 10 lbs; note C sharp Second DIES DIEI ERUCTAT VERBUM NATHANIEL CLAYTON ME FECIT FIERI ANNO DOMINI MDCCCLXXX Diam. 37 15/16 in; weight 12 cwt 3 qrs 14 lbs; note B Third ME PROPRIO SUMTU DENUO CONFLARI FECIT NATHANIEL CLAYTON A S MDCCCLXXX VENIT HORA ET NUNC EST QUANDO MORTUI AUDIENT VOCEM FILII DEI Diam. 39 ⅜ in; weight 13 cwt 0 qr 14 lbs; note A Fourth ME VOCE FRACTA MALE CONCINENTEM PROPRIO SUMTU LIQUEFIERI ET DENUO CONFLARI VOLUIT AELFREDUS SHUTTLEWORTH A S MDCCCLXXX . VIGILATE ET ORATE NESCITIS ENIM QUANDO TEMPUS SIT Diam. 45 15/16 in; weight 27 cwt 2 qrs 7 lbs; note E
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