The Royal Jubilee Bells are a set of eight bells that were cast for the church of
St James Garlickhythe in the
City of London
The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...
, which were seen on television around the world leading the
Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant
The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant was a parade on 3 June 2012 of 670 boats on the Tideway of the River Thames in London as part of the celebrations of the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The Queen, Prince Philip and other members of th ...
on 3 June 2012 for the
Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II.
The Bells
![RoyalJubileeBells in the church](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/RoyalJubileeBells_in_the_church.jpg)
The project was conceived and run by Dickon Love, who had earlier installed new bells in the other City of London churches of
St Dunstan-in-the-West (in 2012) and
St Magnus the Martyr (in 2008). The bells were cast by the
Whitechapel Bell Foundry
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry was a business in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. At the time of the closure of its Whitechapel premises, it was the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain. The bell foundry primarily made church bells ...
in 2012. Bells 2, 7 and 8 were cast on 17 February with the remainder on 9 March. The casting of the bells, especially the largest bell, was extensively covered by the media.
The funds to pay for the new bells and their hanging at the church was raised by Alderman Dr
Andrew Parmley, Parish Clerk. Bells were sponsored by
the Vintners’ Company,
the Dyers’ Company,
the Glass-Sellers’ Company, Charles Bettinson, Joanna Warrand, Tony Stockwell and Tony Kassimiotis, Andrew and Wendy Parmley. Each of the sponsors chose an inscription including a dedication on each bell. Each also displays the Royal Arms (by permission of
Buckingham Palace) and the name of a senior member of
the Royal Family.
On 11 Jan 2012, the bells were granted the title “Royal Jubilee Bells” by Buckingham Palace, on advice from the
Deputy Prime Minister
A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president ...
and the Minister for Political and Constitutional Reform.
The largest bell weighs 9
long hundredweight, 1 quarter and 25 pounds (481 kg) and sounds the note G sharp. (Bellringers normally calibrate bells in terms of hundredweight.) The remaining bells form the major scale in G sharp. Details are as follows:
Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant
![Jubilee River Pageant 2012 (7329398484)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Jubilee_River_Pageant_2012_%287329398484%29.jpg)
A 6m high tower and frame made of cast iron and steel was designed and first erected in a warehouse in Fircroft Way,
Edenbridge Edenbridge may mean:
* Edenbridge (band), a symphonic metal band from Austria
*Edenbridge, Kent, a town in England
*Edenbridge, Saskatchewan, a former Jewish settlement in Canada
*Humber Valley Village
Humber Valley Village is a neighbourhood lo ...
, Kent. Following a visit by
The Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers o ...
to view the bells at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry on 15 May, the bells were hung in the new frame and a test ring took place on 17 May. The tower was then dismantled and taken to Denton Wharf near
Gravesend where it was re-erected on the quayside and hoisted into the vessel “''Ursula Katherine''” on 24 May.
A band of nine ringers from the
Ancient Society of College Youths
The Ancient Society of College Youths (ASCY) is a change ringing society, founded in 1637 and based in the City of London. The society played a leading role in the early development of change ringing, and today, it provides ringers for important e ...
, led by Dickon Love, met on 26 May to test the bells on the river. This was the first time that bells such as these were ever rung to changes on a river, and while the motion of the boat and action of the wind presented difficulties, the band was able to ring a full
peal
In campanology (bell ringing), a peal is the special name given to a specific type of performance of change ringing which meets certain exacting conditions for duration, complexity and quality.
The definition of a peal has changed considerably ...
comprising 5056 changes in the method Cambridge Surprise Major, taking 3 hours 6 minutes.
The
Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant
The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant was a parade on 3 June 2012 of 670 boats on the Tideway of the River Thames in London as part of the celebrations of the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The Queen, Prince Philip and other members of th ...
was held on 3 June. It officially started at
Albert Bridge with the ringing of the treble bell from the ''Ursula Katherine'', which moved into the centre of the Thames to lead the 1,000 vessel flotilla. A quarter peal was rung of 1250 Cambridge Surprise Major, taking 48 minutes, after which other pieces of
change ringing were performed.
Limited coverage was provided by the BBC which had a cameraman on the ''Ursula Katherine''. This coverage was presented by
John Barrowman
John Scot Barrowman (born 11 March 1967) is a Scottish-American actor, author, presenter, singer and comic book writer. He is known for his role as Captain Jack Harkness in ''Doctor Who'' and '' Torchwood'', and as Malcolm Merlyn in the Arrowv ...
, who had earlier been given bell handling lessons by Dickon Love at
St Magnus the Martyr in the previous few weeks. John briefly rang one of the bells with Dickon as the barge passed near
London Bridge.
St James Garlickhythe
![StJamesGarlickhythe](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/StJamesGarlickhythe.jpg)
The bells and tower were dismantled on 6 June. During the previous three months, a new ringing room was constructed in the tower of
St James Garlickhythe and a new bellframe was installed. The bells were delivered to the church on 15 June and arranged along the central aisle. They were dedicated by the
Rt Revd John Waine on Sunday 17 June, and hanging commenced in the tower shortly thereafter. They were rung for the first time in the church on 4 July. The first quarter peal was rung in the tower on 22 July after a service where their ringing was dedicated, and the first peal was rung on 25 July, comprising 5152 changes of Jubilee Surprise Major in 2 hours 56 minutes.
Peal Report
25 Jul 2012
See also
*Church bell
A church bell in Christian architecture is a bell which is rung in a church for a variety of religious purposes, and can be heard outside the building. Traditionally they are used to call worshippers to the church for a communal service, and to ...
References
{{reflist
External links
Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant website
Love's Guide to the Church Bells of St James Garlickhythe
Dove's Guide to the Church Bells of St James Garlickhythe
St James Garlickhythe church website
Bells (percussion)
Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II