THE BELL OF ST GREGORY’S
For many years a bell hung over St Gregory’s to call the people to Mass. It was apparently blown down in a gale in 1976 and was never put back.
The story of what happened to it is not clear. It may have joined the peal in St Mary’s. It may have been melted down along with a bell from the Cemetery Chapel to make an extra bell. There is even a story that it has gone to Africa; is this a link to the Rosminian missions?
For many years a bell hung over St Gregory’s to call the people to Mass. It was apparently blown down in a gale in 1976 and was never put back.
The story of what happened to it is not clear. It may have joined the peal in St Mary’s. It may have been melted down along with a bell from the Cemetery Chapel to make an extra bell. There is even a story that it has gone to Africa; is this a link to the Rosminian missions?
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE BELLS (OF ST MARY’S SILEBY)
In 1976 the Parish Council were obliged to demolish the spire on the cemetery chapel as it had become unsafe. The spire housed a single chiming bell weighing approximately 5 cwts. which was now of no use. The local ringers had a long held wish to augment St Mary’s to a ring of ten and quickly approached the Parish Council to secure the bell. At about the same time, the small bell at St Gregory’s church was stolen. It was later recovered from a derelict site in Nottingham. St Gregory’s did not wish to re- install their bell and when they became aware of the project at St Mary’s they kindly donated it.
Ringers and friends held various fund raising activities including bingo, coffee mornings and scrap metal and newspaper collections. As this was a period of high inflation it was decided to do the job piecemeal. The bells were cast on 19th September 1978 at John Taylor and Co. and were stored in the church until funds permitted their hanging in the tower. The bells were eventually installed in July 1981.
Extract from a leaflet from St Mary’s (J. Preston 2000)
In 1976 the Parish Council were obliged to demolish the spire on the cemetery chapel as it had become unsafe. The spire housed a single chiming bell weighing approximately 5 cwts. which was now of no use. The local ringers had a long held wish to augment St Mary’s to a ring of ten and quickly approached the Parish Council to secure the bell. At about the same time, the small bell at St Gregory’s church was stolen. It was later recovered from a derelict site in Nottingham. St Gregory’s did not wish to re- install their bell and when they became aware of the project at St Mary’s they kindly donated it.
Ringers and friends held various fund raising activities including bingo, coffee mornings and scrap metal and newspaper collections. As this was a period of high inflation it was decided to do the job piecemeal. The bells were cast on 19th September 1978 at John Taylor and Co. and were stored in the church until funds permitted their hanging in the tower. The bells were eventually installed in July 1981.
Extract from a leaflet from St Mary’s (J. Preston 2000)
