Carlton-in-Lindrick
St John

Bells

The church of St John the Evangelist has a ring of three bells which are hung in a low sided wooden frame which is in a fair condition of repair. It has wooden headstocks and plain bearings.

The three bells are:

  Inscription Size Weight
1

VIRGINIS EGREGIS VOCOR CAMPANA MARIE
DNS WILLIS CHAWMBIR

 31.5" c 5cwt
2

DANIEL HEDDERLY FOUN. VAL WILSON C:W 1732

 35.25" c 7cwt
3

HEC CAMPANA SACRA TRINITATE BEATA H TH 1623

 38" c 9.5cwt

The treble bell is of the Somercotes type and appears to have been cast by an unknown founder in Lincoln. It is the only example of its type to be found in Nottinghamshire, and its donor was William de Chambre, parson from 1417-43.

These dates tie in with the Somercotes bell which is dated 1423. The founder could possibly be a ‘Robert Grey of Coynty of Lincoln’ who sued Richard Redeswell, a bell founder of Nottingham, in the Nottingham court for 37s. in July 1434. This was for bell metal that he had sold to Redeswell but which had not been paid for.

The word spacers on the bell are figures that come from the centres of different letters.

The third bell has the gammadion symbol that was used by Heathcotes of Chesterfield, but the lettering, date, and word spacers are Nottingham stamps. The initials might be those of Thomas Heathcote, the grandson of Ralph Heathcote and nephew of Godfrey.