Appeal Brochure
This is in pdf format and can be opened in Adobe Acrobat (download a free copy). It is designed to be printed and folded into an A5 booklet.

A brief history

The present ring of eight bells was donated as a gift by Mr. E. H. Palmer and Mrs. E. L. Boreham, both members of the parish, to the memory of Rev. C. A. Belli, a former vicar of South Weald and benefactor of St. Thomas’. They were dedicated by the Bishop of St. Albans on 19^th October 1887.

The bells were made by Mears and Stainbank Ltd., now known as the Whitechapel Bell Foundry Ltd. at a total cost of less than £600. The tenor bell, the largest of the eight, weighs 19cwt. 3qtrs. (or just over 1.1 tonnes) and the whole installation is the heaviest in south Essex and the sixth heaviest in the County.

One bell was re-hung in about 1930 at which time seven of the eight bearing oil boxes were also changed. Other than oiling and new ropes from time to time, this appears to have been the only significant works carried out to the installation since it was first installed

The first peal on the bells was rung on 3^rd November 1888 and is commemorated on a Peal Board which hangs in the Ringing Chamber. Since then, a further 163 peals have been rung with the last in 1991. Notable national events are similarly commemorated, such as the death of King George V and the coronation of King George VI and so too is the visit that Queen Elizabeth II made to the Borough in 1957 to open the Council Offices.

Nowadays the bells are rung for church services, calling the faithful to worship and to make all who can hear aware of the church’s presence in the town. They are also rung for national and civic occasions including Remembrance Sunday and for local organisations such as the Royal British Legion and St. Francis Hospice. They are also rung for more personal family occasions such as weddings, christenings and occasionally, funerals.

Why is restoration needed?

The present bell installation will be 120 years old in 2007 and is now showing its age. The bells are hung from wooden headstocks which are beginning to crumble, in a cast iron frame which is heavily corroded, and the bearings on which they rotate and the clappers which sound the bells are worn out and becoming potentially dangerous.

A specialist adviser in 1991 wrote “the time is fast approaching when a major overhaul will be necessary”. More recently in 2003, a specialist advised that “ … it is no surprise that substantial works are required if the bells are to continue to remain in use”.

The remedy

The whole installation which is nearly 80 ft. above the ground needs to be removed from the tower. Access ways will be opened up, the turret clock will be temporarily removed and the bells lowered for transporting to a workshop for thorough cleaning and retuning. They will be fitted with new headstocks, clappers, bearings, wheels, sliders and stays. The bells will be installed in a new frame at the workshop, checked and dismantled for their return to St. Thomas’.

Upon their return they will be re-hung in a new frame, re-roped and tested. The turret clock, having been cleaned and overhauled, will be re-installed and all temporary access ways made good.

THE ESTIMATED COST - £80,000

Sadly, very much more than the £600 for the original installation !

The budget includes providing access, removal, all work to the bells and frame, the re-instatement, transport, turret clock overhaul, professional fees and other related costs. The target for completion is autumn 2007, 120 years after they were first dedicated.

How can you help?

Any restoration work is expensive and we rely on the generosity of those sympathetic to the cause and who rejoice in the sound of church bells.

You can help in a number of different ways.

• By making a donation to the Bell Restoration Fund. (If you are a UK tax payer and would like your donation to be treated as Gift Aid, we can reclaim 28p for each pound donated, which will also go to the Appeal. Please contact us to request a Gift Aid Declaration slip or give online now)
• By sponsoring ringing. You might like to sponsor the Sunday Service ringing to celebrate a special occasion such as a birthday or wedding anniversary.
• By ‘buying’ a specific part of the bell refurbishment. (See the breakdown of costs in the pdf brochure.)
• By giving some time. Fit and able bodied assistance will be required. No technical expertise is necessary but the work will be quite arduous at times. (Please contact the Parish Office.)
• By organising a fund raising event. (Please pass your idea to Fr. Bob White or the Church Wardens to ensure that it will not clash with other Parish events)
• By supporting other Bell Restoration Fund raising events.

Please make cheques payable to ‘The PCC of Brentwood’ and mark them “Bell Appeal”, or use our online giving page. For further information, download the appeal brochure or contact the parish office.