The Trust was contacted by Southminster several years ago when the church was interested in acquiring the ring of bells formerly hung at St Paul, Eastthorpe, Mirfield, West Yorkshire. This was one of several enquiries we had for the bells and our trustees decided that they would be offered to
Charleston Cathedral, SC. This was to prove fortunate as a structural survey of the tower at Southminster showed that the Eastthorpe ring would have been too heavy.
In 1999 we located a ring of six bells more suited to the tower and we are delighted that they are to be installed for full-circle ringing. The ring has been completed by two newly cast treble bells. The complete ring was installed for ringing during August 2002.
The tenor weight is approximately 350kg (7cwt). The surplus ring of six bells were formerly hung at St John's church, Preston, Lancashire which now has a replacement ring of 12 bells as part of the Ringing in the Millennium project.
The picture above is reproduced by the kind permission of Thomas C Flynn, Minister of Music at Soutminster. The Original watercolour by Nat Youngblood was given to Southminster by the James F. Compton family in memory of Mrs. Robert Y. Moffat.
