Brighstone, St Mary the Virgin

www.noyes.org.uk



Arreton
Brading
Brighstone
Carisbrooke
Chale
Freshwater
Godshill
Newchurch
Newport
Niton
Ryde
Shanklin
Shorwell
Whitwell


Tower Contacts
The District
Ringing Times
6 bells, 7-1-15

Tuesdays 7.30

Sunday (1st) 10.15-10.45,

others 9.45-10.15

 Upstairs, stairs inside church  OS map link
SZ429827
Street parking near church, or head west to the pub (Three Bishops) with public car park & toilets beyond. Recast & re hung on existing wooden frame in 1961. A lovely ring of bells with a light tenor, but trebles are not too small, so the bells are very easy to ring. A new upstairs ringing room was put in in 1995. The pub (The Three Bishops) has a children's room, selection of beers & pretty good food. It was named after the three rectors of Brighstone that went on to become Bishops. Small tea garden by the church; National Trust shop along the road (closes Christmas).
The earliest record of any bells were in the inventories compiled by the commissioners of Henry VIII in 1536 when there were three bells plus a sanctus bell. References to the sanctus bell are in the Parish Records until 1590 and then cease, its ultimate fate is unknown. The Parish Records speak of casting a 'Great Bell' at Romsey in 1610, and a 'Midle Bell' at Newport in 1613.

In 1740 the bells were recast, rehung and augmented to five. The work was done by Joshua Kipling of Portsmouth, known as a good producer of moulds but a poor designer of bells. A brass gun which was housed in a 'gun house', at one time next to the north side of the tower, is believed to have been incorporated into the bell metal at this time. The original treble (the present second) became cracked in 1780 and was recast by Thomas Mears in 1800. The bells were again rehung by Mears and the second bell (present third) was recast in 1877; the inscription "SUCCESS TO THE GREAT ADMIRAL VERNON" and the impressions of the Vernon medal are thought to have been lost from the bell during this casting. In 1961 the present bells were recast and rehung and a new treble was added, being the gift of Frank Cheverton in memory of his wife.

Treble  IN MEMORY OF
MURIEL KATHLEEN,
DEARLY LOVED WIFE OF
F.A.CHEVERTON, RUDCOT.
DIED JANUARY 16TH 1960

MEARS
1961
LONDON		  3-2-6  G
2  IN THE YEAR 1740 JOHN LORD ZEALOUS FOR THE PROMOTION OF CAMPANALOGIAS
ART CAUSED ME TO BE FABRIGATED IN PORTSMOUTH AND PLACED IN THIS TOWER
60 YEARS I LED THE PEAL WHEN I WAS UNFORTUNATELY BROKEN
IN THE YEAR 1800 I WAS CAST INTO THE FURNACE REFOUNDED IN LONDON AND
RETURNED TO MY FORMER STATION: READER THOU ALSO SHALT KNOW A RESURECTION
MAY IT BE UNTO ETERNAL LIFE WILLIAM CHIP & DAVID WAY CH.WARDENS
THOS MEARS FECIT RECAST 1961		 3-3-17  F
3 MEARS & STAINBANK FOUNDERS 1877
RECAST 1961		  4-1-27  D#
4 GOD PRESERVE THE BRITIS ARMES 1740
JOSHUA KIPLING FECIT
RECAST
1961		  4-2-27  D
5  PROSPERITY TO THE PARISH OF BRIXTON
JOSHUA KIPLING FECIT
RECAST
1961		  5-3-5  C
Tenor  MR JOHN LORD MR THOMAS JOLIF CHURCHWARDENS 1740
JOSHUA KIPLING FECIT
RECAST
1961
MEARS LONDON		  7-1-15  A#