Bells have been part of the church ceremony and ritual for many centuries. One theory is that they were rung to ward off evil spirits!
The bells in St Michael’s Church originally comprised a peal of six and were augmented to eight in 1989. Unusually, they are rung from the floor of the church in front of the west door. A 17th-century wooden spiral staircase leads up to the clock room, from where a ladder goes up to the bell chamber itself.
Basic data
| Bell | Note | Diameter | Weight | Date | Founder |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenor | F | 1099mm 3’ 7.25” | 677kg 13-1-4* | 1700 | Abraham I Rudhall |
| 7 | G | 997mm 3’ 3.25” | 538kg 10-2-27 | 1623 | Ellis I Knight |
| 6 | A | 895mm 2’ 11.25” | 425kg 8-1-11 | 1620 | Henry I Knight |
| 5 | B♭ | 813mm 2’ 8” | 318kg 6-1-0 | 1621 | Henry I Knight |
| 4 | C | 749mm 2’ 5.5” | 245kg 4-3-7 | 1666 | Richard Keene |
| 3 | D | 708mm 2’ 3.87″ | 219kg 4-1-5 | 1932 | Mears & Stainbank |
| 2 | E | 673mm 2’ 2.5” | 201kg 3-3-23 | 1988 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry |
| Treble | F | 648mm 2’ 1.5” | 181kg 3-2-6 | 1988 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry |
| Sanctus | 356mm 1’ 2” | 38kg 0-3-0 | 1701 | Henry II Bagley | |
| *cwt-qtr-lb |
Inscriptions on the bells
| Bell | Inscription |
|---|---|
| Tenor | GOD PROSPER THE CHVRCH OF ENGLAND ABRA:RVDHALL |
| 7 | LET YOVR HOPE BE XN THE LORD X623 EK |
| 6 | HENRX KNXGHT MADE MEE X620 |
| 5 | EDWARD COOK HENRX TAYLAR CHVRCH WARDENS H K X62X |
| 4 | WILLIAM PERRY GEORG GODFRY 1666. |
| 3 | HENRX KNXGHT MADE MEE ANNO X6X7 TB XP RECAST 1932/MEARS AND STAINBANK FOUNDERS, LONDON |
| 2 | FRANCIS H.S. CURD RESEARCH CHEMIST 1909–1948 Has WHITES OF APPLETON CHURCH BELL HANGERS cast on the rear. |
| Treble | JESSE W. HAWTIN ACCOUNTANT 1901–75 Has WHITES OF APPLETON CHURCH BELL HANGERS cast on the rear. |
Information about the bells is taken from Dove’s Guide for Church Bell Ringers and The Bells of St Michael’s Church, Cumnor: An Historical Note and Brief Account of the 1989 Augmentation and Rehanging, by Dr P. Hawtin C.Eng.
Cumnor Bell Ringers 