Birmingham, St Paul

St Paul: 10: 12-2-13 in F#

Grid Reference 139/065875 Birmingham St Paul. Source: Mike Chester
Postcode B3 1QZ
Affiliation St Martin’s Guild
Peals Felstead Database
Sunday 1745-14830
Practice Thursday 1930-2115

History

The Grade I listed church, in Birmingham’s famous Jewellery Quarter, was designed by Roger Eykyns of Wolverhampton. Charles Colmore donated 3 acres of land on Harpur’s Hills, later Harper’s Hill, and gave not only the site, but also £1000 towards the cost of the building. The rest was to be raised by subscription. Building started in 1777, and the church was consecrated in 1779. It was built on land given by Charles Colmore from his Newhall estate. Of especial note is the Venetian east window. In 1785 Francis Eginton was commissioned to make a painted glass window depicting the conversion of St Paul, from a painting by Benjamin West.

The chapel was consecrated in 1779, but it was not until 1841 that a parish was formed out of that of St Martin’s-in-the-Bull Ring.  The upper part of the tower and spire was added between 1822 and 1823, designed by Francis Goodwin and built by Standbridge and Company.   Bomb damage from the Second World War was repaired between 1949 and 1951 when much of the roof was replaced. The church undertook another restoration between 1985 and 1994.

Until 2005 there were three bells in the tower

1 James Barwell, Birmingham  1874  4-2-10  27.00″  F#
2 James Barwell, Birmingham  1874  7-0-20  32.625″ B
3 John Warner & Sons, London 1858 16cwt    45.00″  E

The are inscribed:

  1. JAMES BARWELL FOUNDER. BIRMINGHAM 1874.
  2. J : B. 1874.
  3. CAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS LONDON 1858.
    Waist: (Royal Arms)
    PATENT

The two smaller bells were for the clock and the larger a service bell, possibly replacing an earlier one installed when the tower was completed. The hour bell was hung for ringing in a frame that dated from this time, but was derelict.

In 2005, a new peal of ten bells in the key of F sharp installed as “The Voice of St. Paul’s” and also as the main Guild project during the 250th anniversary of the St. Martin’s Guild of Church Bell Ringers. The official opening took place on 25th November 2005. The two tenors are hung above the front 8.

The work involved some alterations to the clock, the removal of the old clock room and the erection of new steelwork to support the three old bells, which were retained for the clock. Dumb-bells for practice have been installed above the ring, and sound control has been fitted in the belfry windows.

The installation was noted in the Foundry Focus article in The Ringing World of February 2nd 2007:

St. Paul’s Church, Jewellery Quarter, BIRMINGHAM, West Midlands (10, 12-2-13 in F sharp)
A complete new ringing peal of ten bells was cast to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the St. Martin’s Guild for the Diocese of Birmingham. The bells are hung in two tiers in a galvanised steel H-frame; the upper tier contains the two largest bells plus an additional two dumb-bells for teaching purposes, the lightest eight hang in the lower tier. They have Taylor ringing fittings including cast iron stocks, ball bearings etc. The three existing clock bells have been resited above the new steel frame, the hour bell in its original frame and fittings but without the wheel. Ringing takes place from the former clock chamber, behind the circular windows which form the clock dials; the chamber beneath is being refurbished as a teaching room for the “Birmingham School of Ringing – St. Paul’s”.”

The project was highlighted in The Ringing World of August 8th 2008. Details included the first peal on these bells in 2005:

RW2008   
RW2008 RW2008 RW2008 
  RW2008
(Click to enlarge)

(Most of the above information is quoted directly (with permission) from the research notes of Chris Pickford)

Details of the Bells

1 Taylors, Eayre & Smith Ltd, Loughborough  2005   2-2-06  21.50″  1868.0Hz (A#+3c)
2 Taylors, Eayre & Smith Ltd, Loughborough  2005   2-3-02  22.50″  1663.0Hz (G#+2c)
3 Taylors, Eayre & Smith Ltd, Loughborough  2005   2-3-02  23.50″  1478.0Hz (F#-2c)
4 Taylors, Eayre & Smith Ltd, Loughborough  2005   3-0-13  24.50″  1388.5Hz (E#-10c)
5 Taylors, Eayre & Smith Ltd, Loughborough  2005   3-2-14  26.00″  1247.0Hz (D#+3c)
6 Taylors, Eayre & Smith Ltd, Loughborough  2005   3-2-23  27.50″  1110.0Hz (C#+2c)
7 Taylors, Eayre & Smith Ltd, Loughborough  2005   4-3-02  30.00″   991.0Hz (B+6c)
8 Taylors, Eayre & Smith Ltd, Loughborough  2005   6-1-02  32.50″   928.0Hz (A#-8c)
9 Taylors, Eayre & Smith Ltd, Loughborough  2005   8-1-09  36.00″   831.0Hz (G#+1c)
10 Taylors, Eayre & Smith Ltd, Loughborough 2005  12-2-13  41.00″   740.0Hz (F#+0c)

Inscriptions

1 THE GRIMMETT BELL.
GIVEN BY
CHARLOTTE BIBILO & RICHARD GRIMMETT,
MASTER OF THE
ST. MARTIN’S GUILD OF CHURCH BELL RINGERS.
2 THE MILLS BELL.
GIVEN BY
PAUL & CHRIS MILLS
DOMINUS ILLUMINATIO MEA.
3 THE HORTON BELL.
GIVEN BY
JANET & STEVE HORTON
TO CELEBRATE
OUR SILVER WEDDING.
4 THE MARTINEAU BELL.
GIVEN BY THE FAMILY
IN MEMORY OF
THE FIVE GENERATIONS
WHO SERVED THIS CITY AS
MAYORS & LORD MAYORS
DEO GRATIAS
2OO5
5 THE VOICE OF ST PAUL’S
GIVEN BY THE CONGREGATION
AND THE FRIENDS OF ST. PAUL’S
VICAR – REVD. TOM PYKE M.A.
FRANCES JONES }
               JEAN STEVENS } CHURCHWARDENSOpposite:
‘MY MOUTH SHALL SPEAK
THE PRAISE OF THE LORD
AND LET ALL FLESH GIVE THANKS
TO HIS HOLY NAME
FOR EVER AND EVER’
PSALM CXL V:21.
6 THE BIRMINGHAM ASSAY OFFICE BELL,
CHAIRMAN OF THE WARDENS
ROGER BURMAN
ASSAY MASTER
MICHAEL ALLCHIN
(Assay Office date letter – an embossed “f” – for the year 2005)Opposite:
(Birmingham Assay Office mark – an anchor – and date 1773)
7 THE RINGERS’ BELL.
GIVEN BY
MEMBERS AND FRIENDS OF
THE ST. MARTIN’S GUILD
OF CHURCH BELL RINGERS
IN ITS 250TH YEAR
8 THE MEMORIAL BELL
PAT ROACH [space] THE RECTORY BAR AND RESTAURANT
‘BORN’ SEPT O5
– – –
DOROTHY EDITH GILBERT (NEE FIELD)
ALBERT WILLIAM FIELD
WILFRID BARNETT FIELD
PHYLLIS MAY FIELD
PERCY LEONARD FIELD
RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS PEOPLE OF BIRMINGHAM
Opposite:
BETTY SMITH
BARBARA GREATRIX
FRANK & ALICE SAWKILL
WILLIAM & ROSE NALL
2005
9 THE COMMON GOOD BELL.
GIVEN BY THE EDWARD CADBURY CHARITABLE TRUST (INC.)
ESTABLISHED BY EDWARD CADBURY AND
THE BIRMINGHAM COMMON GOOD TRUST ESTABLISHED BY HIS
YOUNGER BROTHER, GEORGE.
Opposite:
THEIR SOUND IS GONE OUT
INTO ALL THE LANDS
ROMANS X:18.
2005
10 (Chord logo)
CHORD
CHRIS ROSIER
GEOFF SHUTTLEWORTH
EMILY CLAYTON
ANDY CRONIN
2005
Opposite:
(Royal Bank of Scotland logo with initials RBS)
SHAUN KELLY
STUART SANDERS
NICK OAKLEY
NEIL COOPER
HAZEL McINTYRE
2005

 

Photo Gallery

Looking East. Source skup003 St Paul's 1809
The Church – Looking East The Church in 1809,
Before the Spire Was Built

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