Tenor bell clapper

This tenor bell clapper from St Bartholomew’s Church, dates from the 17^th Century.  In 1622, Thomas Bartlett cast and hung a treble bell. John and Christopher Hodson added a tenor in 1674.   The Whitechapel Foundry refurbished the two bells (with new clappers) and cast a further four to form six, in 2000.  Later that year on 26 November the Rt Rev’d Brian Smith Bishop of Tonbridge dedicated the bells.  The refurbishment and installation of the new bells was documented by Barbara Darby in her video The Bells of St Bartholomew’s

This diagram shows a typical church bell with he clapper hanging inside it.

Conservation note:  As might be expected in an iron object that is nearly 350 years old, the clapper was very pitted and rusty when it came into the Collection.  We have followed the advice given in “Conservation and restoration of iron and steel objects” (see https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Conservation_and_restoration_of_iron_and_steel_objects).  It was cleaned using aluminium oxide blasting and then protected with a coat of Paraloid B-72.

Our thanks for to Custom Wytelyne in Chatham for cleaning the clapper, free of charge.