BELL WITH A HISTORY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21758, 24 March 1934, Page 3 (Supplement)

BELL WITH A HISTORY

CARDINAL WOLSEY'S GIFT

BACK TO ITS TOWER All the little town of Sherborne, in Dorset, was out a few weeks ago to see Cardinal Wolsev's bell, the tenor of the great Abbey peal, brought back to its tower after being recast in London. It was a triumphal procession for a bell highlv prized because of its history, says Mr. Percy W. D. Izzard, in the Daiiiy Mail. It reached Sherborne station from the. old Whitechapel Bell Foundry, and with it a low, fourwheeled trolley made specially to carry it. Boys and old boys of bher borne School had borne most, of the cost of the recasting of the bell. To the .boys now fell the exciting task of hauling it the hallf-mile to the Abbey s west dooi. The seven other bells which had been returned had preceded it,. A long, strong pull of 70-boy-power, an uphill pull, cheered on by several-hundred-boy power, brought the 2$ tons bell back to its home. * ~ The ten senior boys from each ot the seven houses were the official pullers on the two double cables attached to the trollev, but the whole school of more than 400 took part in the escort, and manv " unofficial " hands were laid on the ro]>es for the sake of the glory or the adventure. Mr. Trelawnev Ross, one of the house masters, superintended the hauling of the bell and maintained the steadinesa of his long term splendidly, and the heavy load was takeu through the close to the west door without the slightest m Atftwo or three yards from the Abbey door the trolley came to rest for a few minutes while the tackle was prepared to let it safely down a sloping way on to the floor of the church, which is below the surrounding ground. Here the bell was resting on a spot which ror some ;50 yards before the Reformation had been its home. This was the site of the ancient parish church of All Hallows, which adjoined the western end of the Abbey, and relics of which still remain. The bell was first nuns in this church. Major J- H. B. Hesse, an old Sherbornian, who is a change ringer, made a short speech on the history or the bell. He told how Cardinal \\ olse.v, who had taken it from Touruai, Belgium, presented it to Sherborne, and all that had happened to it between that dav and this that saw the town crive it so enthusiastic, a welcome home. It was; a great occasion for bherboine. The rededication by the bishop, Dr. G. B. Allen, took place on March J. And now the canorous tumult or this, the heaviest peal of eight that the countrv possesses, flows out once more o\e Sherborne's red roofs—ad majorem Dei gloriam. '