The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-02-02
THE BELLS OF ST. sePuLcHRE.
They Peal for Royalty and Once TIC He'd
for Men Going to the GalIows.

They Peal for Royalty and Once Tc Ilod
for Men Going to the GalIows.
In the cable dispatches that told OF
the hanging of Thomas Nell Cream,
the poisoner, the reader was informed
that the bell of st. Sepulchre tolled as
the doomed man walked to the gallows
This was mistake. St Sepulchre has
not tolled for doomed men in two years.
St Sepulchre is an ancient and inter-
esting church in Holborn Viaduct
Opposite it is the old prison where so
many executions took place. A Mr.
Lovett is the cheerful custodian of the
steeple and guardian of the bells, He
has had charge of this magnificent peal
of ten bells that hang in the tower for
more than twelve years, and during
that time has on many occasions dis
charged duty, in fulfillment of an
ancient custom, of tolling the great
bell on the occasion of an execution at
the prison over the way
In the tower is an ancient blackboard
in carved oalSen frame, which has an
inscription in gilt letters of that large
Roman type so common in Inscriptions,
two to three centuries back. Under
date of 1908 the inscription tells how
one Robert Dove gave $50 for ringing
the greatest bell when condemned
prisoners are executed" ''e1 IS Sd" in
the margin is the sum annually to be
produced by aforesaid ESQ. The money
has now, by the charity commissioners,
been diverted to the more useful pur-
| poses of the Discharged Prisoners Aid
society; but until the s7th of August,
| 1890, the said greatest bell, or at least
| it's modern successor by Mears, date
1880, was duly tolled whenever a poor
| wretch parted with his life on the New
| gate scaffold.
A middle-aged man getting on for
elderly is presently introduced as Mr..
| helms, one of tn greatest composers OF
| peals and masters of the complicated
science or art of change ringing now
living. He it was who called the peals
rung at St. Clements on Jubilee day,
the birthday of the prince of Wales, by
| the society of Cumberland Youths, OF
which both Mr.. Lovett and Mr.. helms
are such prominent and eminent mem.
bers The jubilee peal lasted from 4:45
in the morning till well on in the fore.
noon. The still undaunted youths
wound up by ringing for two hours the
beautiful bells of St Sepulchre, but
were too exhausted to complete sec
ond peal, rs indeed they might we'll be
when the shortest possible complete
peal consists of something like 5000
changes.
ITS the name, the name and the
honor we ring for" declares the worthy
Mr.. helms; and the large and elabor
ately painted boards, records of former
exploits of the ancient society, that
hang around the walls of the base OF
the tower, bear witness to the enthusi
asm and devotion to their hobby Of
those who ring Up further flight OF
stone steps one must go to see the bells
that beside the ten that constitute the
peal include a saints bell dating from
the latter end of the seventeenth cen
fury. Most of the bells, it could be
seen by the list shown, which was a
ia c-simile of a heel-ball rubbing taken
from an engraved brass tablet hanging
under the tower of the church, were
made by Samuel Knight in the year
1879. and were hung by one Thomas
Catlin. 1t may also be noticed that ne
bells of the date of Doves request re
main, or If they do they have not been
recast-St Louis Globe-Democrat