Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 - 1953), Friday 5 July 1907, page 3


St.Stephens' Church Bell. At last the big bell of St. Stephens' Church, Portland, has been fixed in its proper place in the new belfry recently erected for its reception. The hoisting took place on Wednesday afternoon in the presence of..a good number of resi dents. The fixtures are not yet complete for ringing, and we are given to under. stand it will be a couple of weeks yet before the ringing will be adopted, A resident of this town who, apparently, has a good recollection of the early history of this bell, has been able to give us a few items in connection with its early days in Portland. We give these as supplied to us not having had oppor tunity to verify them, but may state if not actually correct the chief items may be taken as substantially true. The bell arrived in Portland in 1856, in the well known clipper of those days the Francis Henty. Its first resting place was in Henty's Richmond street stores. On the death of Miss Mary Henty, daughter of Mr. Stephen G, Henty, and who was buried at Kew in 1857, the bell was tolled for the first time. It was hung on the green in the private resi-dence in those days, and now the Rich mond Hotel, and after use for this solemn occasion it was again placed in the Rich mond stores where it remained pending the erection of the belfry, and in 1864 was hung. The belfry was erected by the late Mr Thos Lupton Knubley in 1864, and completed just prior to May 24. In this work Mr John Beglin, of this town, was present, and has a good re collection of the occurence, The event naturally created some considerable in terest, and disappointment was felt at the bell not being rung for some time owing to the absence of some portions of the ap pliance, the wheel or some such item ne cessary, Our informant relates the fol lowing lines as very prevalent in use in the town in those days and may be remem bered by some of our residents. We give them as supplied as under : In 1864, on the 24th of May, all Portland was rejoicing Because it was the Queen's birthday, And Mrs Wilson said she thought it would be very well To show our honour to the Queen to ring the new church bell. So Frank was straightway sent to ring away like fun, But, poor deluded mortal, his ringing was soon done, For Knubley came behind him, and frightened him like a ghost, And Frank, he bolted straight away and ran against a post. This stopped him for a moment, but he sped away from thence, So Knubley took after him, and Frank ran against a fence. Then home he goes, and to Peg Top shows his sad face. Now Frank is so little, and his mother Is so fat, So never mind says Peg Top, I'll give him tit for tat. Then Peg Top hunts the town, he hunts it for his prize, And down at Mac's finds Knubley and straight way blacks his eyes, Then Knubley gets a summons, and Peg Top must appear Before Jim Blair, the squire, who gives him justice fair. Fined £5, says he, with costs of summons to. Alas, alas, poor Peg Top, whatever will you do, For everybody knows you're as poor as poor can be, You have not got a tanner without it borrowed be. It may be of interest for some to learn that the bell was first rung for a wedding on the occasion of the marriage of the late Mr. Fordham, who was for some years clerk of St Stephens' church. This event is said to have taken place on a Saturday evening in 1865.