Sound of the middle ages will ring out again at Aberdeen
The last surviving original bell from King’s College Chapel will be returned to the University of Aberdeen today (Tuesday, June 15), after an absence of 234 years.
The bell, which has been hanging at the church in Tough for more than 200 years, was identified as one of the Chapel’s original bells by an ecclesiastical historian the late Francis Eeles and the campanologist Ranald Clouston.
Bishop William Elphinstone, who founded the University in 1495, donated 13 bells to the Chapel. It is believed they were installed shortly after his death in 1514, as one of the larger bells, made by George Waghevens of Malines, was inscribed 1519.
By 1700, all Elphinstone’s bells were in a poor condition and the University finances even worse. As a result, they were removed and mostly broken up for scrap. However, French founder Monsieur Gelly recast one of the bells in 1702 and this still survives in the Tower.
Gelly’s successor at the Old Aberdeen Foundry, John Mowatt, kept the smallest bell (19 inches in diameter) until 1765, when the minister of Tough, Patrick Copland, who wanted a new bell for his small country church, approached him. Copland was short of money and his parishioners were unwilling to contribute, so he handed over the church’s existing bell and ‘all the bad money in the box’.
In a bid to reduce the risk of damage to the Tough bell, it was to be rung just once by the church officer following a death and again at the funeral. However, it was cracked and unusable and was taken from Tough last year and repaired at a cost of £400. The bell is now fully restored and will be returned to its former home tomorrow.
Dr Jane Geddes of the University’s History of Art Department, who has been responsible for bringing together the expert help to ensure the bell is returned, said: “We known this is one of Elphinstone’s bells because a shield identifies its founder as William Culverden, who was a prolific bell caster in London between 1497 and 1522.
“It shows a bell with the word ‘Fond’ for founder, and around it the words ‘In the Lord I put my trust; how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain’, taken from Psalm XI. This bird is depicted at the bottom of the shield, with the letters ‘dê’ above it. The bird stands for a pigeon or culver, with ‘den’ above, and the letter ‘W’ for William on the other side,” she said.
“It’s almost like one of the family coming home. This is the bell which was used to tell the scholars and the students when to go to prayer and when to go for lectures. It’s wonderful that it’s going to be heard again.”
Further information from the University Press Office on 01224 273778 or Dr Jane Geddes on 01224 273784.