The Bell

When the Bell tower at The Well was demolished in July 2024, the bell was discovered to be far older than was realised. From the inscription on the bell we discovered it was made is 1792 by Thomas Mears of London.

Research found that the bell was gifted by Dunlop Parish Church to the original church, St Ninians when it was build in the early 1960's.

The research shows;

Dunlop parish church was rebuilt about 1766 and again in 1835.

It opened in December 1835.  It was known as Dunlop Laigh church before uniting with Dunlop High on 3 September 1958 under name of Dunlop.

Church bells of Scotland

DUNLOP (Laigh Kirk).

In the tower hangs one bell, 37 inches diameter, inscribed :— THOMAS MEARS LONDON FOUNDER 1837

The bell is hung in its original fittings, though the wheel has been repaired and a counterbalance weight has been added to the headstock. The clapper has made two deep pits in the soundbow and the bell will soon need to be quarter turned so that the clapper •strikes in new positions.

In an old burial vault in the churchyard is preserved an earlier bell, 19" inches diameter, inscribed :—

FOR THEPARISH OF DUNLOP 1792

The lettering is similar to the smaller set used on the larger bell and also came from the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London, being cast by Thomas Mears, the father of the founder of the larger bell. This bell still has the clapper in place and was returned some years ago from the estate of Kennox whence it had gone when the new bell arrived.

Wikipedia - Kennox estate.

Major McAlester of Kennox, then a heritor of Dunlop church, obtained the 1792 bell and Miss McAlester and Mr.Charles G. S. McAlester returned it to the Kirk Session in 1935 to honour the centenary of the present church.[8]