The Old Parish Church of Peebles
Virtual Visit
The Present Church
The Bells
The Old Parish Church of Peebles
Virtual Visit
Our bells were made and installed by the firm of
Taylor’s of Loughborough, between the years 1939 and
1940. They were, of course, not rung until after the end
of World War II.
There are 13 bells, which are hung ‘dead’: that is the
bells don’t swing but instead are stationary and are
struck by a hammer. They are played by one person
standing at a keyboard.
This type of arrangement is called a ‘carillon’ and is
very common on the Continent. There are about half a
dozen carillons in Scotland, including a very large one
in Aberdeen. The keyboard is on the same level as the
clock faces while the bells are housed in the floor
above – the part which, when seen from outside, has
the slatted windows.
From 1947 until his death in 1988, the bells were rung by Wilbert Whitie, an elder
of the church and well-known local bookseller. After his death, a Bellringers Group
was formed and consists of about a dozen people who take turns each Sunday to
ring the bells. The group, which is very enthusiastic, includes members from other
churches in the town.
The donor of the bells was Dr Alfred Ernest Maylard. He was a
well-known physician and the author of many medical books. He
was also a founding member of the Scottish Mountaineering
Club and was the author of the book ‘Walks around Peebles’.
He retired to live at Kingsmuir and died in Peebles in 1947, aged
92. He gifted the bells in memory of his wife and the largest (
tenor) bell (over 1 tonne in weight) bears this inscription:
These bells
are dedicated to the memory of
his dearly loved wife, Jane,
daughter of Charles and Margaret Reddie
and granddaughter of
the late Sir George Burns, Bart., of Wemyss Bay
by
Alfred Ernest Maylard. M.B., B.S., F.R.S.E.
Hon. Consulting Surgeon to the Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow
1940
Bell and Clock tower
© Peebles Old Parish Church of Scotland