Cathedral fire has familiar ring
By Twila Buttimer and Frank Morehouse
Diocesan Archivists
The fire at Christ Church Cathedral in August 2006 struck an all too familiar chord with the Anglican archivists and Anglicans with long memories. The allusion here is to the earlier and well-known fire of last century, the result of a lightning strike, which did extensive damage to the Cathedral.
According to Robert Watson’s history, the “Cathedral was struck by lightning at 11 p.m. on July 3, 1911. A fire began on the roof of the nave over the south porch and burned along the roof to the spire where most of the damage was done. The spire was totally destroyed, the bells melted and the new $10, 000 organ ruined along with most of the Butterfield furniture. Much of the roof and some of the stained glass were damaged … Estimates of the damage ran as high as $100,000.”
More details of the fire can be easily found in the appropriate issue of The Daily Gleaner and will not be recounted here. Instead, this article concentrates on one memorable, though not very successful, response of the Cathedral Restoration Committee to the catastrophe.
As indicated above, the original eight bells, weighing almost five tons, melted in the heat but that was not to be their end. Instead, one ton of the molten brass was saved to make little souvenir bells (to raise funds to buy new tower bells) and the Dean was authorized to dispose of any metal remaining.
Initially, some of the bell metal was sent to T. McAvity & Sons in Saint John, which returned a sample bell which they could make for 70 cents, but there is no indication that this local company was given a contract. Instead, some of the work was undertaken by a Montreal company (C.O. Clark & Brother), by Bromsgrove Guild (a Worcestershire, England company) and possibly the English bell maker J. Warner & Sons. Archival records are too sketchy to be certain.
Three designs (and prices) for the souvenir bells were approved at the June 19, 1912 meeting of the Restoration Committee. These were: the small bell with the straight handle to sell for $1.25 (later reduced to $1.00); the small bell with cross handle to sell for $1.75; the Apostle Bell to be ordered from England to sell for $3.50.
Records show that C.O. Clarke & Brother made the best known design –– the familiar bell with the cross handle –– bearing the words: “Relic Cathedral Fire Fredericton, NB.” on the main part of the bell while the date of the fire appears on the cross. Six hundred of these were purchased in three lots in 1912 at 35¢.
It appears that 300 of the larger “Apostle Bells” (with the monastery design) were purchased from Bromsgrove Guild for $1.45 per bell. The inscription reads: “Relic Christ Church Cathedral Bells, Fredericton, N.B., August 31, 1853 – July 3, 1911.”
How many of the bells with the “straight handle” (and inscribed: “Christ Church Cathedral, July 3, 1911”) were purchased or from which company is not specified in the surviving archival records.
Attempts were made to sell the bells through agents (for a commission up to 20%) – but when this did not work, the committee returned to its original plan of sending sample bells to the rector of each parish and asking him to find someone to take the local orders. The Christ Church Cathedral restoration account statement, 1911-1915, shows that the sale of these souvenir bells raised only $289.80, perhaps because of the cost of shipping the old metal, while the sale of “old bell metal” netted $950.50.
Of course, the monies realized from the sale of the souvenir bells became less crucial (and were simply added to the general restoration fund) when millionaire Sir James H. Dunn purchased and donated the new tower bells at a cost of $10,000.
The present 15 bells and the original eight were all made by the famous London firm of J. Warner & Sons. Warners kept excellent records –– weights, tone, inscription etc. of the 1853 bells –– and simply duplicated the original eight and added seven new ones.
The total cost of restoring the cathedral was $70,000. Other interesting fundraisers (such as the cookbooks) could be explored at another time.
Sources:
Robert L. Watson, Christ Church Cathedral, A History (1984)
Minutes, Restoration Building Committee, 1911-1913
Files on Cathedral Restoration, 1911-1915
With special thanks to Archbishop and Mrs. Nutter.
The “Archives Corner” is prepared by
Twila Buttimer (Twila.Buttimer at gnb.ca) or 506-453-4306 and
Frank Morehouse (Frankm at nbnet.nb.ca) or 506-4593637.
Contact them with your questions and comments or to tell them about your souvenir bells.
