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No medieval bell survives at Saint Mary's, though the Churchwardens' Accounts of the time record that in 1318 money was raised in the town for the casting of a new bell. The accounts from 1400 show there appear to have been two bells in the tower and another near the north porch. By the end of the sixteenth century the tower held at least four and maybe five.
Today we have a peel of eight, the oldest being the 4th, dating from 1617. There were several bell founders in Bridgwater, and both the treble and 2nd were cast by the local firm of T. Bayley in 1745. Several other Bridgwater cast bells are to be found in local churches and at least one is known to be in America. |
