St Salvator’s Society of bell ringers: the bells

The six bells hang high in the tower. Each has its own name and its own interesting history.

Click on a bell to see a bigger picture of it!

Bell no.1, “the treble” Annie 3-2-16, F♯ Cast in 2010 by John Taylor & Co, Loughborough. Named after Annie Forbes Salvesen, who was the sister of Prof. John Burnet, chair of Greek (1862-1926) and great-grandmother of the principal donor, Michael Buchanan.	Bell no.2, “the two” Agnes 3-2-1, E Cast in 1950 by Gillett & Johnston, Croydon, brought to St Andrews in 2010 from Greenock. Named by the After Many Days club, after St Andrews’ first female graduate, Agnes Forbes Blackadder (MA 1895)	Bell no.3, “the three” Elizabeth of St Leonard’s 4-0-23, D Originally cast in Ghent, c.1520. Brought from St Leonard’s to St Salvator’s in 1760, but has been melted down and recast many times, the most recent in 1940.


Bell no.4, “the four” Margaret 4-1-16, C♯ Cast in 1950 by Gillett & Johnston, Croydon, brought to St Andrews in 2010 from Greenock. Named by the St Salvator’s ringers after St Margaret, medieval Queen of Scotland.	Bell no.5, “the five” Katharine 6-1-15, B Originally cast for St Salvator’s College c.1460, but has been melted down and recast many times, the most recent in 1940.	Bell no.6, “the tenor” George 7-3-20, A Cast in 1939 by John Taylor & Co, brought to St Andrews in 2010 from Cradley Heath. Named after George Buchanan, graduate of St Leonard’s in 1525.

What do the letters and numbers mean? 7-3-20 is the weight of the bell; 7cwt - 3qr - 20lb. A is the musical note that the bell is tuned to.

The treble is the smallest and highest pitched, and the tenor is the biggest and deepest, but unusually the two is the lightest.

For more technical details of the bells’ weights and sounds, see Dove’s guide.

A plaque at the base of the stairs, dating from the restoration in 1940, gives some historical information: