Relics of fire, July 3, 1911, Christ Church Cathedral, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
Post on Flickr by Bill Jarvis.
On July 3, 1911, lightning struck the south-west cormer of Christ Church Cathedral in Fredericton. The resulting fire spread through the roof to the steeple which was also destroyed, along with the chancel. The Cathedral bells fell, and were also destroyed.
The remains of the bells were melted down, and made into dinner bells, which were sold to help raise funds for repairing the damage. These bells have an exceptionally clear and pleasant tone.
Shown here are two of them. They have differences in the cross which serves as the handle. The one on the left is cast in one piece, with the date stamped vertically. The one on the right is cast in two pieces, with the date stamped horizontally. The bells are 53 mm in diameter, and are 80 mm tall.
The bell on the right has been handed down through my family. I believe it was purchased originally by my great grandfather, William Munson Jarvis of Saint John NB. He was prominent in church and diocesan affairs for many years.
Gerry Curry commented:
I have one of these bells too, like the one on the left. It was handed down through my mother's family. My grandmother was born and raised in River John, NS. She married an Anglican minister, but they would have still been teenagers in 1911, so I'm not sure how they got the bell unless there was a general fundraising campaign throughout Maritime churches.
From Fredericton Heritage Trust - Christ Church Cathedral
When Anglican Bishop John Medley (1804-1892) arrived from Exeter, England in 1845, he immediately set upon construction of Christ Church Cathedral. Along with his devotion to the Medieval Gothic style, he brought with him the young English architect, Frank Wills, who modeled the Cathedral as a virtual likeness of the late Medieval Church of St. Mary at Snettisham, Norfolk. The Cathedral was the first Canadian building to follow closely the ideals of the Ecclesiological Society, a reformist Anglican movement that sought a return to the architecture of the Middle Ages. Wills left Fredericton for New York in 1849, so the task of final design was given to the celebrated English Architect, William Butterfield (1814-1900). The tower of the Cathedral was the last major part to be constructed, original plans calling for twin towers, but soaring costs led to the choice of a single tower. The building was completed in 1853, and is universally regarded as the most important Gothic Revival building in North America. On July 3, 1911, lightning struck the Cathedral and the resulting fire gutted the spire and destroyed the choir when the bells melted and fell to earth. It took over a year and $100,000 to rebuild the Cathedral, which was administered by New York City architect Cass Gilbert (of Woolworth Building fame). Christ Church Cathedral was declared a National Historic Site in 1983.
