The bells of St. John's Kirk still sound out the passage of time over the city of Perth, but before people were easily able to ascertain the time of day, they played an even larger part in the regulation of city life. We would not respond well today to the waking bell at 4am, the call to work at 6am, or the 8pm curfew bell.

The present bells in use consist of the 16th century Bourdon or "Preaching Bell", and a carillon of 34 bells which were installed in 1935. Following the restoration of the Kirk 1923-26, a separate appeal to renew the carillon was headed by Mr. Melville Gray of Bowerswell. The inscriptions on the bells indicate donations from prominent individuals in Perth, the Guildry, and the Shoemaker and Hammermen Incorporations.

The bells were cast by Gillett and Johnston, and are hung "dead" on a massive steel frame. They can be played by using a clavier - a keyboard of batons which are struck with a clenched fist, and foot pedals. Tunes can also be played using an automatic paper band machine - but this has become fragile with age.

The oldest bell in use is the Bourdon, cast in 1506 at Mechline by Peter Waghevens. It weighs 28cwt. 4lbs.

A translation of the Latin inscription reads:-

John the Baptist 1 am called
The voice of one crying in the wilderness.
Peter Waghevens made me at Mechline
Let him be blest who made all things
M CCCCC VI

It reinforces our sense of history to think that this bell would have been heard by John Knox.

The oldest bell is the Ave Maria cast in the early 14th century. It is no longer heard, but hangs in a small side belfry (with 12 other silent bells) on the north side of the spire. The 15 bells no longer in use are displayed in the Kirk. The oldest of these was cast c.1400. There is a tuned set of 5 smaller bells cast in 1526.

Altogether there are 63 bells and they comprise one of the best collections of bells in Scotland. There are gaps in our knowledge of the history of individual bells and some bells referred to in documents are no longer in the Kirk. Maybe we will find them one day!

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