I became intrigued by Agnes Egan (1891-1964) after discovering that it was thanks to a legacy from her that eight bells were installed at Holy Trinity Church, Amblecote in March 1966. It’s believed that she decided to make the bequest of the bells after being a patient at the nearby Corbett Hospital and hearing just the single bell ringing.
Whilst learning to ring church bells, I had rung at Amblecote on a number of occasions in 2024/25. With the help of the Tower Captain, whose late wife had also done some research, I have been trying to find out more about Agnes and her family. I also wanted to consolidate the known information about the bells.
Amblecote bells
Until the installation of the bells in 1966, Holy Trinity Church, Amblecote had only a single bell – the first bell was borrowed from the Governors of the Free Grammar School of King Edward VI in Stourbridge and was in use 1842-1859. The parish was obliged to return it to the Governors in 1859 and a replacement was sought.
Although the installation of a ring of eight bells was considered in 1859, nothing came of it and a single bell (weighing about 11cwt) was purchased from Charles and George Mears of the Whitechapel Bellfoundry, London.
The single bell bore the inscription:
C. & G. Mears, Founders, London.
Spes tuttusima in coalis. John William Grier, lncumbent.
Charles William Firmstone, William England, Churchwardens 1859.
This bell was in use from 1859 until early 1966 when it was removed in readiness for the installation of the eight bells.
The Express & Star, 2nd December 1964 reported on the bequest by “a retired Wollaston schoolteacher and a well known member of the church, Miss Agnes Egan” of money to provide a ringing peal of eight bells of medium weight for Amblecote Parish Church.
The Vicar of Amblecote, Rev. John Bredon Hencher (1931-2011), was concerned that the 80ft church tower, believed to have been built of bricks made of fireclay from the kilns used in the local glass-blowing industry, would not be strong enough to bear the weight of the bells.
However, it was subsequently found that the church was constructed from locally-made “buff” bricks rather than fireclay bricks, so the tower was deemed sufficiently strong to bear the weight of eight bells.
The bells were cast in 1965 by John Taylor & Co. and the total cost was £4,995.
The bells were rung for the first time on Easter Sunday, 10th April 1966 and the ringers signed the visitors’ book:
- Brian J. Luff (1937-1999) (of Washington, Sussex), who was the 39th most prolific peal ringer on tower bells in 1965 according to the Ringing World, 18th February 1966. He worked in Stourbridge for a time in the 1960s.
- Martin D. Fellows (1945-2008) (St Thomas’s, Stourbridge) – the joint 1st most prolific peal ringer on tower bells in 1965. He rang 1597 peals on tower bells and was Tower Keeper at St Thomas’s from 1964 until his death, as well as Ringing Master there from 1984 until his death. He was also Tower Keeper at Brierley Hill from 1992 until his death.
- Geoffrey Westwood (1923-2006) (St Thomas’s, Stourbridge) – he lived in Brierley Hill and attended King Edward’s until 1939 when he left, aged 16, to take up an apprenticeship with the Bristol Aero Engine Co. (later Rolls Royce).
- Michael J. Fellows (1947-1975) (St Thomas’s, Stourbridge) – the 3rd most prolific peal ringer on tower bells in 1965. He learned to ring at the age of 10. He became Master of the Northern Branch of the Worcestershire Association of Change Ringers and rang a total of 1012 peals before his untimely death, aged 27. He was at one time the youngest person to have rung 1000 peals.
- Arthur D. Fellows (1913-1997) (St Thomas’s, Stourbridge), father of Martin and Michael Fellows, and a ringer throughout his life from the age of about 16.
- Joseph Warr (1915-2003) (Lye and then St Thomas’s, Stourbridge) – a ringer for more than 60 years, including 40 at St Thomas’s. Although Warr was the maiden name of Agnes Egan’s mother, Orpah, I haven’t yet found a family connection between Joseph Warr and Orpah Warr.
- Peter L. Bill (St Mary’s Old Swinford)
- Peter J. Brown (St Thomas’s, Stourbridge) – he was also a member of the band of ringers at Halesowen.
- Frederick G. Handley (1906-1992) (St James’s, Wollaston) – he learned to ring in Kinver, where he was born, but he rang for most of his life at Wollaston where he had moved shortly before the Second World War. He rang 163 peals, including one in which all eight ringers were apparently called Frederick! He was Tower Captain at Wollaston for many years.
The first peal at Amblecote (5184 Yorkshire Surprise Major) was rung on Tuesday 12th April 1966, just two days after the bells were first rung. Five of the first ringers of the bells – Peter Brown, Martin Fellows, Michael Fellows, Brian Luff and Geoffrey Westwood – were also in the first peal band.
Shortly after installation, the bells were blessed by Rev. Hencher as it was reported that the Bishop was unable to visit for some time and the Vicar was keen for the bells to be rung as much as possible. The bells were eventually dedicated by the Bishop of Worcester, Dr L. Mervyn Charles-Edwards (1902-1983), on 2nd October 1966 at an evensong service.
On 2nd October 2016, a quarter peal of Plain Bob Doubles was rung before evensong to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the dedication of the bells.
On Friday 10th April 2026, general ringing took place 7.30-8.30pm to mark the 60th anniversary of the first time that the bells were rung. The Tower Captain of Amblecote was joined by 13 local ringers from St Thomas’s, Oldswinford, Hagley, and Smethwick, including several novice ringers and young ringers, to ring rounds and call changes on six and eight bells, plus Grandsire Doubles and Plain Bob Doubles. In contrast to 1966, when all of the ringers were male, more than half of the ringers in 2026 (8/14) were female.
Egan family
Agnes Egan was the daughter of Eugene and Orpah Egan (née Warr) and was born at King William Street, Amblecote on 12th May 1891. She was baptised at Our Lady & All Saints RC Catholic Church, Stourbridge on 14th June 1891. At the time of the 1901 census, the Egan family was living at 26 King William Street, Amblecote.
Agnes’s father, Eugene Egan (1846-1916), was a glass cutter at Thomas Webb & Son. He was also briefly the licensee of the Glassmakers’ Arms, situated on the High Street at the junction with Collis Street (opposite the Fish Inn/Ruby Cantonese) from March-August 1882.
Eugene Egan died on 4th April 1916 at the family home, 2 Vale Street, aged 70. His cause of death was chronic gout and interstitial nephritis. The death was registered by his stepson, Christopher Turner, whose addess was 7 Swan Street, Stourbridge. Eugene Egan was buried in the Catholic cemetery in Norton on 15th April 1916.
Eugene Egan was the second husband of Agnes’s mother, Orpah. Eugene and Orpah Egan had four children together: Eugene James (1882-1887); Alfred (1885-1964); Herbert (1888-1924); and Agnes.
Eugene’s parents – Timothy and Margaret – were both Irish Catholics, marrying in Cork in 1832 and moving to Stourbridge sometime between 1832-1838. Timothy was working as a glass cutter by the time of the 1841 census. He died in 1889, aged 76, and is also buried at the Catholic cemetery in Norton. Eugene’s mother, Margaret, died in 1900, aged 88, and is buried with her husband at Norton.
Turner family
Orpah’s first husband, Christopher Turner (1850-1881) was the licensee of the Glassmaker’s Arms, High Street, Coalbournbrook, Amblecote from August 1878, taking over from his father, Alfred, who had been licensee since 1861. Alfred was apparently a glass maker by day and ran the pub in the evenings.
Christopher died on 4th March 1881, aged 30, leaving his widow with two young children – Christopher Turner (1887-1947) and Orpah Evelyn Turner (1879-1947).
At some point between 1878 and 1881, the licence of the Glassmakers’ Arms must have reverted to Alfred Turner as in June 1881, Orpah Turner took over from her father-in-law Alfred Turner as licensee of the Glassmakers’ Arms.
The licence was transferred from Orpah Turner to Eugene Egan in March 1882, shortly before their marriage. In August 1882, the licence was transferred from Eugene Egan to George Nicklin.
Agnes Egan
By 1911, Agnes was living with her parents and her half-brother, Christopher Turner, at 2 Vale Street, Amblecote. The family remained at the address until at least 1921.
At the time of the 1921 census, Agnes was living with her widowed mother, her half-brother, Christopher Turner (aged 43, a screw turner), and her brother, Herbert Egan (33), who was listed as an invalid. At the time of the 1911 census, Herbert had been working as a Police Constable in Lewisham. 30-year-old Agnes was listed in 1921 as a teacher, employed by Birmingham Education Committee.
It appears that Herbert Egan died in Staffordshire in 1924. Agnes’s mother died in 1938 and is buried at Amblecote with her first husband, Christopher Turner.
By 1939, Agnes was living at 187 Bridgnorth Road, Wollaston. She continued to live there until her death. She was pre-deceased by her half-brother, Christopher Turner, and her half-sister, Orpah Evelyn Turner, who both died in 1947 and are buried together at Amblecote.
Agnes Egan was a teacher for 31 years – 18 of them at Brook Street School – before resigning c.1942 for the sake of her mental health. In 1952, she said that she had been fighting unsuccessfully for 10 years for the reinstatement of her job from which she said that she had been forced to resign rather than be dismissed. However, there was no right of appeal regarding teachers’ appointments. She said that she had been living on pre-war savings.
Some older members of the congregation at Amblecote remember seeing Miss Egan cycling around the local area, but I haven’t as yet been able to find a photograph of her, or of her parents or siblings. If you have a photograph that I could copy, please let me know.
One of her ex-pupils apparently told his daughter that that Miss Egan was rather eccentric and used to wear a leather trench coat, a mis-shapen beret pulled over her head, and would carry a knobbly walking stick that she used as a cane!
During church services she and a friend would write notes to each other in their hymn books. One such was found in the friend’s hymn book by her daughter which said: “Somebody’s got a new hat on!”
Agnes died of bronchopneumonia and bowel cancer at Burton Road Hospital, Dudley on 3rd September 1964 and her funeral took place at Holy Trinity Church, Amblecote on 9th September 1964.
She left an estate valued at £28,056 (£27,978 net), which would be equivalent to around £766,000 in 2026. Estate duties of £5,049 were paid, leaving around £23,000, out of which was made £300 in cash bequests to individuals.
She appointed as her Executors, George Leslie Penn, carpenter, of Amblecote, and the Vicar of Amblecote, Rev. Leonard P. Budge, “or other such person as should be Vicar of Amblecote” at the time of her death.
However, Rev. Budge (1911-2009) renounced his appointment as executor as he had moved in July 1964 to be Vicar of Frithelstock and Monkleigh, near Torrington, Devon. His successor, Rev. J. B. Hencher, was installed at Amblecote on 13th September 1964, so the living was actually vacant at the time of Agnes Egan’s death. George Penn was, therefore, the sole executor.
In addition to the bequests to individuals, Miss Egan left a legacy of £1,000 to her trustees to be invested and the income to be used for the care of her dog, Sheena, a Cairn terrier. The remainder of her estate was left in Trust with the following trusts specified:
- A stained glass window on the south side of Amblecote Parish Church should be erected in memory of her mother. If possible, the window was to resemble Holman Hunt’s Light of the World.
- A ringing peal of eight medium-weight bells should be installed, after the granting of a faculty. She also specified that an apparatus should be installed to permit the bells to be chimed by one person when ringers were not available. A small white marble plaque should be erected by the Trustees inside the church recording the gift of the bells by Agnes Egan in memory of her mother, Orpah Egan and of her half-brother, Christopher Turner.
- The residuary of the estate should be used to purchase freehold land, on the main road if possible, and to establish the Agnes Egan Housing Fund to provide a bungalow, or bungalows, for aged widows, spinsters or married couples who have resided in the parish of Amblecote for at least 20 years and who were members of the Protestant Church of England.
- £300 should be invested so that the interest would pay for the upkeep of the graves of Agnes Egan’s mother (in which Agnes also requested to be buried) and that of Agnes’s half-brother, Christopher Turner. The Vicar and Churchwardens would be responsible for the care and maintenance of the tombstones until the expiration of 21 years from the death of the last survivor of all of the descendants of his Late Majesty King George V who were born by the time of Agnes Egan’s death. At any point during this period, in the event of the grave not being cared for, or the lettering on the gravestone becoming illegible and not restored, then the bequest would become void and the £300 legacy and investment would devolve to the RSPCA Stourbridge branch.
Memorials
The stained glass window in memory of Orpah Egan was made by John Hardman & Co. and was dedicated in 1965. It reportedly cost around £500.
Although Agnes Egan had requested that the window be similar in design to Holman Hunt’s painting The Light of the World, it was actually a depiction of St Francis of Assisi that was chosen.
Agnes requested in her Will that her Trustees should have a small white marble plaque erected in the church recording that the bells were given by her in memory of her mother and half-brother but this seems not to have happened. Instead, a brass plaque near the altar commemorates Agnes’s bequest of the bells and the bungalows.
Each of the eight bells has an inscription commemorating Agnes, her mother and her half-brother, as well as other individuals:
- “To the memory of Agnes Egan who gave this peal”
- “To the memory of Orpah Egan”
- “To the memory of Christopher Turner”
- “Remember Winston Churchill of the 20th century”
- “Remember John F. Kennedy of the 20th century”
- “Remember Pope John XXIII of the 20th century”
- “Lewis Mervyn Charles-Edwards Bishop of Worcester 1965”
- “I to the church the living call and to the grave do summon all”
Almost ten years’ after Agnes’s death, the Birmingham Daily Post, 7th February 1974, reported that the church had not received the £300 specified in Agnes’s will for the upkeep of her grave and that of her half-brother. The interest on the amount should have been available to be used to keep the graves in good order. However, subsidence had tilted the headstone and it was noted that skilled stonemasons would be needed to reset the whole of the stone curve. The Vicar, Rev. Paul Tongue, said that it was a bit much for the church to have to pay when the person concerned left the money.
A spokesman for the solicitors acting for the estate said that the delay was caused because of problems involving other parts of the estate and that the matter was still under discussion between the solicitors and the Charity Commission. There is apparently no evidence that the £300 was ever received by the church.
If you have any further information about the families mentioned, please let me know.
Tracey