The church bell was consecrated
on March 6th 1892 by Bishop Gordon. Dedicated to St. Joseph, the
bell was to be a memorial to Fr Martin Everard and Fr John O'Reilly, the
previous two Jesuit Rectors of St. Austin's who had recently died.
The bell had been cast in
Dublin and, after installation fees, cost 72 pounds, 18 shillings
and 4 pence. The cost was met by subscriptions from the congregation.
The bell played its part
in many important occasions over the years. On November 11th 1918,
it was the first bell in Wakefield to follow the lead of the town hall
in ringing to signal the signing of the Armistice and the end of World
War 1. The event was significant for Saint Austin's parish
which had lost at least 72 men to the conflict.
In later years the bell fell
into disrepair and its dangerous condition meant that it could not be used.
The situation was remedied in 1990 when its renovation was completed as
part of the restoration project.
Unfortunately due to misuse,
the bell's frame was damaged again and has not been used since.
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