*Location:

   Tolbooth (or) Cross Steeple
   High Street/Saltmarket
     at Gallowgate/Trongate
   Glasgow, Strathclyde (Lanark), Scotland
   OS Ref. NS 596 648
   LL: N 55.85683, W 4.24364

Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page (County is wrong; other data are correct.)

*Player:

   (unknown)

*Contact:

   (unknown)

*Schedule:

   (unknown)

*Remarks:

   First set of bells (number unknown)
   cast in Holland in 1663, intended for
   installation in a new steeple in
   Briggait, but eventually installed here.
   Replaced by 19 bells from London,
   which were found to be out of tune, and
   mostly replaced by 14 small bells cast
   and tuned in Edinburgh.  Present
   bells by John C. Wilson (local Scots),
   with 2-row chimestand; added
   semitones are minor 3rd and its octave,
   sharp 5th and flat 7th.

*Technical data:

   Traditional chime (chimestand) of 16 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is G# in the middle octave
   Transposition is up  1 semitone(s)
   Keyboard range:     G D   /    NONE  
   There are four added semitones
   The whole instrument was installed in 1881
     by the maker cited in Remarks above
   Prior history:
     In 1739, some bells were recast or replaced
       by the maker cited in Remarks above
       (0 bells remain from that work.)
     In 1738, a complete instrument of 19 bells was installed
       by the maker cited in Remarks above
       (0 bells remain from that work.)
     In 1665, a complete instrument of  8 bells was installed
       by the maker cited in Remarks above
       (0 bells remain from that work.)
   No auxiliary mechanisms known
   Tower details not available
   Year of latest technical information source is 2020

Additional information on the technical history of this instrument can be found in a database printout.

A page about this chime, compiled by a member of the local ringing society, provides many photos along with a detailed history and description of the present bells and their predecessors.

An article and photo about the Tolbooth

Another article and photo

Night photo

Day photo; the bells of the chime are visible between the clockface and the stone crown.

A page on Old Glasgow Sights gives a few more details of the steeple's history

TVideo (4:22) about the Tolbooth - outside and inside.

Where the initial phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of unknown bellfoundries, in this region and in the world.
Where the second phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of unknown bellfoundries, in this region and in the world.
Where the third phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of unknown bellfoundries, in this region and in the world.
Where the final phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of miscellaneous bellfoundries, in this region and in the world.

Ranking among all British Isles chimes by pitch (weight).
Ranking among all British Isles chimes by size (number of bells).
Ranking among all British Isles chimes by year of completion.

Index to all tower bell instruments in Scotland.

   This page was built from the database on 31-Dec-20
   based on textual data last updated on 2020/12/31
   and on technical data last updated on 2020/12/31