Great Tom (bell)

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Great Tom is the bell that hangs in Tom Tower (designed by Christopher Wren) in Christ Church, University of Oxford, England. It is the loudest bell in Oxford, and measures seven feet one inch in diameter and five feet nine inches in height, and weighs six and a quarter tons.

Originally called "Mary", Great Tom used to hang in Osney Abbey, until in 1545 it was moved to St Frideswide's church, after which at some point it was renamed "Tom". It had caused problems since its first casting, wearing out its clapper, and was recast in 1612, 1626, and 1654, but without solving the problem. In 1678–1679, Richard Keene of Woodstock tried three times to recast it, in the process increasing its weight from two to over six tons, but it wasn't until a final recasting in 1680 – by Christopher Hodson, a bell-founder from London – that success was achieved, and the resulting bell, Great Tom, was hung in the newly completed Tom Tower. It was rehung in May 1953.

There is an inscription on the bell in Latin, which translated reads:

"Great Thomas the door closer of Oxford renovated April 8, 1680 in the reign of Charles II. Deacon John, the Bishop of Oxford and sub Deacon give thanks to the knowledge of Henry Smith and the care and workmanship of Christopher Hodson".

Great Tom is still sounded 101 times every night, which signifies the 100 original scholars of the college plus one (added in 1663). It is rung at 21:05, which corresponds to what used to be "Oxford time" (when different parts of the country set their clocks according to their distance from the Greenwich meridian), and was at one time the signal for all the Oxford colleges to lock their gates. The bell is only rung by swinging on very special occasions.

The bell is the subject of a number of Oxfordshire Morris tunes and rounds, including "Old Tom of Oxford" (from Bampton), and the rounds "Great Tom Is Cast" and "Bonny Christ Church Bells", which were composed by the Dean of Christ Church, Henry Aldrich (1647–1710).