Revere Bell
{{Short description|Revere Bell in Singapore}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2015}}
{{use dmy dates|date=February 2015}}
{{Infobox bell|name=Revere Bell (Singapore)|location=Singapore|caster=Revere Copper Company|height=81cm|width=89cm}}
The Revere Bell is was a gift to Singapore by Mrs. Maria Revere Balestier, the daughter of Paul Revere and wife of the first American Consul to Singapore, Joseph Balestier. Cast by the Revere Copper Company in Boston, Massachusetts, it is the only Revere bell outside the United States. The bell is {{convert|81|cm}} in height and {{convert|89|cm}} in diameter with a clapper underneath.
History
The bell was given to St. Andrew's Church in 1843 by Maria Revere Balestier, the daughter of Paul Revere and wife of the first American Consul to Singapore, Joseph Balestier, on the condition that the bell would be used to sound a curfew for five minutes at 8:00 pm every night.{{sfn|Hooi|1976|p=1,9}}{{sfn|Liu|1996|p=173}} Back then, it was unsafe during night, with warnings sounded to remind sailers to return to their ships and for residents to be vigilant.{{sfn|Hooi|1976|p=1,9}} The curfew bell rang until 1855 when the church was demolished, and was resumed when the second church (which became St. Andrew's Cathedral later) was constructed in its place in 1861 until it was permanently discontinued in 1874.{{sfn|Hooi|1976|p=1,9}}
The bell remained in the church until 6 February 1889, where it was replaced by a new peal of bells presented from the family of Captain J. S. H. Fraser{{sfn|Lee|1990|p=27}} and subsequently put into a Public Works Department storage in Kandang Kerbau.{{Cite news |last=Anak Singapura |date=15 April 1937 |title=NOTES Of The DAY. |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19370415-1.2.60 |access-date=11 May 2025 |work=The Straits Times |pages=10}} In 1911, it was installed in St. George's Garrison Church in Tanglin Barracks. However, after it became irreparably cracked it was moved to a Royal Engineers storeyard. The Raffles Museum, now the National Museum of Singapore, learned of the bell in September 1937, and took custody of it after the Anglican Archdeacon of Singapore, Graham White, donated it to the museum.{{cite news |date=17 October 1937 |title=Balestier bell finds a home |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19371017-1.2.45 |work=The Straits Times |page=5}}
Since then the Revere Bell has been displayed the National Museum, apart from a period between January 1997 and May 2006 when the bell was loaned to the United States Embassy in Singapore while the museum was being renovated. During that time it was showcased behind velvet ropes in the foyer of the Embassy.{{cite speech|author=Patricia L. Herbold|title=Revere Bell Ceremony: Remarks by Ambassador Patricia L. Herbold|url=http://singapore.usembassy.gov/sp_051806.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140423114153/http://singapore.usembassy.gov/sp_051806.html|archivedate=23 April 2014|location=National Museum of Singapore|publisher=United States Embassy in Singapore|date=18 May 2006}} The bell, now in the museum's Singapore History Gallery, has been called a symbol of the friendship between the peoples of Singapore and the United States.{{cite speech|author=George W. Bush|authorlink=George W. Bush|title=Remarks by President George W. Bush|url=http://singapore.usembassy.gov/president_at_nus.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061126165000/http://singapore.usembassy.gov/president_at_nus.html|archivedate=26 November 2006|location=National University of Singapore|publisher=United States Embassy in Singapore|date=16 November 2006}}
File:Revere Bell, National Museum of Singapore - 20150208-01.jpg|The Revere Bell on display at the National Museum of Singapore in February 2015. The inscription of the bell is: "Revere, Boston 1843. Presented to St Andrew's Church, Singapore, by Mrs Maria Revere Balestier of Boston, United States of America".
File:Revere Bell, National Museum of Singapore - 20150208-02.jpg|Due to irreparable cracking of the bell (bottom right of the photograph), it was placed in storage until 1937 when it was donated to the Raffles Museum, now the National Museum of Singapore
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
=Cited works=
- {{Cite book |last1=Liu |first1=Gretchen |title=
In granite and chunam : the national monuments of Singapore|publisher=Landmark Books and Preservation of Monuments Board|isbn= 9789813065031|publication-place=Singapore |publication-date=1996 |language=EN}}
- {{Cite book |last=Hooi |first=Christian |title=The Revere Bell and the Balestiers |publisher=National Museum |publication-date=1976 |language=en}}
- {{Cite book |last=Lee|first=Edwin|title=
Historic buildings of Singapore|publisher=Preservation of Monuments Board|publication-date=1990 |language=en}}
Further reading
- {{Cite news|title=How a Revere bell came to Singapore|work=The Straits Times|date=5 April 1983|page=8}}
- {{Cite news|title=Notes of the day – St Andrew's bell|work=The Straits Times|date=15 April 1937|page=10}}
External Links
- [https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/article-detail?cmsuuid=32ceb4d3-93ac-4145-95d8-6022a17340a1 Infopedia article]