The Revere Bell was presented to St Andrew’s Church in 1843 by Maria Revere Balestier, wife of Joseph Balestier, the first American consul to Singapore. The bell now resides in the Singapore History Gallery at the National Museum of Singapore. It is the only Revere Bell outside the US.
History
In 1843, the Revere Bell was presented to St Andrew’s Church by Revere.1 She was the daughter of anti-British American patriot Paul Revere, and wife of Balestier, the first American consul to Singapore.2 The bell was given to the church on the condition that it would be rung for five minutes every night, immediately after the firing of the 8 pm gun to announce the start of curfew hours.3 As early Singapore was unsafe after dark, warnings were sounded during curfew to remind sailors to return to their ships and residents to be vigilant.4
Revere died on 22 August 1847.5 The sounding of the bell at 8 pm every evening continued until St Andrew’s Church was demolished in 1855. The practice resumed before the completion of the new church building (now known as St Andrew’s Cathedral) that replaced it. The first service in the new church building was held in October 1861. The regular 8 pm alert was discontinued in 1874.6
The Revere Bell was used in the church until 6 February 1889, when it was replaced by a new peal of bells presented by the family of J. S. H. Fraser.7 The Revere Bell was placed in storage at a Public Works Department facility at Kandang Kerbau.8 In 1911, the bell was lent to St George’s Garrison Church at Tanglin Barracks. It was later moved to the Royal Engineers storeyard when it cracked beyond repair.9
In September 1937, the damaged bell came to the attention of the authorities at the Raffles Museum (later known as National Museum). Archdeacon Graham White donated the bell to the museum, where it was cleaned and burnished. The bell was then placed near the museum entrance.10
In January 1997, the National Museum lent the Revere Bell to the US Embassy in Singapore.11 The bell sat in the embassy lobby until the museum completed its major restoration and renovation works in 2006. The bell was then returned to the museum in a commemoration ceremony in May that year. It is now part of the permanent exhibition in the Singapore History Gallery at the National Museum of Singapore.12
The Revere Bell in Singapore is one of the estimated 134 bells still in existence that were cast by the Revere Foundry and bear the Revere name. It is the only one located outside of the US. The bell was regarded as an indication of the presence of Americans in early Singapore, as well as a symbol of the close ties between the US and Singapore.13 The bell has been viewed by visiting American dignitaries, including Thomas (Tip) O’Neill, the first Speaker of the US House of Representatives to visit Singapore in 1983, and US Secretary of State George Shultz in 1986.14
Description
The Revere Bell measures 81 cm in height and 89 cm in diameter, with a clapper beneath it.15 It was cast in the Revere Foundry located in Boston, Massachusetts, by the Revere Copper Company, in the tradition of the Revere bells cast by Paul Revere. These bells were known for their clear mellow tones.16
The Revere Bell bears the inscription: “Revere Boston 1843. Presented to St Andrew’s Church, Singapore, by Mrs Maria Revere Balestier of Boston, United States of America”.17
Authors
Vernon Cornelius-Takahama and Joanna HS Tan
References
1. Christopher Hooi, The Revere Bell and the Balestiers (Singapore: National Museum, 1976), 1, 9. (Call no. RSING 327.0924 HOO)
2. Jim Baker, The Eagle in the Lion City: America, Americans and Singapore (Singapore: Landmark Books, 2005), 69–70. (Call no. RSING 303.4825957073 BAK)
3. Donald Davies, “Balestier’s Plantation Was a Flop,” Straits Times, 18 March 1956, 12 (From NewspaperSG); Gretchen Liu, In Granite and Chunam: The National Monuments of Singapore (Singapore: Landmark Books and Preservation of Monuments Board, 1996), 173. (Call no. RSING 725.94095957 LIU)
4. Hooi, Revere Bell and the Balestiers, 1, 9.
5. Davies, “Balestier’s Plantation Was a Flop.”
6. Hooi, Revere Bell and the Balestiers, 1, 9.
7. Edwin Lee, Historic buildings of Singapore (Singapore: Preservation of Monuments Board, 1990), 27 (Call no. RSING 720.95957 LEE); Hooi, Revere Bell and the Balestiers, 1, 9.
8. Anak Singapura, “Notes of the day,” Straits Times, 15 April 1937, 10. (From NewspaperSG)
9. “Balestier Bell Finds a Home,” Straits Times, 17 October 1937, 5. (From NewspaperSG)
10. “Balestier Bell Finds a Home.”
11. Baker, Eagle in the Lion City, 70; “Balestier – First US Consul to S’pore,” Straits Times, 29 December 2005, 28. (From NewspaperSG)
12. Kamal Sidhu, “Friendship That Turns Full Circle,” Straits Times, 20 November 2006, 19. (From NewspaperSG)
13. “The Balestier Series,” The American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, accessed 26 November 2021; Enrique Soriano, “Sound Ties,” Straits Times, 22 January 1977, 3. (From NewspaperSG)
14. “How a Revere bell Came to Singapore,” Straits Times, 5 April 1983, 8; “‘Four Eyes’ Meeting between PM, Shultz,” Straits Times, 24 June 1986, 1. (From NewspaperSG)
15. Hooi, Revere Bell and the Balestiers, 1, 9; “How a Revere bell Came to Singapore.”
16. Hooi, Revere Bell and the Balestiers, 1, 9.
17. Hooi, Revere Bell and the Balestiers, 1, 9.
The information in this article is valid as at April 2021 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.
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