 Brawls and other unruly behaviour were the reason why Mrs Balestier, the first American consul's wife, presented the historic Revere Bell to Saint Andrew's Church in 1843.The bell was intended not only for church service but also to be struck in the afternoon to warn seamen to return to their ships before darkness fell.A sandy beach once existed in front of Raffles Hotel on the Beach Road side, and may account for the few steps which today lead to the lobby, as apparently it was common for the water to come up and over Beach Road at high tide, before the land now in front of Beach Road was reclaimed.