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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Yes, it is a good little book; there are t=
wo others=20
contemporary with it by the same editorial committee: "Sturry, the Changing=
=20
Scene" and "Fordwich, the Lost Port"; this was followed later by "Hoath and=
=20
Herne" - whose bells are also described by Richard (with a gracious=20
acknowledgment to myself in the first case!).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>1. In response to Jim's question: the circ=
ular=20
three-bell stamp was first used at Whitechapel by Robert Mot (1570-1606), a=
nd=20
its use was revived by Thomas Bartlet (1616-1632) and his son Antony=20
(1640-1675) and grandson James (1675-1700). Mot placed his initials, RM wit=
h the=20
sacred monogram IHS below; </FONT> <FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Of the =
Bartlets,=20
all retained the three bells and monogram; in addition Thomas had THOMAS .=
=20
BARTLET . MADE . ME circumferentially; Antony had no individual distinguish=
ing=20
mark and James had I B either side of the upper bell. The use then declined=
so=20
far as a casting mark was concerned until Arthur Hughes took over in 1904. =
He=20
omitted the monogram, placing his initials A H either side of the upper bel=
l. A.=20
A. Hughes and his brothers placed their initials either side or below the u=
pper=20
bell. A A H alone, spaced equally; or AA/H RA/H</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>and occasionally AA/H RA/H / LA/H. After c=
1930 AAH=20
alone appears, the next change appearing in 1950 with AA/H WA/H / DH ; and =
a=20
while after the death of Bert Hughes (1964) the present form WA =20
&D / H was adopted. Joseph Hatch's stamp was similar, but had a mi=
lled=20
border instead of a wreath, no crown over the upper bell and of course it=20
contained his initials I H either side of the top bell.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>2 There are still over 100 of Joseph Hatch=
's bells=20
left in Kent. Quite a number are in the condition that they (apparently) le=
ft=20
the foundry, though few in ringing peals. A good number of his bells were c=
ast=20
flat and were tuned by 'skirting' the lip. Some have been filed in the soun=
dbow.=20
Whether this was by him or later bellhangers is a matter for=20
conjecture.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>3. There are apparently no traces left of =
the=20
foundry, which Stahlschmidt states (1887) on the authority of Mr James T Ha=
tch=20
stood "on the north side of King's Wood, in Ulcombe parish.....in a field a=
t=20
this day called 'the Welmonground'. evidently a corruption of 'the bellman'=
s=20
ground', and the scoriae and debris remained within my time and memory".=20
Joseph's grave, in Broomfield churchyard, was restored by the KCACR a few y=
ears=20
since.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>4. The foundry is described in Stahlschmid=
t, "The=20
Church Bells of Kent" and Elphick "Sussex Bells and Belfries". There was a =
small=20
pamphlet by J Hilton published c1960, but some of the information therein n=
eeds=20
to be treated with caution.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>DLC</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
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<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>Fro=
m:</B>=20
<A href=3D"mailto:jim@p..."=20
title=3Djim@p...>jim phillips</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A=20
href=3D"mailto:bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com"=20
title=3Dbellhistorians@yahoogroups.com>Bell Historians</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, November 19, 2004 9:=
00=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Bell Historians] Joseph=
=20
Hatch.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><TT>Browsing in the Oxfam bookshop at Canterbury I came ac=
ross=20
a delightful<BR>little book entitled 'Chislet and Westbere, Villages of t=
he=20
Stour Lathe'.<BR>The book was full of local interest concerning=20
churches,chapels, ancient<BR>houses etc, but what particularly caught my =
eye=20
were two very comprehensive<BR>articles by Richard Offen concerning the b=
ells=20
at Chislet (Kent's deepest<BR>toned six) and also of the Joseph Hatch fou=
r of=20
1623 and 1624 at Fordwich.<BR>The inscriptions of the bells are noted=20
and I see bells 2, 3 and 4 at <BR>Fordwich bear the<BR>founders mar=
k of=20
3 bells in a decorated circle very similar to the present<BR>Whtechapel=20
mark.<BR><BR>1. When does the present Whitechapel mark date from an=
d on=20
which bell did<BR>it first appear?<BR>2. How many Hatch bells remai=
n in=20
original condition and what tuning method<BR>did he use?<BR>3. Does=
any=20
trace of the Hatch bellfoundry exist i.e. a wall or marks in<BR>the groun=
d or=20
perhaps even a suggestion of the casting pit and where can <BR>they be=20
found?<BR>4. The Hatch foundry appears to have been prolific in its=20
heyday. Has there<BR>been any book or pamphlet about=20
it?<BR><BR></TT><BR></BODY></HTML>