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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I've just unearthed a copy of a letter=20
dated June 1986 from Peter Hayward (who then worked for Taylor's) =
;to=20
Chris Pickford. Chris kindly sent me this copy at that time and I'm sure he=
=20
won't mind me quoting from it. Peter confirmed that the three at Egmanton w=
ere=20
the first to have CI headstocks (March 1892), followed by the 41cwt Richard=
s=20
Castle single bell (Oct 1892). He said that the first ring of six to h=
ave=20
them was N.Stoneham in March 1893 "...and they came into common use in the=
=20
Autumn of 1893 with Kendal and Merthyr Tydfil".</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Peter also confimed that in=20
1894, Worcester Cathedral tenor (cast1869, 50cwt) was rehung with=
a CI=20
headstock. That headstock (and the wheel) were re-used when the bells were=
=20
recast in 1928 (tenor now 48cwt). It was possibly the biggest CI stock that=
=20
Taylor's had made at the time.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The 1869 wooden headstock (and hoop=20
gudgeons) remained in the tower until we lowered them in about 1980 wh=
en we=20
were removing clappers and pulleys for overhaul. They are now on display in=
the=20
cloisters. The headstock is one huge piece of elm that I measured this morn=
ing.=20
It is 64ins wide x 32ins high bx 11ins thick. The cut-out for the bell=
is=20
91/2ins deep. The annual rings show that the diameter of the tree was=
=20
probably at least 4ft! </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>DB</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LE=
FT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<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 title=3Dandrew_higson@t...=20
href=3D"mailto:andrew_higson@t...">Andrew Higson, Bellmaster=
</A>=20
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A=20
title=3Dbellhistorians@yahoogroups.com=20
href=3D"mailto:bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com">bellhistorians@yahoogroups=
.com</A>=20
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, January 25, 2005 2:=
35=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Bell Historians] Tay=
lors=20
and timber headstocks</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>David is 2 years out at Nynehead, actual=
ly 1894.=20
It was 3 & 4 of 5 that were fitted with CI stocks. The work was compl=
eted=20
on Nov 3rd 1894. I can't find a reference to Nynehead in the iron casting=
=20
books, so it is possible they were intended for another job which might=20
explain why they are mis-numbered.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The first specific reference to cast iro=
n=20
headstocks for ringing bells was on 1st March 1893, these being the three=
=20
headstocks for Egmanton in Notts (Wake up George!).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>There is an earlier cast iron headstock =
- for=20
Richard's Castle which weighed 7-3-4 and was cast in October=20
1892.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>E&OE, just to be on the safe=20
side!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Andrew</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY><=
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