charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" http-equiv=3DContent-Type=
>
<META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2919.6307" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The Annual Report of the Norfolk Churches =
Trust has=20
a two-page spread on the fire. Ir also gives the rebuilding date as 1868. T=
he=20
tower is given by Cattermole & Cotton in Norf. Arch. XXXVIIIiii 1983 p.=
239=20
as c.1530. The Report too quotes the G. MEARS FOUNDER LONDON 1858=20
inscription, with also I TO THE CHURCH THE LIVING CALL AND TO THE GRAVE DO=
=20
SUMMONS ALL</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The latter is a most un-G. Mearsish inscri=
ption;=20
perhaps it was on one of the old bells. The other which Mears bought was by=
=20
William Revel of London, c.1350 and bore:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>W / + SCE : IOHES : BAPTISTA : ORA : =
PRO=20
: ME</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Kimber copied this inscription, so it is i=
n his=20
books at Whitechapel. A further copy was made for Bixley, which used to han=
g at=20
the west end of the church - presumably it was destroyed in the=20
fire.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The 3rd of the unringable six at St Lawren=
ce,=20
Norwich, and the single bell at Hassingham, Norfolk, are also by Revel. The=
=20
latter church also went through a serious fire in the late sixties. The bel=
l=20
came down and appeared sound - but its tone was apparently ruined. In 1974,=
when=20
I was DAC Adviser, I was consulted about it, and Sounweld not only did =
;an=20
exhaustive work of crack detection, but successfully repaired it. Perhaps t=
he=20
Bixley bell - now in safe storage - will </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>respond to similar treatment if=20
needed.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>DLC</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Re: St Wandregesilius (Wandrille) he was a=
=20
7th-C</FONT> <FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Merovingian noble who became =
a monk=20
and founded the Abbey at Fontenelle; his relics were later translated to Gh=
ent,=20
where he became the patron saint of the cloth trade</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0p=
x; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-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 href=3D"mailto:neil.tcct@v..." title=3Dneil.tcct@v...>Neil=
=20
Skelton</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A=20
href=3D"mailto:bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com"=20
title=3Dbellhistorians@yahoogroups.com>bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com</A>=
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, February 17, 2005 =
9:46=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Bell Historians] Bix=
ley,=20
Norfolk</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>According to L'Estrange there was =
a single=20
bell: G. Mears, Founder, London. 1858. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Two bells recorded in inventory of Edwar=
d VI. One=20
said to have been by Wm Revel. Presumably both went in 1858? Pevsne=
r=20
says that the tower was restored in 1868 and the rest of church completel=
y=20
rebuilt. I am wondering whether 1858 & 1868 have been confused somewh=
ere=20
but maybe not? Church Bells and Bell-Ringing (Cattermole) suggests that t=
he=20
frame might have been earlier. The is a comparison with East=20
Carleton.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The dedication (St Wandregeselius) said =
to be=20
unique in England. No one of that name mentioned in my copy of the Peguin=
Book=20
of Saints!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>A sad story. Reminiscent of Buckfastleig=
h,=20
although there the tower and bells were subsequently restored.</FONT></DI=
V>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Neil Skelton.</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: =
0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>F=
rom:</B>=20
<A href=3D"mailto:davidbryant@h..."=20
title=3Ddavidbryant@h...>David Bryant</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> Thursday, February 17, 200=
5 7:55=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Bell Historians] Bixle=
y,=20
Norfolk</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Does anyone know what there was in the=
way of=20
bells at Bixley, Norfolk - gutted by fire last year? There are photos o=
f the=20
burnt-out church on the web at <A=20
href=3D"http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/bixley/bixley.htm">http://www.=
norfolkchurches.co.uk/bixley/bixley.htm</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>David</FONT></DIV><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></B=
LOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>