<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=windows-1250">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10 (filtered)">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
@page Section1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
</head>
<body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma'>-----Original Message-----<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>From:</span></b> michael baron [mailto:mike.baron@PQ-wVdN42a3EdsSknNPSeWAGoOQy1HFf5KuiOpUWnMr33eF_QTBUpw_9NBCL2umTm-y_1wOpcWqzOZdNLiA.yahoo.invalid]
<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> </span></font><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>15 March 2007</span></font><font
size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> </span></font><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>00:29</span></font><font
size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'><br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b>
webmaster@f3vrNx7oZQLyJ4Wt-yWcW4wi399BEP5yvc4zFGNxtGJI0gPevNICnC--cBRV3g2rYBmXHbjNomrKDGQPyj8AjERnIbvVHvx9ug.yahoo.invalid<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Unusual initial cross</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>I am researching the origin of a local, medieval (probably
14th Century) bell by looking for similarities in the bell's inscription with
published details of the inscriptions on other bells.</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Up to now, I have trawled through some 14 different 'Church
Bells of (</span></font><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>County</span></font><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> </span></font><font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>X</span></font><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>)' books,
without finding a match for the initial cross in the inscription on our bell.
Our initial cross is in the form of a heraldic 'cross formee' or 'cross
pattee', but most like a military German Iron Cross. While this shape is common
in 14th Century bell inscriptions and in mint marks on 14th Century English
'Edwards' coinage, where the version of the cross on our bell differs from all
similar crosses I have seen so far, is that the flat ends of all four of the
cross's arms have a row of three balls or circles beween the cross ends &
the perimeter of the cross's rectangular stamp. This makes a total of 12
circles, or balls, which could conceivably represent the 12 apostles. The only
other representation of a cross surrounded by 12 balls that I have seen, is the
Cross of Toulouse, France. In this case, the form of the cross is similar,
though not as pronounced as the German Iron Cross, but the ends of the arms are
not flat, as in our bell inscription, but are pointed (more like an arrow
head). Please note, that the three balls at each end of our cross's
four arms, are not arranged in a triangular configuration, as is usual in a
cross botonnee, or trefoil cross. Between each ball and the flat ends of the
cross, there is a hint of a thin 'stalk' joining each ball to the flat cross
ends. This may just be the result of a fine bell founding groove, to allow the
molten bell metal to run from the cross into the hemispherical 'balls'. Is it
possible that we have a French bell and not an English bell, as thought
previously. Following our initial cross, the rest of the bells inscription
reads 'AVE MARIA GRACIA' in Lombardic Capitals on individual letter stamps,
with 'Royal Head' word stops between the AVE & MARIA and between the MARIA
& GRACIA. Both the 'G' and the 'R' in GRACIA were cast upside-down. There
are three moulding wires both above and below the inscription on our bell. The
bell weighs 70 lbs and the 'mouth' is about 14.5 inches in diameter.</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>I have been in contact with both the Rev. David Cawley (who,
with Ranald Clouston, saw our bell in the 1960s) and with Dr. John Eisel
, but remain unconvinced by a diagnosis made some 40 years ago, that our bell
was founded by one of the Ruffords of Toddington, Bedfordshire. My scepticism
is the result of noting that all the published illustrations I have seen of the
initial crosses on surviving Rufford bells are totally different to that on our
bell, while the Lombardic letterings on Rufford bells are far cruder than the
fine lettering on our bell.</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>I would be most grateful if any of your bell historians can
throw light on the origin of our bell, and in particular, on our most unusual
initial cross.</span></font> </p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Dr. J. Michael Baron, Eastry, </span></font><font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Kent</span></font><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>.</span></font></p>
</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>
<BR>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>--<BR>
No virus found in this outgoing message.<BR>
Checked by AVG Free Edition.<BR>
Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.11/722 - Release Date: 14/03/2007 15:38<BR>
</FONT> </P>