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<DIV><SPAN class=953321717-31072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Ranald
Clouston in his booklet on Manx Bells (1986) comments that it is the oldest
inscribed bell discovered on the island. He gives the inscription
as</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=953321717-31072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=953321717-31072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Iames
Earl of Derby 1729</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=953321717-31072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=953321717-31072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>and on
the waist below the border a plaque with:</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=953321717-31072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=953321717-31072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>Luke Ashton</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=953321717-31072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2> (bell)</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=953321717-31072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>Fecit Wigan</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=953321717-31072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=953321717-31072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>The
use of lower case inscriptions is a feature of Luke Ashton's bells.
There are a few examples of Wigan made bells in rings but they are
more often found on their own. They are quite widely distributed
though, well outside Lancashire. There is a Ralph Ashton I bell
of 1708 at Killarney, a Luke Ashton bell of 1750 at Penninghame in
Kirkcudbrightshire and what appears to be a Ralph Ashton II bell of 1754 at
Dalry in Ayrshire. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=953321717-31072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=953321717-31072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Peter
Rivet</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=953321717-31072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com [mailto:bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com]<B>On
Behalf Of </B>George Dawson<BR><B>Sent:</B> 31 July 2008 17:48<BR><B>To:</B>
bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com<BR><B>Subject:</B> [Bell Historians]
Castletown, Isle of Man<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV id=ygrp-text>
<P>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d">Cast by Luke
Ashton of Wigan in 1729, it is 22.25” diameter.<O></O></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d">GAD<O></O></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d"><O></O></SPAN></P>
<DIV>
<DIV style="BORDER-TOP: #b5c4df 1pt solid">
<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">From:</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> bellhistorians@<WBR>yahoogroups.<WBR>com
[mailto:bellhistori<WBR>ans@yahoogroups.<WBR>com] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Ted
Steele<BR><B>Sent:</B> 31 July 2008 13:40<BR><B>To:</B>
bellhistorians@<WBR>yahoogroups.<WBR>com<BR><B>Subject:</B> [Bell Historians]
Castletown, Isle of Man<O></O></SPAN></P></DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><O></O></P>
<DIV id=ygrp-mlmsg>
<DIV id=ygrp-msg>
<DIV id=ygrp-text>
<P>On holiday in the Isle of Man I saw several bells of interest and, with
<BR>one exception I have since found out all I wished to know about them
<BR>from the National Bell Register. The bell that hangs in the clock-tower
<BR>of Castle Rushen in Castletown is marked simply Earl of Derby 1729; the
<BR>other side seems to have simple ornament and no further inscription is
<BR>visible. The castle was the seat of the earls of Derby in their capacity
<BR>as Lords of Mann so presumably provided this bell and I have read that
<BR>the date is regarded also as the date of the clock-tower itself. Can
<BR>anyone tell me any more about this bell
please?<BR><BR>Ted<O></O></P></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="COLOR: white"></SPAN><O></O></P></DIV></DIV></DIV>
<P></P></DIV><!--End group email --></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>