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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>The Rudhalls seemed to get worse as they
went on, but I don’t think they were ever outstanding for tone. Llangybi
in South Wales, where I learnt to ring, had a 9 cwt six of 1712, that were sufficiently
well in tune that <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Taylors</st1:place></st1:City>
did not tune them when they rehung the bells in 1902. They were “topped ‘n’
tailed” in 1907, the 4/6 being recast, so we have a mix of untouched
Rudhall and true-harmonic Taylor. The old Rudhall bells are quite acceptable
bells of their type, and the octave sounds well, covered as it is by a
particularly fine <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Taylor</st1:place></st1:City>
tenor.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>In contrast, the 1782 Thomas Rudhall six
at Michaelston-Y-Fedw were truly appalling before Mr. Higson’s boys
worked their magic on them. Two bells were over a semitone sharp, and the tenor
had a very sharp and very loud hum. I can only assume that the idiots at Cadw
who originally insisted that they not be retuned had never heard the bells. The
1808 23 cwt John Rudhall tenor at Berkeley, Glos, is a rather sour-toned bell
with a loud hum note 206 cents sharp of the octave. At least this bell has a
prime only 5 cents flat, but the bell makes an interesting contrast with the far
less strident old-style tuning of the three 1842 Thomas Mears bells in the
ring.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>For the period, I consider that the Evans
foundry of Chepstow cast better bells. The six at Cwmdu, which were left
untuned when Eayre & Smith rehung them, are – to my ears anyway –
a very pleasant old-style six, and the decision not to retune them was the
correct one. David’s comments on the Bilbies are interesting, as they
were direct competitors to Evans, as the well-known inscription at Backwell
bears testament.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Andrew Bull <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> <st1:PersonName
w:st="on">bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com</st1:PersonName> [mailto:<st1:PersonName
w:st="on">bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com</st1:PersonName>] <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>David Bryant<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> 24 November 2008 15:25<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> <st1:PersonName w:st="on">bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com</st1:PersonName><br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> RE: [<st1:City w:st="on">Bell</st1:City>
Historians] <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ludlow</st1:place></st1:City></span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><br>
<font color=navy><span style='color:navy'>There are some very good bells by the
Billbies and (especially) the Rudhalls, but equally I can think of some pretty
dire ones. In particular, the Cullompton branch of the Bilbie family, and the
last Rudhall (John) are not noted as casting decent-sounding bells.<o></o></span></font><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:navy'>David<o></o><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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