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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The Birmingham bell is certainly still there (and I
think it may have been mentioned previously on this list; Christopher Dalton
certainly referred to it in an account for the Ringing World of our "day out" in
Birmingham when we got up to this bell). Details are:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Tahoma><?xml:namespace
prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><B><SPAN
lang=EN-GB>BIRMINGHAM</SPAN></B></st1:City></st1:place><B><SPAN lang=EN-GB> –
St.Anne (RC), <st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Alcester
Street</st1:address></st1:Street><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB><FONT
face=Tahoma>The mission here was founded in 1849. The present church was built
in 1884 to the designs of A. Vicars of Vicars & O’Neill of <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">London</st1:City></st1:place>, architects. It is a
brick building in the Early English style, having a <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">north west</st1:State></st1:place> tower with an
octagonal belfry stage and a stone spire. There is no fixed access to the
belfry.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.25in"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB><FONT face=Tahoma>There is a large bell, which is hung for slow
swinging and fitted with a tolling hammer for the angelus. </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Tahoma><st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><B><I><SPAN
lang=EN-GB>Bell</SPAN></I></B></st1:City></st1:place><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 3">
</SPAN><B><I><SPAN lang=EN-GB>Inscription<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></B></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 24pt; TEXT-INDENT: -24pt"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB><FONT face=Tahoma>1.<SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN><I>On crown (incised)</I>: 2033</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 24pt; TEXT-INDENT: -24pt"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB><FONT face=Tahoma><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN><I>Waist</I>:
<I>MC SHANE BELL FOUNDRY. </I>/ <I>HENRY MC SHANE & CO. </I>/ <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><I>BALTIMORE</I></st1:City><I>, <st1:State
w:st="on">MD.</st1:State></I></st1:place><I> </I>/
<I>1884.<o:p></o:p></I></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB><o:p><FONT
face=Tahoma> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<DIV>
<TABLE class=MsoNormalTable
style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; WIDTH: 100%; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid windowtext"
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<TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes">
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vAlign=top width="9%">
<H4 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: left" align=left><st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><SPAN lang=EN-GB><FONT
face=Tahoma>Bell</FONT></SPAN></st1:City></st1:place></H4></TD>
<TD
style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; WIDTH: 31.82%; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt"
vAlign=top width="31%">
<H2 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: left" align=left><B><SPAN
lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma"><FONT
face=Tahoma>Founder and date<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></H2></TD>
<TD
style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; WIDTH: 18.24%; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt"
vAlign=top width="18%">
<H4 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><SPAN
lang=EN-GB><FONT face=Tahoma>Diameter</FONT></SPAN></H4></TD>
<TD
style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; WIDTH: 10.58%; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt"
vAlign=top width="10%">
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><B><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma"><FONT
face=Tahoma>Note<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P></TD>
<TD
style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; WIDTH: 10.58%; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt"
vAlign=top width="10%">
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><B><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma"><FONT
face=Tahoma>Cwt.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P></TD>
<TD
style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; WIDTH: 9.76%; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt"
vAlign=top width="9%">
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><B><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma"><FONT
face=Tahoma>Qrs.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P></TD>
<TD
style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; WIDTH: 9.74%; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt"
vAlign=top width="9%">
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><B><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma"><FONT
face=Tahoma>Lbs.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P></TD></TR>
<TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 1; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes">
<TD
style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 1pt solid; WIDTH: 9.3%; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt"
vAlign=top width="9%">
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma"><FONT
face=Tahoma>1.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P></TD>
<TD
style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; WIDTH: 31.82%; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt"
vAlign=top width="31%">
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma"><FONT face=Tahoma>Henry McShane &
Co, 1884<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P></TD>
<TD
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vAlign=top width="18%">
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma"><FONT
face=Tahoma>46<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P></TD>
<TD
style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; WIDTH: 10.58%; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt"
vAlign=top width="10%">
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma"><FONT
face=Tahoma>E<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P></TD>
<TD
style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; WIDTH: 10.58%; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt"
vAlign=top width="10%">
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma"><FONT
face=Tahoma>18<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P></TD>
<TD
style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; WIDTH: 9.76%; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt"
vAlign=top width="9%">
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma"><FONT
face=Tahoma>0<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P></TD>
<TD
style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; WIDTH: 9.74%; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt"
vAlign=top width="9%">
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma"><FONT
face=Tahoma>17<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma"><o:p><FONT
face=Tahoma> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Tahoma><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma">This is a rare example in the
<st1:country-region w:st="on">United Kingdom</st1:country-region> of the work of
the American bellfounder, Henry Mc.Shane & Co of <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Baltimore</st1:City>, <st1:State
w:st="on">Maryland</st1:State></st1:place>. The number on the crown is probably
the weight of the bell – </SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-GB>2033lbs would be
18-0-17.</SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma"> Other work
from this foundry includes a chime of thirteen bells at Falkirk Old Kirk in
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">Scotland</st1:country-region></st1:place>, cast by McShane in 1926.
The bell at St.Anne’s has a button head. It is hung in the American style with a
pedestal frame (similar to <I>Bellframes</I> type 8.3.B.a) resting on two stout
wooden beams. The frame castings carry the inscription “Mc.SHANE & CO.
BALTO. MD.”. The fittings include a horseshoe-shaped iron stock with bolted
steel gudgeons, plain bearings, wooden wheel and clapper with springs. The bell
is secured to its stock with a single bolt which doubles as a crown staple for
the suspension of the clapper. There is a separate tolling hammer. The frame and
fittings are as supplied by McShane in 1884.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<DIV><B><I><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">Visited</SPAN></I></B><SPAN
lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">:<B><I>
</I></B>CJP, RLJ, CJND, 24 January 2003 and CJP, CJND (ladders) 28 February
2003</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">Interesting
to learn that it's mentioned in the McShane list.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">Chris</SPAN><!--End group email --></DIV></BODY></HTML>