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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I agree with Chris (below) and John on
this.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>The earliest use I have found of the idea of
having radial canons, which is essentially what Doncaster Heads
are, is at Beetley, Norfolk, where the local Dereham founder placed four
canons on the two smaller bells of an old ring of five and six on the larger
bells. The layout of the canons on the smaller bells is
identical to the Doncaster head which Denison prescribed for Doncaster's
new ring of eight in 1858, i.e. four short canons at right angles with a solid
central argent. In this case the staple was cast in. These two
Beetley bells now form 7 and 8 of the light eight there and still retain
their Mallows / Doncaster heads. Of the other bells, 3 was scrapped in 1974, as
was 5 in 1907. The crown, radial canons and the inscription band of the 4th are
in private hands, saved partly because of the remarkable cypher inscription
and partly because of the possible earliest use of radial canons. Like their
Victorian counterparts, the canons are low and of larger section that
conventional ones on bells the same size.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>On CJP's query about "short" canons, I don't
think there is a definitive answer. I think that John Taylor & Sons started
using the "low angular" type in the mid-1850's (my earliest date, from memory is
Davington, Kent in 1856, for details see Dickon's
site, kent.lovesguide.com I have seen this with both a radial and
standard arrangement, always with a solid argent, usually with a centre hole for
an independent staple. I am pretty sure that Taylors never used "Doncaster"
heads themselves, even to please Denison, who became their great patron in
1859. They were on to flat heads for their heavier bells by the
1870's.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Warner's of course, were the first to use the
"Doncaster" head as designed by Denison, but retained their tall angular canons
with solid argents in use right up to the late 1870's. Readers will
remember CD's picture of the Star Street bells - cast in 1861 - the front four
with angular canons and cast in staples and the back four with Doncaster heads
and independent staples. Whilst I've seen a mixture of flat-headed and canon
((or indeed Doncaster) headed bells, I dop not recall a ring of one
date with all three features.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I'm open to correction, but think Mears
started jusing the Doncaster Head after Arthur Hughes became manager in 1884.
Their earliest ones have cast-in staples, and they were still using them quite
regularly (with independent staples) up to c1920. The front five of the
first Mears Simpson six at Petham and Canterbury Cathedral old trebles of twelve
(1923) immediately come to mind, and photos of them are on Dickon's
site. By no means all of Mears' customers were sold on Doncaster heads -
for example he was supplying four bells to George Day of
Eye, Wymondham Abbey, Norfolk, in 1905 - specifically with standard
canons; and, for good measure, with cast-in staples.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Gillett's in their various incarnations used
Doncaster heads from the outset. The earliest I have seen in the larger bell at
Christ Church, Ramsgate, Kent (1878). Yet they came back in 1884 to recast the
smaller Mears bell of 1847 and provided tall angular canons. Images on
Dickon's site - you have to go to "Lists" then to "Gillett & Johnston" and
so on from there. Like Taylor's, they were nornmally using flat heads by
1900.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I don't think I've ever come across Doncaster
heads on Llewellins & James bells. Their canons were square in section, of
standard form and layout, and again they were moving to flat heads by the early
20th century.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>The other founders I've come across using
them include James Shaw of Bradford (a much taller form) and Thomas C
Lewis of Brixton. When his ring of six at Shipbourne, Kent (1880) was
restored in 1993, these remarkable bells were left untuned and they retain their
Doncaster heads. CJP will probably comment of the Birmingham
founders.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Interesting to read CJP's remark that "the real
distinguishing feature is a lack of argent". It all depends on how the argent is
defined; certainly we think of it of being a central loop around which the
canons are arranged. I have always maintained that with the angular (high and
low) and Dioncaster types, the central boss around which the canons are
arranged is a "solid argent" - with or without the central hole, as
Chris says.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>In recent years, when canons have been specifically
requested, Whitechapel have used the Doncaster head; Taylors have used a form or
their standard arrangement angular head.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>DLC</FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2
face=Arial> </FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=c.j.pickford.t21@EQI929veGYlaxT_Pv79O8Q9nu_WkPhJip5H4luW-KBe_zhAfBL2ierxK9YOxpfZ1xUEwzejhUoc3ncelOmGZQAhFgfAmxrOw6Avy2D-QJTud.yahoo.invalid
href="mailto:c.j.pickford.t21@oleOOwf1NnbctZt-HE3odCjkkJjm-vy_Qtswul0ZVgG3iQkXAHlVO3gNx_ZfUcI8H8_wzKe4m2ZZPwyquUapxicZuNHTU5M.yahoo.invalid">Chris Pickford</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com
href="mailto:bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com">bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, February 03, 2010 3:56
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Bell Historians] Re: Dove
and Doncaster heads.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><SPAN style="DISPLAY: none"> </SPAN>
<DIV id=ygrp-text>
<P>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">I'm with John on this one - keep
"Doncaster" as a specific and readily identifiable
type. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">Besides, with the 6 canon types it's
not so much about "long" and "short" as Rod suggests, but about the later
types having a) no argent and b) a centre hole for a crown staple. The real
distinguishing feature is the lack of an argent - but argents are, of course,
normally concealed by the stock and so identification becomes tricky for those
who aren't sure of the crucial differences between the types.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">I'm not sure I agree with Rod about the
evolutionary sequence here - whether "short" canons prrceded Denison's
invention of the "Doncaster" head or not. It may be covered by Elphick or
Jennings (haven't checked) - or maybe DLC can give a definitive
answer</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">CP</FONT></DIV>
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