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<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">Now back home, I've checked the
description of the <STRONG>Oystermouth</STRONG> (Mumbles) bells in Arthur
Wright's "Glamorgan" manuscript. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">He gives the inscriptions on the three
Spanish bells.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">1. SENOR SAN JOSE R.P.N. ANO DE 1818 (27"
diameter)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">2. SENOR SAN JOSEPH ORA PRO NOBIS [no
date] (29.75" diameter)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">3. STE JOANE FRANCYSE ORA PRO NOBYS /
LAUDATE DOMYNEEYN SYNBALYS BENE SONATYBVS 1793 [amended from 1753] (32.75"
diameter)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">The versions here omit the markings, but
the treble seems to bear the name of Joseph Huesca - Wright notes that Huesca is
the capital of the Spanish province Hesca 35m NNE of Saragoza and has a
cathedral and church of San Pedro and San Juan - and the tenor may have
been cast by Manuel de ... [Murillo?]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">Wright then says: "Large square tower. 3
bells from the Cathedral of Santiago de Chile, presented by Mr. Aubrey Vivian to
the Church as Patron. Large wheels & oak frames. Thick rectangular rims.
Much ornamented on waist. One large canon each." ... "From Cathedral of Santiago
Chili burned down Dec 8 1863 when over 2000 perished owing to
the decorations catching fire from the brilliant illuminations during
the festival of the Immaculate Conception"</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">Wright notes that an inscription says the
clock was given by Francis Tippins in 1875 and that it is by Leeson & Sons
of Coleshill, 1875</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">He also (and this is where I thought
there was confusion) lists the inscriptions of the three previous bells at
Mumbles (treble and tenor 1674 and second 1714) as recorded by L.B. Clarence in
1862. He refers to Raven's manuscripts at the British Library (Add.Ms. 37433 (B)
171, 37434 (C) 67 and 37438 (G) 120) - references that might be worth following
up</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">NOW, this is whre it starts to get even
more interesting. The Oystermouth bells are evidently not the only ones from
Santiago to find their way to South Wales. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">At <STRONG>Hafod</STRONG> near Swansea,
Wright notes a blank bell (i.e. no inscription visible from below) of c.25"
diameter, "Spanish bell, from its shape. Deep mouldings"</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">At <STRONG>Neath</STRONG> (St.Thomas)
Wright notes a disused bell (25.5" diameter) on the floor at the west end of the
nave from St.David's, Neath - "a Spanish bell, resembling those at Oystermouth,
Hafod, St.James (Waller Road, Swansea) etc. No inscription, but a deep
inscription band" and on the waist a) foliage ornament with two seated figures,
and b) a crucifix [illustrated in photographs]. "Probably between 1750 &
1800 & maybe from the Cathedral of Santiago in Chili. It was presented by
Mr. H.H. Vivian [inserted - in 1860] to the late Archdeacon Griffiths, then
Rector of Neath </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">At <STRONG>Swansea, St.James (Waller
Road)</STRONG> (built 1867) a bell (28.25" diameter") inscribed SANTA MARIA
O.P.N. ANO DE 1818, on waist ornamentation similar to Oystermouth 1 with mark
"Joseph Huesca" and "evidently from the same ring". </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">Alongside this entry, Wright quotes from
an article in the <EM>Swansea Post</EM> Sweptember 1925 "Some 60 odd years ago
the city of Santiago-de-Chili, which the Prince of Wales included in the
itinerary of his S. American visit, was burnt to the ground, the Cathedral
suffering as did the dwellings. At that period Messrs. Henry Bath & Sons, of
Swansea, had wharves and works at Coquimto, where copper and copper ore reached
Swansea by the little Cape Horn wind-jammers, & there came into the
possession of Messrs Bath one of the bells of the destroyed cathedral, which
they sent home to Swansea in one of their ships. So that if people living around
St.James's church in Waller Road find the church bell somewhat unmusicalm it is
owing to the effect of the heat of the flames at Santiago-de-Chili.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">In an addendum, Wright notes: "One of the
bells from Santiago Cathedral now hangs in the turret of <STRONG>Christ Church
Carmarthen</STRONG>. It was brought to Swansea with its fellow, as I am
informed, after the destruction of Santiago Cathedral by fire. It bears ti date
nor inscription, is roughly cast, and ornamented with a ball-flower or two and
some scroll work in the form of a cross" [I would add that John Eisel's survey
of Carmarthenshire mentions that <EM>Arcaeologia Cambrensis</EM> for 1878 p.269
states that one of the bells from Santiago Cathedral "now hangs in the turret of
Christ Church, Carmarthen" but John was unable to gain access to it to verify
the details at the time of his survey]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">That's all I can find - but the left-hand
pages of the volume contain quite a lot of extra material that doesn't sit
opposite the relevant main entries on the right-hand pages so it is possible
I've missed something. The original manuscripts for Wright's unpublished Welsh
Surveys are in the Library of the National Museum of Wales in Cathays Park,
Cardiff, by the way. I happen to have a complete copy of "Glamorgan", and I went
to the Museum to see the others a couple of years ago.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">CP</FONT></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>