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<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">Thanks to a Belgian contact, I have
managed to find out about the four bells in the earthquake-damaged RC cathedral
at Christchurch, New Zealand. Basically, the four bells were cast by A. Causard
at Tellin, Belgium, in 1904. The great bell weighs 2100kg (41 cwt) and the total
weight of the peal is 3660kgs (72 cwt). There is a fact-sheet about the bells on
the Cathedral website at <SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; LETTER-SPACING: -0.15pt; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"
lang=EN-GB><A
href="">http://www.chch.catholic.org.nz/dox/earthquake/Catholic%20Cathedral%20-%20Bells%20Factsheet.pdf</A><FONT
size=2 face="Comic Sans MS"> and a photograph of the four bells before
their installation too - on <SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; LETTER-SPACING: -0.15pt; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"
lang=EN-GB><A href="">http://www.chch.catholic.org.nz/?sid=207</A><FONT size=2
face="Comic Sans MS">. The fact-sheet also says (I quote) "<SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; LETTER-SPACING: -0.15pt; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"
lang=EN-GB>The Cathedral peal comprises the Great Bell, the Gloria Bell, the
Altiora Bell and the De Profundis Bell. Re sharp, Sol sharp, La sharp and Do.
The combination of the bells give the harmonies of Major 3rd, 4th, 5th and
6th".</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></FONT></SPAN>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS"> Apparently the
suppliers advised that the bells should be hung as a swinging peal. The
cathedral architect, however, insisted that the bells were fixed and not
swung.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> To follow up on Michael White's recent query in the RW,
I have sent a letter to pass on this information</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> Of more general interest to bell historians, though, is
the additional information in the Causard catalogues that the firm also cast a
bell of 950kg (18.5 cwt) for Greymouth, New Zealand, at about the same date (the
catalogue only says "since 1895" and the publication date was around 1914)</DIV>
<DIV> Causard also claimed to have supplied three bells for
<STRONG>Manchester</STRONG>. the biggest 600kg (11.75 cwt) during the same
period</DIV>
<DIV> Another Belgian founder, O. Michael (successor to A.
Beullens of Louvain) published a catalogue mentioning two bells his firm had
supplied for London, one of 1300kg (25 cwt) for M. Moore, and another
or 200kg (4 cwt) for > Stephen Lech </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> A few unusual bells to try and locate!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">Chris Pickford<BR>4 Walmsley Court, High
Street, Kinver, DY7 6HG<BR>Tel: 01384 878435 or (mobile) 07811 453525<BR>E-mail:
<A href="mailto:c.j.pickford@t2ZaqTuNA33i6L5qCvukHtvJjzLlIFm7dl3kyIWaHe3RxuUXKPUehaafXxY7QRx7MTWy9S95IGmd8YifFt0.yahoo.invalid">c.j.pickford@t2ZaqTuNA33i6L5qCvukHtvJjzLlIFm7dl3kyIWaHe3RxuUXKPUehaafXxY7QRx7MTWy9S95IGmd8YifFt0.yahoo.invalid</A> or
(interchangeably) <A
href="mailto:c.j.pickford.t21@FQn2ihI8zkOB1vq5MTT3NneWP1_cExLVe3CPBY1nm2loWSBTz4saaSC_kBawCtiXLYFBpoKrjjEF3hV0daR6TBZgdKKk.yahoo.invalid">c.j.pickford.t21@btinternet.com</A></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>