<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12pt"><div><span>Hi Brian</span></div><div><span>Thank you for your reply. I visited Brigham Church on Monday morning to inspect the bells. Ringing has been suspended there and the PCC is considering restoring the bells with new headstocks and a lever arm for swing chiming. You are right about the old quarry rails - they don't look particularly secure especially when loose planks are laid across them and access is by an old quarry ladder! Do you have any clue about the interpretation of 'prche'; I have so far had 'parish' and 'purchase' suggested. I have been working from the CWAAS article about the bells and have not seen any original documents.</span></div><div><span>Regards</span></div><div><span>Ron East</span></div><div><br></div> <div style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; "> <div style="font-size: 12pt;
font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; "> <div dir="ltr"> <font size="2" face="Arial"> <hr size="1"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span></b> Brian Meldon <CanewdonBells@XP8x1tfiHH2XIlDyygoJhnJ3nHWreL6WizbZqQaoHuA5U1fEMpMMsFhcRnuOmsGcG2ZngBxGDTlAn-UVOw.yahoo.invalid.com><br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com <br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Thursday, 8 March 2012, 14:44<br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> [Bell Historians] Re: Interpretation of iij prche belles<br> </font> </div> <br><div id="yiv90728997">
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Are you looking at a scan of the original hand written manuscript or a later transcription in a printed text?<br>
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The reason the last i was recorded as a j was to stop any subsequent additions to the numbers.<br>
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Is any weight given for these three bells and are there any other bells mentioned in the commissioner's inventory fror the church?<br>
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It is possible that there were three small bells in the church `porch' in 1552!<br>
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I guess you talking about St Bridget's Church, Brigham, Cockermouth where the bell chamber floor is supported by narrow gauge rails recovered from the railway that used to run from the local quarry to the station? <br>
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If so here is a photo of the bells and bell wheels:<br>
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<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3049/2969102769_7f2b726eda_o.jpg">http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3049/2969102769_7f2b726eda_o.jpg</a><br>
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If they are still in place, are they not an unrigable three that should be in Dove?<br>
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The 2nd bell is the medieval so at least one large bell should be in the 1552 inventory.<br>
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That is assuming we are talking about the same place!!!<br>
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Have a close look at the metal straps rods and their fixings and see if they are hand or machine made. There were no machine made, bolts, nuts or screws in 1707 so if there are any then the wheels are probably later.<br>
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Brian Meldon<br>
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