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I'm certainly not equipped to give "chapter and verse", but can add
a little to the helpful and informative responses already made by
DLC and Peter Trent. I haven't researched the firm's work in full by
any means, but I looked into their metal frames when working on <i>Bellframes</i>,
and always maintained a passing interest in Day jobs when I lived in
Bedfordshire as the firm did a fair bit of work west of Norfolk and
Suffolk. Indeed they worked in Herefordshire and Warwickshire, among
other places far from Eye.<br>
<br>
Matthew specifically asked:<br>
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<div>1. When did the start/finish etc?</div>
<div>2. Did his work include cast iron frames?</div>
<div>3. Are there any quirks or things which can easily identify
their work?</div>
<div>4. Are there any lists of known work?</div>
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1. DLC has suggested 1860s to 1920s for start and finish dates.
That's about right. The Broome job he mentions was actually 1872 (<i>Church
Bells </i>1872 p.175) and happens to be the earliest definite job
I've found. There may well have been earlier jobs. Blunham (Beds),
1926, is the last. However, we do have an end-date for the Days, as
in February 1930 Alfred Bowell finished off a rehanging at Downham
Market - the work was "started by Days of Eye who went out of
business". As to the "established 1802" mentioned by Peter, this
probably relates to Day's succession to an older business - but not
necessarily a bellhanger. <br>
<br>
2. I said "yes" in my initial reply yesterday, but on checking I was
wrong (or rather I mis-read the question!). I don't think Days did
do cast-iron frames, but (as DLC has said) they certainly made iron
ones. These (with their dates) are in <i>Bellframes</i> as types
8.1.B.a, 8.1.C.a,<i> </i>and some offities 8.1.F.b-d <br>
<br>
3. DLC has already covered this, and I agree with what he says.
Their work was sturdily robust - good solid timbers, no skimping on
metalwork etc. The bearing blocks (rather than the housings, I
think) are often date-stamped. The "eye" mark certainly appears on
many bells they commissioned. <br>
<br>
4. As to lists, there's a list of Day jobs from the NDA reports
1879-1920 on my Bowell CD - but in Norwich Diocese only. But the
firm also produced several books of testimonials - I have copied,
but haven't yet extracted jobs and dates into a list - which are an
invaluable source for identifying Day jobs, expecially since they
have indexes. I've picked up some Day jobs from the ringing
periodicals and "county books" too, a hundred or so jobs 1872-1926 -
in a spreadsheet, but no more than the "start" of a proper list<br>
<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
Chris Pickford<br>
E-mail: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:c.j.pickford@...">c.j.pickford@...</a> or (interchangeably)
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:c.j.pickford.t21@...">c.j.pickford.t21@...</a></div>
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