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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-GB link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Just to alert everyone to a recent bell theft in Wiltshire:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-51719738?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/localnews/2636389-swindon/0&link_location=live-reporting-story">https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-51719738?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/localnews/2636389-swindon/0&link_location=live-reporting-story</a><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Details of the bell from Christopher Dalton’s unpublished “Wiltshire” manuscript – yes, finishing it is still one of the rather too many jobs on my desk (offers of help with word-processing / formatting for publication would be VERY welcome!) – indicate that </span><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>the actual size (diameter at the mouth) is 23.75” (60cm). The weight is about 3 cwt (closer to 150kg for the bell – and, say, 170kg with its fittings). The article says 16 stone. Here are the inscription details from Christopher’s survey<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times",serif;color:black'>M</span><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Times",serif;color:black'>RS</span><span style='font-family:"Times",serif;color:black'> IVDITH AYLIFFE BENEFACTOR <i>(fragment of foliage trail border 1)</i> A <i>(bell) </i>R 1729</span><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times",serif'>This bell was cast by Abraham Rudhall II of Gloucester</span><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#5B9BD5;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB'>Chris Pickford<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p></div></body></html>