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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 04/05/2024 22:17, daviesbob via
Bell-historians wrote:</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">.... Any information on the Bowen
Foundry would be greatly appreciated.</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">
<p class="MsoNormal">I am a bit surprised that the answers to this
enquiry have
not included reference to the Bell Historians list archive, a
link to which
pops up with a Google search for “Bowen bell founder London”.
The topic was
discussed in 2009 and this is the complete thread. <br>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Peter Dyson raised the subject; <i
style="mso-bidi-font-style:
normal">“Last Sunday I went to look at a single bell at Altrincham
(Cheshire)
St George, to advise on a 'broken rope'. The bell is 26.25"
dia and had 6
canons, of which one is broken off. The only inscription is:</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">BOWEN
FOUNDERS LONDON
1858</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">David
Struckett's
Dictionary list says he was casting in Clerkenwell between
1846 and 1890. A
quick glance through GAD's NBR shows 2 bells in the Diocese of
London.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Has
there been any
more been published on the foundry, please?”</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Not much was said in reply but John
Ketteringham wrote: </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">“This
is from
Lincolnshire Bells and Bell founders.<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A
second edition of this book is being published later this
year! The firm of
Bowen & Co. advertised as the Phoenix Church Bell Foundry
of Dorrington
Street, Mount Pleasant, London and cast a number of bells
during the period
1846 to circa 1890. Most of this firm’s bells are small and
there are two of
their products in Lincolnshire, both of which are undated.<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The first is at Barrowby
school which was
built in 1851 and the second is at the Catholic Church of Our
Lady and St
Peter, Woodhall Spa. This church was built in 1896 and
presumably the bell was
cast at about that time.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Source
: Information
communicated by Christopher J. Pickford”.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">David Cawley wrote: <i
style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">“CJP
is the authority on these bells by Bowen - it would be
interesting to have a
list, with particulars of his bells -also those of his
contemporaries Barrett
and Osborne (the London one, with an 'e')”</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>CJP
Obliged with:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">“Here's
a list for
Bowen - not sure I've added all known bells, so E&OE</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> <span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1858 Bowen London
Altrincham St.George
Cheshire<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1/1 26.125<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>3-2-x A<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>JG </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1851 Bowen London
Barrowby School Lincs<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1/1
13<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>0-1-x A Undated (School 1851) Ketteringham </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1846 Bowen London
Brentford St.George
Middx Scrapped 1/1 20<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>2-0-x
A Scrapped
in 1913 Walters Ms </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1851 Bowen London
Campden Town St.Paul
Middx<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1/1<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Undated (church 1851)
Walters Ms </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1848 Bowen London
Duncton St.Anthony &
St.George Sussex<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1/1
12<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>0-1-x A<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>Elphick </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1854 Bowen London
High Wycombe St.Andrew
Bucks Recast 1/1 21.25<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1-2-27
L Recast
for St.Andrew's, Hatter's Lane, by JT&Co 1960 JT&Co </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1848 Bowen London
Holnest Holnest Park
Dorset<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1/1 18.75<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1-2-x A Probably 1848
Dalton </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1855 Bowen London
Ilsington St.Jude,
Mildmay Park Middx<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1/1
25.875<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>3-2-x A
Inventiry says 1885 (but 1855 more
likely) GPE inventory </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1859 Bowen London
Lemsford St.John the
Evangelist Herts Recast 1/1 23"<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>2-3-x A Undated (probably 1859). Recast 1977 RW 1977
p.1100 </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1858 Bowen London
Llowes St.Meilig &
St.Llywes Wales (Radnor) 1/3 24.625<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>3-0-x A<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Sharpe,
CJND </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1858 Bowen London
Llowes St.Meilig &
St.Llywes Wales (Radnor) 2/3 26.125<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>3-2-x A<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Sharpe,
CJND </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1858 Bowen London
Llowes St.Meilig &
St.Llywes Wales (Radnor) 3/3 29.5<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>4-2-x
A<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Sharpe, CJND </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1856 Bowen London
London St.Matthew,
Oakley Square Middx<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1/1
33<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Walters Ms </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1856 Bowen London
Radipole St.Ann
Dorset<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1/1 24<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>3-0-x A<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>Dalton </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1854 Bowen London
Sandhurst St.Michael
Berks Scrapped 1/2 16<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1-0-x
G Replaced
in 1880 when ring installed Sharpe </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1854 Bowen London
Sandhurst St.Michael
Berks Scrapped 2/2 18<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1-2-x
G Replaced
in 1880 when ring installed Sharpe </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1850 Bowen London
Skewen St.John Wales
(Glamorgan) 1/1 28<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>4-2-x
A Undated -
church 1850 Wright </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1890 Bowen London
Strachan Established
Church Scotland (Kincardineshire) 1/1 19"<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>1-3-x A [no details in Eeles] Clouston Ms, Eeles </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>dnk Bowen London
Woodhall Spa Our Lady
& St.Peter (RC) Lincs<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>1/1
15<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>0-3-x A<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>Ketteringham </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> I
don't have details
of the Barrett & Osborne bells in electronic form. CP“</i></p>
he thread closed with Peter Dyson’s comments:
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">“Thanks
very much for
the replies on this topic, especially Chris. Doing a little
bit of analysis
shows:</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> 9
known bells
remaining in England</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">4 known
bells
remaining in Wales</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">1 known
bell remaining
in Scotland.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> Yet a
search on the
CofE Churchcare database of listed bells shows only 1 of
these, as "very
rare".</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> As
Historians,
shouldn't we be recommending that the other 8 be added, or is
this a problem
that the database hasn't yet been reconciled at a national
level?”</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The same Google search reveals an article
from the Bridgewater
Heritage Group which begins:<i
style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">“John Bowen
(1785-1854) was born in Bridgwater, Somerset. He ‘was taken
from school’ at the
age of 11, but subsequently took every opportunity for
self-education. He was
apprenticed to Thomas Pyke, brazier and bell-founder in 1799
but became
restless and left to seek adventure, eventually joining the
Navy. After being
shipwrecked he returned to Bridgwater and resumed his
apprenticeship with Pyke.
He moved to London in 1805, and in 1806 he started work with
George? Robinson,
a lighthouse contractor.”</i></p>
There is no further reference to bells but I wonder if this was a
relative of the Bowen in question?</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Ted</div>
<br>
<p></p>
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