[Bell Historians] Wells

[Mrthigby at a...]

In a message dated 29/10/2002 09:19:00 GMT Standard Time, djb122 at y... 
writes:


> I've heard it a number of times from sources I can't remember, but it's
> written in 'Church Archaeology' by Warwick Rodwell. Rodwell was (and may
> still be) the cathedral archaeologist at Wells, so would be in a position
> to have access to all the records at the cathedral.
> 

I suspect most of the previous recastings of the bell must have been done in 
the close area to the Cathedral. The lates recastings of the tenor are as 
follows:

Founder Date How long it lasted.

Joseph Carter of Reading 1588 ¢94 Years   
Thomas Purdue of Closworth 1673 ¢84 Years
Abel Rudhall of Gloucester 1757 ¢46 Years
John Rudhall of Gloucester 1803 ¢74 Years
John Taylor of Loughborough 1877 Still going 125 years later!

As most of the 1757 ring are still going strong, I suspect that they were 
cast at Gloucester and brought to Wells. Maybe the larger bells were cast on 
site & thats why they didn't last long??

For interests sake, the most accurate details of the present ring I can find 
are as follows (Thanks to WBF records & others):

Bell Weight Diameter Founder Date
(Cwt-qtr-lb) (Inches)
Treble 7-3-12 31½" Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel. 1891
2nd 9-0-2 33½" Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel. 1891
3rd ¢9-2-0 36¼" Abel Rudhall, Gloucester. 1757
4th ¢10-2-0 38" Abel Rudhall, Gloucester. 1757
5th ¢12-1-0 39¾" Abel Rudhall, Gloucester. 1757
6th 15-1-14 44" Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel. 1964
7th ¢19-2-0 48" Abel Rudhall, Gloucester. 1757
8th ¢23-0-0 50½" Abel Rudhall, Gloucester. 1757
9th ¢31-0-0 55" John Taylor & Co, Loughborough. 1877
Tenor 56-1-14 65½" John Taylor & Co, Loughborough. 1877

Matthew
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