[Fwd: Bell information]

[David Bryant]

I received the following this morning. Can anyone provide any
information?

David

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Bell information
Date: Sun, 22 Sep 2002 20:51:47 +1200
From: Bernard & Margaret <mbrosn at x...>
Organization: "Kerryglen"
To: djb122 at y...

Greetings from Christchurch, New Zealand

I noticed on the net that you run a bell historical group. A few days
a go I found a bell in our city that is very old and wondered if you
knew anything about the founder. Information is a bit sparse here. The
bell was installed in a local
church in 1970 but before that it hung in St Michael and All
Angels church in Cambridge. It is a good size bell at 81cm
diameter and is the only one extent of the four that apparently
hung in this church. The inscription reads; CHRISTOPHER
CRAYE MADE ME 1683. It is by far the oldest bell in
Christchurch and possibly the oldest in the country.

I don’t require a lot of information about the founder. But I would
like to know if he is a recognised founder, over what period he
operated, and in what locality. I would guess that few bells he
made have survived until now. The reason I would like this
information is to include it in a small booklet I am writing about
the bells of Christchurch. The bell is one of the more interesting
ones in the city.

Regards
Bernard Hempseed