Tacked-on trebles

[andrewmbull <a.bull@s...>]

 Something similar must have happened at Llanfrechfa, Monmouthshire, 
in 1937. At that time, the tower contained a light ring of six by 
Blews of Birmingham, 1873. Taylors added two trebles to make eight in 
1937. When I wrote to Taylors to get the details of the bells, they 
gave me the details of the trebles, but said that they had "no 
information whatsoever on the other six bells in this tower".
Inspecting the bells was interesting. I ascended the spiral 
stairway, and came to the bell-chamber. I could only find six bells, 
hung 3 by 3 in a wooden frame with traditional fittings, and looking 
like they had not seen a bellhanger since they had been installed. 
Eventually, I went back down the tower, and looked in the clock-
chamber. There they were: two perfect modern true-harmonic bells hung 
in a cast-iron lowside frame with box-section iron headstocks, ball-
bearings and Hastings stays.
They certainly were a miserable octave. They have recently been 
rehung by Whites, including retuning at Whitechapel (so presumably 
revised details will not be available), but I have not had the 
opportunity to ring on them or inspect them.

Andrew Bull

"In 1861 the ring of eight at Hythe, Kent, was augmented to ten with 
bells cast by George Mears but ordered by and supplied by George 
Stockham the celebrated handbell founder. The two trebles were cast 
to agree with the treble of the existing eight. Many are the stories 
connected therewith, not least the ensuing lawsuit which was recalled 
in the RW some years ago. The offending trebles were removed in 
1891. Hythe are again a ten, several recastings later. For a 
fascinating and well presented account visit Dickon's Church Bells of 
Kent site.

DLC"