[Bell Historians] Obscure questions of the week

[John Paul Adams]

>> 2) When did the practice of hanging new single bells for ringing
>> decline? There are certainly a number of Taylor and Gillett one-bell
>> installations from the earlier twentieth century. Have there been any at
>> all in recent decades?

I have seen a lot of newer ones that are hung for slow swinging, tucked up
in their headstocks. Sometimes can be rung full circle, but all depends on
the roping arrangement.

I assume the thoery is that it makes them easier to chime, although I have
found this not to be the case. It is very difficult to chime three blows on
a slow swinger, compared to an ordinarily hung bell. Maybe this is because
I'm a ringer rather than a person in the congregation who only chimes the
bell.

A recent example is the single bell at Ch Ch, Streatham, Whitechapel 1995.
It does just go full circle, and there is plenty of space in the one bell
frame for it to be hung in the usual way.

Details of this visit should have been sent to CJP, but if anyone wants any
info, then let me know. The 4 hemispherical "gongs" were scrapped and
replaced by the single bell if you want to update the chimes list.

John

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John Paul Adams, Medical School IT Support Section,
University College London, London, WC1E 6BT.
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