facsimile inscriptions

[David Bryant]

We've visited this one before, but I don't think we ever came to any
conclusion!

I'm wondering when Taylor's started doing facsimile inscriptions when
recasting bells. The reason for bringing the subject up again is that when
looking through the Taunton stuff I cam across a photo and details of the
5th at St James. The church guide claimed it as a bell of 1610, which it
clearly isn't although its inscription says that it is. The fact that it is
a canonless casting, is of reasonable tone but not true harmonic and its
lettering clearly identified it as a Taylor product of the immediately
pre-true harmonic era. Enquiries at the foundry confirmed that it weighs
8-1-0 and was cast there in 1891. Presumably they were asked not to make is
obvious that it has been recast, as there is no indication on the bell - no
foundry mark or date of recasting. The old inscription is reproduced, but in
Taylor's lettering. Surely if they had been doing facsimle inscriptions this
would have been a case where one would have been used. The 2nd at SMV in
Oxford is of 1894 and has a facsimile inscription, so did they start doing
them at some point between 1891 and 1894? Put another way, what is the
earliest example anyone knows of. Are there any pre-1891?

David