All Saints, Brailsford, Derbyshire

[Chris Booth]

I'm looking for some help.

My local tower is All Saints, Brailsford, Derbyshire. It has a ring of 6
bells - 3 Rudhalls 1717, 2 Dobsons 1816 (recast treble and tenor) and a
'new' treble (Taylor 1956). They were apparently rehung by Francis Brunning
of Day of Eye, Suffolk in 1913, and Taylors rehung them again in 1956 when
the 6th bell - the treble - was added. We have an entry in the
Churchwardens' Accounts in 1932 of "J H Parkin paid for 'Work in Belfry'
£66 12s 11d" (about £3800 in today's money). Other local records and folk
memory have no record of what work might have been undertaken.

Now, it could have been re-roofing or reflooring the belfry (both are
unlikely- the floorboards look ancient and the lead roof covering dates from
1706 and the frame dates from 1717).

However, has anyone heard of this guy - or could he just have been a local
craftsman? The amount seems to indicate something more substantial than just
belfry fabric maintenance. Has anyone got any ideas?

Thanks in anticipation,

Chris Booth