[Bell Historians] The end of the Eldridge foundry

[Anne Willis]

- a small point, but how likely is a foundry to 'just close'? I can well
imagine a scenario where there is no formal takeover, but surely anyone
going out of business would try to get what they could for their assets? As
a more recent example, didn't Whitechapel buy the tuning kit from G+J?

A sale of assets could see them dispersed throughout the trade, but I can
also imagine one foundry buying out so many assets that to all practical
intents a takeover occurred.

Cheers

Giles

Local newspapers might be a good place to look. A Bristol newspaper of 1830
'respectfully informed Clergymn, Churchwardens, and the Public generaly,
that Nathaniel Rees Westcoot had purchased 'the Patterns and Utensils of the
late Messrs Thomas and James Bilbie, Bell-Founders of CHEW-STOKE'...

Similarly a piece from Wiltshire Cuttings (from a book on reminiscences of
Devizes of 1828)gives some information on James Burrough, a Devizes
bellfounder
'Mr Hope (was) the first or second successor (to Mr Burrough at 30 St John
Street.) He must have done a very extensive business for he left many
expensive tools which Mr Hope never used, nor indeed did he know the use of
some of them. [Mr Hope was noted for his copper and brass ware.]
'The place in which [his] potatoes were stored were said to be the remains
of Mr James Burrough's bellfoundry'.

Anne Willis