[Bell Historians] Halse, Somerset ?

[David Bryant]

> The V&A have an exhibition of Gothic Art on at the moment in London. They
> have a bell (est circa 6.5 cwt) which apparently was at one time, they
say,
> the tenor of St. James's church, Halse. The bell is currently owned by the
> Royal Albert Museum in Exeter.
>
> Has anyone any more detail on this bell - the present ring is of 6 (it
used
> to be 5 as shown below). The current tenor is 10cwt, so it seems odd that
a
> 6.5cwt bell was once the tenor as the V&A say.

Ah, my former territory. And the tower captain is a member of this list, I
think (Keith - are you still there?) You're quite right to query the weight
of the bell. The bit about it being the former tenor is bollocks - it was
the 4th (of six) and was replaced by a new Whitechapel bell when the bells
were rehung in the 1960s or 70s. It was one of two bells in the ring from
the medieval Exeter foundry, hence being given to the museum in Exeter. The
other bell, the 3rd, remains in the ring. I believe the 4th was cracked,
although I can't find any notes at the moment, if indeed I ever made any.

David