[Bell Historians] Modern Whitechapel bells with canons

[Chris Povey]

Nigel Taylor wrote:-


> The doncaster canons were finally phased out during the 1920's.
> Doncaster headed bells were made for Caversfield and Deddington after
> WW II at Fred Sharpe's request. The conventional canon design was
> used for the Liberty replicas, the first in 1964, a batch in 1975/6
> and 2 more in 2002/3. We still have the pattern equipment for
> conventional canons, but we prefer to use the Doncaster patterns
> because it is possible to machine these flat, and therefore attach
> the headstock onto the canons.


Well, Richard, I venture to suggest Nigel has provided the answer to the
Pebworth mystery. I think we may both be right. It is clear that
Whitechapel's policy is not to cast on canons for full-circle ringing bells
and that doncaster heads are the substitute in such circumstances (did that
become policy when the request by Pebworth was made?). It is also clear that
canons have been cast on to bells by Whitechapel since the early 1950s, but
for non ringing bells only. On that basis, I suspect Pebworth bells were,
indeed, the first full-circle ringing bells to be cast by Whitechapel with
canons/doncaster head since 1952.

Chris Povey